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The removal of statues in the UK


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🧐The problematic idea of celebrating a person who has made their fortunes on the back of the slave trade by erecting a statue of them on a podium so they can be marvelled at on the streets of Britain is a pretty remarkable feat is it not?
Whilst I firmly don’t agree with mindless vandalism of monuments such as Queen Victoria who has nothing to do personally with the slave trade and actually embraced foreign cultures with open arms, we need to address the statue issue sensibly . 
There is no denying that many people who have built buildings and created institutions in this country did make fortunes from keeping slaves and selling them. And I take the point many historic landmarks in ancient history were built by salves such as the Pyramids, The Colosseum and The Great Wall of China, but these creations are not celebrations to the person or persons who decided for them to be built. They themselves didn’t have an erected statue built years afterwards as a celebration of them. There is a marked difference between what is created on the appointment of somebody and a statue of them which in itself is a admirable achievement to get one of somebody on a podium on a street, surely there is a distinct difference?
History of humanity is steeped in cruelty, prejudice, imperialism, judgement and elitism. The world has changed many times through what’s accepted in different generations and hopefully we get a step further towards being “more civilised” with every change.
You can’t erase actual history so we must all learn from it. That’s exactly how things have changed in this country from woman getting the vote, child labour being outlawed and gay people not being thrown in prison.
I propose drawing a line when it comes to statues and considering is it right to put this person on that platform publicly or is it better to have them belong in a museum where the full story can and should be told? I believe this is the environment for the men who may of shaped the landscape of Britain but did so on the back of the inhumane act of keeping slaves and profiting from them. 
Many people in history who have a statue held ideas “of their day” that by today’s standards are simply immoral, and the slave trade is but one. It’s a painful and disgusting one but it is one of many. Don’t forget many people for centuries in this country didn’t allow woman the same rights of men you’d be wiping out half the monuments that exists if you start unpicking history by what we accept and dont accept in 2020. 
I fully understand people’s disgust at statues of men who have profited in slavery and I agree they have no place on the street alongside other statues of scholars, scientists, monarchs and people who have had an impact on our national identity. 
But who decides who gets a platform anyway? There are only opinions at the end of the day so I say let’s have a constructive look at who has a statue and why? I agree at the ones removed thus far but they need to be in a museum so we can remember the capability of the human reach and at what cost. That way they are not “celebrated” lives on public display but their important stories can be told in a museum because currently most people wouldn’t know the true horror of their back story anyway and you can’t squeeze their back story on a tiny plaque. 
We need to look at the person and ask ourselves does this person deserve the platform because there needs to be a measure and hopefully the positive to come out of this will be food for thought for future committees and councils when deciding to green light a statue for a person. ✌️

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