Why Re-Writing American History in DTLA is Wrong
This is not just about a 567 year old Italian explorer being dissed today. Book burning, statue destruction, sculpture abolishment, art banning and history re-writing are all abominations of education and humanities. It is usually NOT OK to erase or destroy any public monument however locally unpopular it may become, no matter how untruthful it may appear at any fleeting moment of time. Statues like the sculpture of Christopher Columbus in Downtown’s Grand Park are there for the historical record as well as artistic expression of the people who create and inaugurate them. Permanent artworks are meant to outlast shifting ideologies, to survive the whims of politics.
Like European explorers, American natives are also ultimately wanderers and settlers descending from ancestors who immigrated from far away places. Like most human groups, American natives have been attacked by many strands of enemies over many eons, and some natives have committed their own atrocities against other native tribes as they have committed their own violence upon western settlers. While it is understandable that Columbus has come to symbolize hostility to natives, it may be a fools game to attempt to re-write history by hiding a statue. Incorrectly responding to human suffering by fighting against art does not work. Humanity cannot move forward by detracting from humanity. Effective historical records can only be appended, not deleted. #columbus #statue #dtla
America is built on great acts of great people, but also founded and sustained partly on wrongdoing. Those misdeeds cannot be deleted from history with the stroke of a pen, nor can they be erased from our memory with the removal of statues, memorials or monuments. In addition to being injurious to the historical record, removing a 45-year old sculptural statue is an attack on free speech, a smite against art and an assault on freedom of expression. Christopher Columbus, one of the most important discoverers of the new world, has been known as a key figure in history for hundreds of years as one of the founders of colonialist America. He likely played a hand in atrocities, but he controlled a very limited number of men. He did not command large armies. But even if we were to agree that Columbus somehow killed 100 million natives (which he did not), do we really want to erase any pieces of art and history? Shouldn’t we teach critical thinking instead? Shouldn’t we teach children to learn from past mistakes?
President Andrew Jackson played a much, much larger role in killing natives. Should we destroy all of his statues? The U.S. Army most certainly and directly slaughtered natives by the thousands. When are we going to remove all statues that commemorate the Army? When are we going to purge and re-name Pershing Square? And then, are we going to vilify and remove native American memorials because some of them massacred other native Americans?
Assigning all responsibility for native american suffering to Christopher Columbus is false and misleading. Burning books, destroying monuments and deleting historical records are all harmful acts that may lead to the worst of history repeating itself. The responsibility of teaching the truth, preserving art and preventing future atrocities belongs to everyone. The statue of Christopher Columbus that was foolishly removed from Downtown today must be placed where it can be seen as the artwork and educational tool that it is. By making such a notorious big deal out of removing the 500-year-old dude from public view, its short-sighted detractors have unwittingly added to the statue’s historical significance. Just do the right thing and put it back. | COMMENT
#historic #lofts
Get a free list of historic Mills Act lofts with property tax benefits. Fill out the online form:
LOFT & CONDO LISTINGS DOWNTOWN LA [MAP]
SEARCH LOFTS FOR SALE Affordable | Popular | Luxury
Browse by Building | Neighborhood | Size | Bedrooms | Pets | Parking
Copyright © This free information provided courtesy L.A. Loft Blog and LAcondoInfo.com with information provided by Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, BRE#01889449 We are not associated with the homeowner’s association or developer. For more information, contact (213) 880-9910 or visit LAcondoInfo.com Licensed in California. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Properties subject to prior sale or rental. This is not a solicitation if buyer or seller is already under contract with another broker. | COMMENT