New Statues Rise As Old Ones Fall

Americans cheered in 1776 when Manhattan crowds destroyed a statue of King George III – and later when statues of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler and Saddam Hussein fell. We grimaced when the Taliban dynamited 1,700-year-old Buddhas.

We despaired when one died and others were bloodied over a 100-year-old statue of Robert E. Lee. We debate removing statues of other confederates or slave-owning presidents.

Last week, Georgia’s governor helped unveil a long overdue bronze statue of Martin Luther King Jr. He stands amidst statues of segretationists. Which of these will stand 100 years hence?

– Chris Schroder, SPR Atlanta