"Bristol has a statue of Colston because he's incredibly historically relevant to Bristol."
Bristol has a statue of Colston because he was a wealthy and influential establishment figure who made substantial philanthropic donations. Part of his wealth was the proceeds of slave trading.
Nobody has "cancelled" Colston. In fact, I would go so far as to say that recent events have probably raised his historical profile higher than it has been for many years. I think that displaying the toppled statue with its graffiti in a museum setting, with appropriate background on Colston and the associated protests makes for much more interesting and engaging history than a nondescript public statue that most people pass without a second glance.
(, Tue 14 Sep 2021, 22:04, Share, Reply)
Agreed to all of the above.
Do you honestly believe the mob had planned all that in advance, though? Or was it just a happy accident set in motion by a bunch of fuckwit SJW's practicing some social disobedience?
(, Tue 14 Sep 2021, 22:17, Share, Reply)
My understanding is that people have been objecting to Colston's statue and the failure to address the slaving aspect of his history for many years.
I think the BLM protests gave momentum and a much higher profile to complaints that people had been making for a long time, with limited effect. Given the mood of the moment, I think people seized the opportunity to knock the statue down, and I reckon that was no bad thing.
(, Wed 15 Sep 2021, 19:10, Share, Reply)