Face it: History can be awful

The Columbus statue in Providence, way before it was vandalized

From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

t would be briefly satisfying (but not legal) if Providence City Councilor Kat Kerwin could be removed from office for defending the vandalism involved in the splattering of red paint across the beautiful statue of Christopher Columbus, on Elmwood Avenue, with a sign “Stop Celebrating Genocide’’ placed against the pedestal, on which “Genocide’’ was also painted. She said: “I think the statue should be removed – I think healthy civil disobedience is really good for society.’’ Would she be willing to go to jail herself for such disobedience? I doubt it.

Education blogger Erika Sanzi had a good response, in a post entitled “Providence City Councilor is Wrong to Defend Vandalism."

“This is arrogant and dangerous talk from an elected official. First of all, she does not get to have the final word for other people on what does and does not oppress them.

“And secondly, vandalism and destruction of public property are not only against the law but can escalate quickly and turn dangerous. Taken to its logical conclusion, her argument could be used to justify vandalizing and destroying private property, including hers."

If the people’s representatives want to remove (and move to, say, museums) such statues, let them take a vote to do so.

On Columbus: The arrival of Europeans in the so-called New World brought much death to the Native Americans, mostly in the form of diseases for which they had no immunity but also in being killed directly by the far better armed Europeans. Colonialization brought huge technological advances – some good, some menacing -- to the Americas. And Native Americans showed themselves as sanguinary and brutal, indeed as “genocidal,’’ as the colonists, though they lacked the Europeans’ firepower. Indeed, “genocide’’ has long been a business model for groups around the world.

Which reminds me that the African slaves captured and brought to the Americas were purchased from – Africans. I suppose this should go under the heading “People are terrible.’’ And history can be very, very disturbing and complicated.

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