After People Are Conflicted On Whether The Slave Trader Statue Should’ve Been Removed, Banksy Offers A Brilliant Solution To End The Argument
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Last Sunday, after protesters in Bristol, England decided to tear down the already defaced statue of a well-known slave trader, Edward Colston, and throw it into the harbor, a heated debate was sparked. While many people cheered as the statue of a man who, back in the day, was responsible for transporting about 100,000 slaves from Africa to the Americas was toppled and drowned, others had conflicting opinions. Some described the act as the erasure of history that is important to remember, while others condemned the protesters for the illegal actions they took part in.
Image credits: PA Media
The statue caused a bit of splash both literally and figuratively, as opinions both from political leaders and regular people started flowing. Clearly, some common ground needs to be found to resolve the matter.
Image credits: banksy
As it turns out, there’s a rather simple solution to end the controversy surrounding the toppling of the statue and it comes from the prominent street artist Banksy, who often uses his art to share commentary on politics and social issues. His pitch is rather simple: bring back the statue, put it back on its pedestal, but upgrade it with statues of protesters armed with ropes in the action of taking down the slave trader’s statue. According to the artist, this would be the best way to have this “famous day commemorated.”
Some internet users really liked this idea
And some of them not as much…
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Who is "conflicted?" Racists? You can remember history and not exalt demons, especially at taxpayer expense.
Exactly. To remember our past is to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes. To glorify those mistakes is to guarantee that they will be repeated.
Pretending like it never happened instead of facing our past is so classic western civilization rich white people mentality it could get a cameo in Friends.
Great idea. But this does not "End The Slaver Trader Statue Argument". Argument never stops: e.g. should the defacing paint be removed, let wither in the sun, or be made permanent? (Edit, thanks BP for revising the title - absolute text forms just cause controversy :))
Keep the paint and let the community refresh it when necessary.
Brilliant!
Destroying statues and monuments is not a manifestation of power, but a silly game between those with power and those without it. It’s a display of helplessness, a mindless regurgitation of a brainless mob. And no one with true power cares. Politicians allow the crowds to do it because it doesn’t change anything, doesn’t threaten the system. Instead of blowing the topic out of proportion and making moronic arguments about whether the person who doesn’t agree with destroying monuments is or is not a racist, call for a referendum, vote in elections, make demands to your governments about things that truly need to change in order to save this value that has already been generated out of George Floyd’s murder. It’s been two months since the UK cut carbon as its energy source. 40% of UK’s energy now comes from renewable sources. It took over 30 years of commitment, education, awareness, culture, and a system of legal tools. It did not take mobs destroying coal-mines and oil rigs. Be serious.
Yeah. That's how you do it.
Those statues should have been torn down decades ago. Or, we stick a banana on it and call it art. I wonder how long till people realise that this guy's only true work of art is pushing the boundaries of what is considered art.
There is a difference between not erasing history and celebrating the bad actors in it. Hitler has his place in history, unfortunately, but not as a statue on a plinth.
Nah, replace it with a statue of Rik Mayall, the people's poet...
That would be an awesome statue
I hope all racist statues are taken down. I can’t believe that we are still dealing with this in 2020.
Banksy is a loser simp
In that case we shloud also destroyed all statues of people from time when woman had no rights because they Don do anything about it
It shouldn't have even been removed
History is written in books and embedded in human minds, dare to topple that?
It is a fine line. Here in the US, we do not want to glorify slavery for sure. But we also must not forget what happens when we are divided. Both are ugly. We are better together than we are against one another.
I hope gurvinder and leah weren't part of the group claiming that the statue should be left up because it commemerates history. If so, that's a very hypocritical point of view. To gurvinder: I wonder if it will set up a bad example for the coming generations, they will resort to prejudice and hate? To leah: Colston didn't deserve a statue of himself XD he's part of the racism problem.
It does commemorate history, just not the part of history they want everyone to believe it does. They are not celebrations of heroes, regardless of what the local elementary school might be indoctrinating them with. They were build to reinforce the superiority of white people who felt threatened by black people having any rights at all in post-reconstruction south. Sickeningly, they worked.
I am not a British subject so they can do whatever they want with statues....but I bet the government will have the first and last say so. I have no idea why the statue was built or who he was.
White racism under BLM "ideology"
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When did throwing tantrums and breaking things become the way to get what you want? Isn't that something you learned not to do as a toddler?
Who defends a statue and not the people who want it to come down? People have been trying for years in vain to have the statue taken down. No one is listening. They have every right to tear it down. I bet when Suddam Husain's statue came down or when hitlers came down that was ok w u but not this one that causes so much pain w it's violent history? Why? Bc u just don't care about black people? That's a true racist
Did you learn that it was ok to compare pulling a racist statue down to cops killing black people? If you believe that it's ok you are a disgusting racist
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I don't believe that police should be killing people, but I do believe there are better ways to get the change that needs to be made done. I don't think that pulling down or defacing things that represent the history of the issue is the right way to go about it. I believe you should use these as an opportunity to teach that what happened in history wasn't the right thing to do and put up additional plaques or statues to tell what how that was stopped. In this case what happened to Colston, how did the RAC end. I believe that teaching instead of rioting and destroying is a better way to make changes. If that makes me a racist then I will own that.
Fuck off, racist.
I don't know, why don't you tell us, Karen? You and your minions sure seem to have much difficulty with symbols of slavery being removed
Riots are the voice of the unheard. How can you say let's teach. We've been teaching it's not working people need to be shaken out of complicity and your argument is racist gaslighting it has been used for centuries by racists to take away what black people have to deal w every single day. You sound very white and privileged please educate yourself about ur racist argument since you're so fond of learning
I am truly sorry for offering up my opinion. I didn't mean to offend you all and I will not do it again. Please forgive my ignorance. I have definitely taken what you have said to heart and will do my best to be a different person going forward.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
He was Jewish. That never gets mentioned at all. The Jews ran the entire slave trade just like they run the entire Porn industry on earth! AND the Jews still run the Human Trafficking "Modern for Slave Trade" now. AND the JEWS are running the entire illegal immigrant trafficking into the USA.
You are a conspiracy theorist. The Jewish people were part of the huge Underground Railroad that helped slaves escape. Where the hell are u getting your crazy info?
This black professor talks about the complicated relationship of jews and blacks: https://noirg.org/articles/jews-slavery-lecture-by-dr-leonard-e-barrett-sr/
Loosen the tin foil buddy
Who is "conflicted?" Racists? You can remember history and not exalt demons, especially at taxpayer expense.
Exactly. To remember our past is to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes. To glorify those mistakes is to guarantee that they will be repeated.
Pretending like it never happened instead of facing our past is so classic western civilization rich white people mentality it could get a cameo in Friends.
Great idea. But this does not "End The Slaver Trader Statue Argument". Argument never stops: e.g. should the defacing paint be removed, let wither in the sun, or be made permanent? (Edit, thanks BP for revising the title - absolute text forms just cause controversy :))
Keep the paint and let the community refresh it when necessary.
Brilliant!
Destroying statues and monuments is not a manifestation of power, but a silly game between those with power and those without it. It’s a display of helplessness, a mindless regurgitation of a brainless mob. And no one with true power cares. Politicians allow the crowds to do it because it doesn’t change anything, doesn’t threaten the system. Instead of blowing the topic out of proportion and making moronic arguments about whether the person who doesn’t agree with destroying monuments is or is not a racist, call for a referendum, vote in elections, make demands to your governments about things that truly need to change in order to save this value that has already been generated out of George Floyd’s murder. It’s been two months since the UK cut carbon as its energy source. 40% of UK’s energy now comes from renewable sources. It took over 30 years of commitment, education, awareness, culture, and a system of legal tools. It did not take mobs destroying coal-mines and oil rigs. Be serious.
Yeah. That's how you do it.
Those statues should have been torn down decades ago. Or, we stick a banana on it and call it art. I wonder how long till people realise that this guy's only true work of art is pushing the boundaries of what is considered art.
There is a difference between not erasing history and celebrating the bad actors in it. Hitler has his place in history, unfortunately, but not as a statue on a plinth.
Nah, replace it with a statue of Rik Mayall, the people's poet...
That would be an awesome statue
I hope all racist statues are taken down. I can’t believe that we are still dealing with this in 2020.
Banksy is a loser simp
In that case we shloud also destroyed all statues of people from time when woman had no rights because they Don do anything about it
It shouldn't have even been removed
History is written in books and embedded in human minds, dare to topple that?
It is a fine line. Here in the US, we do not want to glorify slavery for sure. But we also must not forget what happens when we are divided. Both are ugly. We are better together than we are against one another.
I hope gurvinder and leah weren't part of the group claiming that the statue should be left up because it commemerates history. If so, that's a very hypocritical point of view. To gurvinder: I wonder if it will set up a bad example for the coming generations, they will resort to prejudice and hate? To leah: Colston didn't deserve a statue of himself XD he's part of the racism problem.
It does commemorate history, just not the part of history they want everyone to believe it does. They are not celebrations of heroes, regardless of what the local elementary school might be indoctrinating them with. They were build to reinforce the superiority of white people who felt threatened by black people having any rights at all in post-reconstruction south. Sickeningly, they worked.
I am not a British subject so they can do whatever they want with statues....but I bet the government will have the first and last say so. I have no idea why the statue was built or who he was.
White racism under BLM "ideology"
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
When did throwing tantrums and breaking things become the way to get what you want? Isn't that something you learned not to do as a toddler?
Who defends a statue and not the people who want it to come down? People have been trying for years in vain to have the statue taken down. No one is listening. They have every right to tear it down. I bet when Suddam Husain's statue came down or when hitlers came down that was ok w u but not this one that causes so much pain w it's violent history? Why? Bc u just don't care about black people? That's a true racist
Did you learn that it was ok to compare pulling a racist statue down to cops killing black people? If you believe that it's ok you are a disgusting racist
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I don't believe that police should be killing people, but I do believe there are better ways to get the change that needs to be made done. I don't think that pulling down or defacing things that represent the history of the issue is the right way to go about it. I believe you should use these as an opportunity to teach that what happened in history wasn't the right thing to do and put up additional plaques or statues to tell what how that was stopped. In this case what happened to Colston, how did the RAC end. I believe that teaching instead of rioting and destroying is a better way to make changes. If that makes me a racist then I will own that.
Fuck off, racist.
I don't know, why don't you tell us, Karen? You and your minions sure seem to have much difficulty with symbols of slavery being removed
Riots are the voice of the unheard. How can you say let's teach. We've been teaching it's not working people need to be shaken out of complicity and your argument is racist gaslighting it has been used for centuries by racists to take away what black people have to deal w every single day. You sound very white and privileged please educate yourself about ur racist argument since you're so fond of learning
I am truly sorry for offering up my opinion. I didn't mean to offend you all and I will not do it again. Please forgive my ignorance. I have definitely taken what you have said to heart and will do my best to be a different person going forward.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
He was Jewish. That never gets mentioned at all. The Jews ran the entire slave trade just like they run the entire Porn industry on earth! AND the Jews still run the Human Trafficking "Modern for Slave Trade" now. AND the JEWS are running the entire illegal immigrant trafficking into the USA.
You are a conspiracy theorist. The Jewish people were part of the huge Underground Railroad that helped slaves escape. Where the hell are u getting your crazy info?
This black professor talks about the complicated relationship of jews and blacks: https://noirg.org/articles/jews-slavery-lecture-by-dr-leonard-e-barrett-sr/
Loosen the tin foil buddy