And just to note--a statue of a soldier with a bayonet deployed, in front of what is supposed to be a place of justice (courthouse), does not seem to be an appropriate message.
Thank you for providing this beautifully written context for the statue, and likely many other similar statues throughout the south. The statue should be removed, but the historical context not lost. Losing the context would be burying history. Perhaps moving it to the (or a) museum, but only as part of an exhibit that explains its origins and what it was doing in Lynchburg.
Thanks for the kind words, Kit. I agree about putting it in an exhibit that properly explains its context. I think we agree with these statues' defenders on the broader point--we should not bury or erase our history--but we think there's a fuller understanding of the history that needs to be grasped.
And just to note--a statue of a soldier with a bayonet deployed, in front of what is supposed to be a place of justice (courthouse), does not seem to be an appropriate message.
An important point! I write about the significance of the location in tomorrow's follow up essay.
Thank you for providing this beautifully written context for the statue, and likely many other similar statues throughout the south. The statue should be removed, but the historical context not lost. Losing the context would be burying history. Perhaps moving it to the (or a) museum, but only as part of an exhibit that explains its origins and what it was doing in Lynchburg.
Thanks for the kind words, Kit. I agree about putting it in an exhibit that properly explains its context. I think we agree with these statues' defenders on the broader point--we should not bury or erase our history--but we think there's a fuller understanding of the history that needs to be grasped.
Agree--and the history that you researched and wrote about is the one that should not be buried.
Understanding this history is so, so important. Thank you for your work on this piece, Jeremiah.
Thanks, Rebecca!
For the record: there was no Divine Mercy Sunday in 1900. This was established in 2000 by action of Pope John Paul II.
Thank you Ed. We will take a look at this and see if we need to correct anything.