There is in the clamor by some to rid the physical world of certain people from pedestals a toxic odor of self-defeat that once would have saddened me more; but with so much else making lives appear forlorn, I can only muster up a modicum of pity for those few who believe that their past can be erased and obliterated by merely wishing it tossed away.
Statuary, commemorative works of art, commissioned and created by our ancestors being relegated en masse to "the dustbin of history" will in no way change the past; not an iota, but will forever be a blot on our collective memories.
Those who want to change the world to suit a preferred vision of themselves ought first change themselves to confront the reality of the world that they inherited, and the desired future world that they must seriously prepare themselves to create. They must begin by learning who they are and how they became who they are. They must be reminded of their failures as well as of their successes.
It's often said that we learn best from our mistakes. Having made such a monumental amount of missteps, I'm constantly amazed that we haven't demonstrated more improvement in so many critical areas of our development.
