Harsh reality of statues
Darlene LaFollette’s Sept. 6 letter says that removing statues diminishes us in some way, that we need these reminders to appreciate who we’ve been in the past. Statues are made to honor historical figures and events. They are not mere reminders of the past. They celebrate the past. If Darlene can find a statue of a shackled black man being sold at auction or maybe a nice bronze of a family being torn apart, then we can talk about reminders.
In the meantime the criteria is simply: If the statue honors someone whose only contribution was that he served in the war to continue human oppression, take it down.
Sandy S. Tarbox
Spokane