On This The President Is Correct

Mr. Trump several times recently has called for an end to midnight toppling of various public statues, and an end to spray painting them, and other unilateral acts by various groups of "protesters."


I agree for several reasons.


One is: someone's going to get hurt, if they already haven't, by these nighttime acts. I saw several news stories in which giant statues barely missed hitting the toppling crew; someone easily could have been killed. Does that advance the cause?  But the main reason is that there is a way, legal (but quite time consuming) to do this, and it allows for people of opposing views to have their say in a public assembly, not after midnight with grappling hooks and ropes.  Lexington did it, and yes it toook a while (viz America's 'instant gratification" desires,) but it was done. Same in Frankfort where Old Jeff Davis wasn't hung to a sour apple tree, but at a cost to you and me of $225.000 (in a cash strapped state)the monuments law was followed, as in Lexington, and the offending statues were gone.


It can be, and should be, that way elsewhere. Mr. Trump has every right to call for law & order to be followed, whether in Richmond, Va. or Columbus, Ohio, or Washington, D.C.  And, BTW, calls are starting to be heard  for the removal of statues of George Washington (a slave owner) Father of our Country, as well as Adolf Rupp, Father of the BBN.  They would join calls and midnight action against Lincoln, Jefferson, Grant, Columbus, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, Matthew Maury, yes, even old Matthew Maury. But people are of two (or likely many more) minds here. In some cases I am convinced it is the sculpture's presentation, not the lifetime of He Who Has Been Sculpted that has produced the protests (especially in the cases of TR and Old Abe) but still the views of the "protesters"  (I am trying not to use the word "mob") have every right to be heard and so do the views of those opposed, so long as previously  established procedures, rules, laws are followed, or, in some cases, new rules need to be drawn up allowing all sides to be heard before we rewrite history a la 1964 forever.


Lexington & Frankfort did it right, whatever my views, because various sides got to be heard before the final decision.  Mr. Trump has called for the same, and said that those who don't follow the laws should be prosecuted.

The President is correct.

He is also right.

I'm just sayin'...