Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Ghana Today
  • Home
  • News
    A Great Asset For Ghana Football: Ghanatoday.net

    A Great Asset For Ghana Football: Ghanatoday.net

    Breaking News: Sellas Tetteh resigns as head coach of Sierra Leone – Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results: Ghanatoday.net

    Two cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ghana: Ghanatoday.net

    Two cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ghana: Ghanatoday.net

    Govt tightens border checks as coronavirus spreads: Ghanatoday.net

    COVID-19: Ghana confirms two cases: Ghanatoday.net

  • Politics
    ‘Eyes cleared’ for NDC members as they demand to see NDC’s own collated election figures

    NDC finally admits it got 47.39% in a letter it wrote to EC dated 2nd March 2021

    Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

    Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

    Why Scandalising the Supreme Court in the name of Partisan Politics?

    Why Scandalising the Supreme Court in the name of Partisan Politics?

    Auditor-General can’t be forced to take his leave or forfeit it

    Auditor General Domelevo arrives in his office using backdoor at 8:20am amidst police

  • Entertainment
    Pulse Picks: Top 10 entertainment stories that defined 2020 [ARTICLE]

    Pulse Picks: Top 10 entertainment stories that defined 2020 [ARTICLE]

    From Manny Pacquiao to Shirley Temple: Seven celebrities who swapped the entertainment industry for politics

    From Manny Pacquiao to Shirley Temple: Seven celebrities who swapped the entertainment industry for politics

    At CES 2020 Panasonic Demonstrates the Future

    At CES 2020 Panasonic Demonstrates the Future

    Christabel Ekeh pictures, biography, boyfriend ▷ YEN.COM.GH

    Christabel Ekeh pictures, biography, boyfriend ▷ YEN.COM.GH

  • Lifestyle
    Video Statement from Taat CEO Details Potential Opportunities with Hong Kong Financier Canadian Stock Exchange:TAAT.CN

    Video Statement from Taat CEO Details Potential Opportunities with Hong Kong Financier Canadian Stock Exchange:TAAT.CN

    How Luxury Fashion And Lifestyle Brands Can Leverage Technology In 2021

    How Luxury Fashion And Lifestyle Brands Can Leverage Technology In 2021

    Meet Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; The teacher and chief servant

    Meet Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; The teacher and chief servant

    LGBTQI+++ have won their rights

    LGBTQI+++ have won their rights

  • Africa

    More than 10 countries in Africa report COVID-19 cases

    The Dance: the South Africans who finish high school against all odds | Global development

    Facebook, Twitter suspend Russia-linked operation targeting African Americans on social media – News – MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

    Facebook, Twitter suspend Russia-linked operation targeting African Americans on social media – News – MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

    The fight for west Africa’s fish

    The fight for west Africa’s fish

  • Business
    IGP deploys Psychologists to all Police Regional Commands-Ghanatoday.net

    IGP deploys Psychologists to all Police Regional Commands-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana Airports vaccinates frontline staff-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana Airports vaccinates frontline staff-Ghanatoday.net

    Koudijs Ghana Limited launches new poultry feed-Ghanatoday.net

    Koudijs Ghana Limited launches new poultry feed-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana begins COVID-19 mass vaccination today-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana begins COVID-19 mass vaccination today-Ghanatoday.net

  • Viral News
  • Videos
    Lawyer Justice Srem-Sai wants Ghana’s elections held before December – AM News on JoyNews (14-12-20)-ghanatoday.net

    Lawyer Justice Srem-Sai wants Ghana’s elections held before December – AM News on JoyNews (14-12-20)-ghanatoday.net

    Ghana/Things To do in Accra!-ghanatoday.net

    Ghana/Things To do in Accra!-ghanatoday.net

    Drama | Agar Tum Saath Ho – Episode 34 Part 1 | Express Entertainment Dramas | Humayun Ashraf, Ghana-ghanatoday.net

    Drama | Agar Tum Saath Ho – Episode 34 Part 1 | Express Entertainment Dramas | Humayun Ashraf, Ghana-ghanatoday.net

    World Bank approves US$250 million for establishment of Development Bank Ghana | Business Dashboard-ghanatoday.net

    World Bank approves US$250 million for establishment of Development Bank Ghana | Business Dashboard-ghanatoday.net

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    A Great Asset For Ghana Football: Ghanatoday.net

    A Great Asset For Ghana Football: Ghanatoday.net

    Breaking News: Sellas Tetteh resigns as head coach of Sierra Leone – Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results: Ghanatoday.net

    Two cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ghana: Ghanatoday.net

    Two cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ghana: Ghanatoday.net

    Govt tightens border checks as coronavirus spreads: Ghanatoday.net

    COVID-19: Ghana confirms two cases: Ghanatoday.net

  • Politics
    ‘Eyes cleared’ for NDC members as they demand to see NDC’s own collated election figures

    NDC finally admits it got 47.39% in a letter it wrote to EC dated 2nd March 2021

    Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

    Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

    Why Scandalising the Supreme Court in the name of Partisan Politics?

    Why Scandalising the Supreme Court in the name of Partisan Politics?

    Auditor-General can’t be forced to take his leave or forfeit it

    Auditor General Domelevo arrives in his office using backdoor at 8:20am amidst police

  • Entertainment
    Pulse Picks: Top 10 entertainment stories that defined 2020 [ARTICLE]

    Pulse Picks: Top 10 entertainment stories that defined 2020 [ARTICLE]

    From Manny Pacquiao to Shirley Temple: Seven celebrities who swapped the entertainment industry for politics

    From Manny Pacquiao to Shirley Temple: Seven celebrities who swapped the entertainment industry for politics

    At CES 2020 Panasonic Demonstrates the Future

    At CES 2020 Panasonic Demonstrates the Future

    Christabel Ekeh pictures, biography, boyfriend ▷ YEN.COM.GH

    Christabel Ekeh pictures, biography, boyfriend ▷ YEN.COM.GH

  • Lifestyle
    Video Statement from Taat CEO Details Potential Opportunities with Hong Kong Financier Canadian Stock Exchange:TAAT.CN

    Video Statement from Taat CEO Details Potential Opportunities with Hong Kong Financier Canadian Stock Exchange:TAAT.CN

    How Luxury Fashion And Lifestyle Brands Can Leverage Technology In 2021

    How Luxury Fashion And Lifestyle Brands Can Leverage Technology In 2021

    Meet Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; The teacher and chief servant

    Meet Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; The teacher and chief servant

    LGBTQI+++ have won their rights

    LGBTQI+++ have won their rights

  • Africa

    More than 10 countries in Africa report COVID-19 cases

    The Dance: the South Africans who finish high school against all odds | Global development

    Facebook, Twitter suspend Russia-linked operation targeting African Americans on social media – News – MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

    Facebook, Twitter suspend Russia-linked operation targeting African Americans on social media – News – MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

    The fight for west Africa’s fish

    The fight for west Africa’s fish

  • Business
    IGP deploys Psychologists to all Police Regional Commands-Ghanatoday.net

    IGP deploys Psychologists to all Police Regional Commands-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana Airports vaccinates frontline staff-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana Airports vaccinates frontline staff-Ghanatoday.net

    Koudijs Ghana Limited launches new poultry feed-Ghanatoday.net

    Koudijs Ghana Limited launches new poultry feed-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana begins COVID-19 mass vaccination today-Ghanatoday.net

    Ghana begins COVID-19 mass vaccination today-Ghanatoday.net

  • Viral News
  • Videos
    Lawyer Justice Srem-Sai wants Ghana’s elections held before December – AM News on JoyNews (14-12-20)-ghanatoday.net

    Lawyer Justice Srem-Sai wants Ghana’s elections held before December – AM News on JoyNews (14-12-20)-ghanatoday.net

    Ghana/Things To do in Accra!-ghanatoday.net

    Ghana/Things To do in Accra!-ghanatoday.net

    Drama | Agar Tum Saath Ho – Episode 34 Part 1 | Express Entertainment Dramas | Humayun Ashraf, Ghana-ghanatoday.net

    Drama | Agar Tum Saath Ho – Episode 34 Part 1 | Express Entertainment Dramas | Humayun Ashraf, Ghana-ghanatoday.net

    World Bank approves US$250 million for establishment of Development Bank Ghana | Business Dashboard-ghanatoday.net

    World Bank approves US$250 million for establishment of Development Bank Ghana | Business Dashboard-ghanatoday.net

No Result
View All Result
Ghana Today
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics
Statues became political lightning rods around the world

Statues became political lightning rods around the world

June 15, 2020
in Politics


Statues of the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the US and the 17th century British slave-trader Edward Colston were obvious targets for anti-racism protesters. So were those of King Leopold of Belgium, who presided over the most atrocious cruelty in Belgian-run Congo in the late 19th century. His statue in Antwerp was set on fire and doused in paint last week.

Few today would defend commemorating or honoring figures like Colston or Leopold. They profited from cruelty and persecution, and hundreds of thousands of Africans died in the process.

Similarly, there are moments in history where destroying icons has been part of a popular urge for liberation. During the 1956 uprising in Hungary, crowds tore down the huge bronze statue of Joseph Stalin, a gift to the Soviet leader on his 70th birthday. In 2003, Iraqis toppled a statue of President Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, helped by US Marines.

But most historical figures are not so easily categorized and condemned. Now British wartime leader Winston Churchill and Italian explorer Christopher Columbus are among those in the cross-hairs of some protesters.

Churchill’s statue in Westminster, defaced with the words “was a racist” last week, was covered up ahead of this weekend’s protests. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who wrote a biography of Churchill, was furious — saying on Twitter that his predecessor was a hero and had saved “this country — and the whole of Europe — from a fascist and racist tyranny.”

Johnson acknowledged that Churchill had “sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us today,” but said he was averse to tampering with history.

The statue of Edward Colston is recovered from the harbour in Bristol, England, on Thursday, June 11, after it was toppled by anti-racism protesters last weekend.

“The statues in our cities and towns were put up by previous generations,” he tweeted. “They had different perspectives, different understandings of right and wrong. But those statues teach us about our past, with all its faults. To tear them down would be to lie about our history, and impoverish the education of generations to come.”

American comedian Trevor Noah has a different take: “The bubonic plague was a major event in history, but we don’t go around putting up statues of rats,” he wrote.

Setting aside the likes of the nurse Florence Nightingale (whose statue lies not far from that of Churchill), most of the great figures of the past are not beyond reproach — especially by today’s standards.

Robert Shrimsley wrote in the Financial Times: “Many great historic figures carry serious baggage. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. Where does the historic cleansing stop?”

Most would probably agree that Churchill led resistance to the Nazis heroically, but some remember him also as a white supremacist. In 1937, when addressing the fate of indigenous peoples in Australia and America: “I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place.”
In the United States, statues of Columbus have been damaged or torn down by protesters in the past few days because of his brutal suppression of indigenous people when exploring the New World.
A parks worker inspects a statue of Christopher Columbus that had its head removed at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park on June 10 in Boston, Massachusetts.

In Richmond, Virginia, the local Indigenous Society tweeted: “Christopher Columbus was a murderer of Indigenous people, mainstreaming the genocidal culture against Indigenous people that we still see today. ”

But the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has resisted the removal of the Columbus statue in Manhattan, saying he understood “the feelings about Christopher Columbus and some of his acts which nobody would support, but the statue has come to represent and signify appreciation for the Italian-American contribution to New York.”

There is a substantial difference between honoring titanic figures, despite their sins and prejudices, and honoring others — such as those who wanted to perpetuate slavery — because of what they did. Referring to statues in the US Capitol of Confederate figures, the Democratic leader of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said they “pay homage to hate, not heritage.”

Statues as rallying cries

There’s another argument about memorials to controversial figures: that they encourage extremism and violence. A distant descendant of General Lee, the Reverend Robert W. Lee, said this week that the general’s statue in Richmond had become an idol of white supremacy and should be removed.

It was plans to remove another statue of Lee that provoked white supremacists to descend on Charlottesville, Virginia, three years ago for the “Unite the Right” rally. It was the third such rally that year and led to widespread clashes in which one person was killed. A statue had become a political lightning rod.
On Saturday, Churchill’s statue opposite the Houses of Parliament became a rallying point for far-right protesters who came to “defend” it — and look for a fight with Black Lives Matter activists. As British comedian Danny Wallace noted in disbelief: “The man who stopped us all from having to salute like a Nazi is celebrated by men doing Nazi salutes.”
In Italy, dictator Benito Mussolini’s crypt in the town of Predappio has seen annual pilgrimages by the far-right, just as far-right activists in Spain were drawn to the mausoleum of Francisco Franco before his remains were moved last year.

By contrast, West Germany moved in 1949 to banish any remembrance of Nazism. Swastikas were criminalized, statues and monuments destroyed. Executed Nazis were buried in unmarked graves so they would not become Nazi shrines. Even monuments to the war dead were forbidden.

A new generation of German politicians was taking the first steps towards a democratic era. But it took another generation for a full reckoning with the horrors of Nazism to take place.

Learning, and healing

Rather than demolish, there are ways to reimagine statues as part of history. The statue of Colston was retrieved from the River Avon to be put on display in a museum, where his true role will be detailed. The spray-paint and rope-marks that preceded the statue’s immersion will not be removed, and it will be surrounded by Black Lives Matter placards.

Rather than history being erased, another layer is being added, which will probably educate future generations about the horrors of slavery in a way the statue never could before.

Responding to demands for the removal of a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes in Oxford, the university’s Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson said “that hiding our history is not the route to enlightenment.” But she added: “We need to understand this history and understand the context in which it was made and why it was that people believed then as they did.”

The Mayor of Louisville in Kentucky, Greg Fischer, has been trying to get a statue of a Confederate soldier removed for two years. Not to erase history, he said, but because moving these statues, “allows us to examine our history in a new context that more accurately reflects the reality of the day, a time when the moral deprivation of slavery is clear.”

An American policeman killed George Floyd. Now Europe is re-examining its colonial history

A week ago a local judge agreed with the mayor, and the statue was removed.

Rome has plenty of monuments and buildings from the fascist era, some of them architectural masterpieces. One of them is the former home of the Italian Youth of the Littorio, inaugurated in 1937 to celebrate Mussolini’s brutal colonization of Ethiopia.

Inside is a massive map of the cities and territories seized, along with a big “M” for Mussolini. Last year a group of artists painted questions across it: “Is my skin a privilege?” “Who is civilized?” “Is white a neutral color?”

History is much more complex than carvings that remember a handful of influential men, mute monoliths above a plaque of few words. But democracies work by consensus: If anyone can simply demolish any public monument they choose it denies us, and more importantly later generations, the chance to learn from history.

Colston was a towering figure in Bristol. In the words of its Mayor, Marvin Rees, who is black: “As a city we all have very different understandings of our past. The only way we can work together on our future is by learning the truth of our beginnings.”

CNN’s Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed to this report.





Source link

Tags: all ghana newscelebrity news ghanacitinewsroomcurrent affairs issues in ghanadaily graphic jobsdaily graphic today page 30daily guide newspaper headlines todayentertainment news in ghanagh webghana electionsghana government factsghana news sitesghana news todayghana news today latestghana political historyghana political partiesghana political systemhot gossip in gh todayhttp peace fm sports newsjoy news liveKeywordlatest news in ghanamodern ghana musicmodern ghana sportsmodern ghana tvmost educated president in ghanamyjoyonline latest news for todaymyjoyonline news latestmyjoyonline news todaymyjoyonline sportsndc congress 2018 resultsndc elections resultsndc parliamentary primaries 2019ndc presidential primaries 2018peace fm contactpeace fm kokrokoopeace fm online entertainment today newspeacefmonlinepeacefmonline latest news todaypeacefmonline picturespolitical issues in ghanapolitical newspolitics in ghana pdfpulse ghanastarrfmonlinethe most learned president in ghanatrending political issueswho is the head of the legislature in ghanawww myjoyonline com politicswww peacefmonline com politicsyen news educationyen.com downloadyen.com.gh news today
Previous Post

Political Groups Track Protesters’ Cellphone Data

Next Post

Highway supervisor candidates square off in political forum

Next Post
Highway supervisor candidates square off in political forum

Highway supervisor candidates square off in political forum

With political rallies and taking charge of Delhi, is Amit Shah back?

With political rallies and taking charge of Delhi, is Amit Shah back?

Heroic rescue in London Black Lives Matter protest goes viral

Advertisement

Recent News

‘Eyes cleared’ for NDC members as they demand to see NDC’s own collated election figures

NDC finally admits it got 47.39% in a letter it wrote to EC dated 2nd March 2021

March 3, 2021
1
Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

March 3, 2021
1
Why Scandalising the Supreme Court in the name of Partisan Politics?

Why Scandalising the Supreme Court in the name of Partisan Politics?

March 3, 2021
0
Auditor-General can’t be forced to take his leave or forfeit it

Auditor General Domelevo arrives in his office using backdoor at 8:20am amidst police

March 3, 2021
0
Lawyer Justice Srem-Sai wants Ghana’s elections held before December – AM News on JoyNews (14-12-20)-ghanatoday.net

Lawyer Justice Srem-Sai wants Ghana’s elections held before December – AM News on JoyNews (14-12-20)-ghanatoday.net

March 3, 2021
1
IGP deploys Psychologists to all Police Regional Commands-Ghanatoday.net

IGP deploys Psychologists to all Police Regional Commands-Ghanatoday.net

March 3, 2021
0
Save the filibuster or pass Biden’s agenda

Save the filibuster or pass Biden’s agenda

March 3, 2021
1
ADVERTISEMENT

About Us

Welcome to Ghanatoday.net. Your premium website which brings you all the news from different Ghanaian news platforms. We appreciate all the sites which have contributed immensely to make this website a possibility.

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Politics
  • Videos
  • Viral News

Recent News

‘Eyes cleared’ for NDC members as they demand to see NDC’s own collated election figures

NDC finally admits it got 47.39% in a letter it wrote to EC dated 2nd March 2021

March 3, 2021
Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

Germany’s intelligence agency to spy on far right political party

March 3, 2021

Copyright © 2019 Ghanatoday.net. All rights reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Africa
  • Business
  • Viral News
  • Videos

Copyright © 2019 Ghanatoday.net. All rights reserved

Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.