Originally Posted by Maggy (Post 36039317)

Never heard anything about it..it would be a massive mistake.Erasing any part of history from the syllabus seems absolutely moronic to me. In fact they need to add more especially involving black history and cover how in 2 world wars how people of colour were part of both. They weren't just fought and won by white people.

Originally Posted by Sephiroth (Post 36039272)

Originally Posted by Chris (Post 36038935)

Indeed.

Also worth pointing out that this nation, having built so much on the profits of slavery, came to its collective senses, as a result of campaigning by its own people, and not only outlawed the practice but then actively sought its interdiction on the high seas via the Royal Navy.

I’m aware of contemporary complaints that the British government put a stop to it by paying off the slavers, and of the argument that it was somehow therefore just another example of rich men feeding money to other rich men, but this is exactly the sort of argument you get from people who don’t understand how to read history. Within the strictures of the time, it was a pragmatic solution and once done, it allowed this country to lead the world in efforts towards abolition.

Churchill, too, was a man of his time. So was Cecil Rhodes, whose statue at Oxford has been subject to ongoing demands for its removal. So, too, was Edward Colston, and for that matter Andrew Buchanan of Glasgow, who made a fortune from tobacco plantations in Virginia (and therefore, out of slave labour), and whose street in the city centre is now subject to demands it be re-named. Decrying any of these men merely as “racist” is ahistorical. Erasing any of them from memory or from history ensures future generations will be ignorant of history and ill-prepared for their own present. What is required is a proper understanding of context, not self-righteous iconoclasm.

Originally Posted by papa smurf (Post 36039318)

I think we are all aware that they were world wars not white wars.

Originally Posted by papa smurf (Post 36039318)

I think we are all aware that they were world wars not white wars.

Originally Posted by 1andrew1 (Post 36039292)

How did you feel when the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad was toppled?

Originally Posted by Rexz (Post 36039327)

This culture of being apologetic for everything done in the past will never fix history or appease anyone. The slave trade existed in every civilisation whether you was black or white. I don't feel ashamed because I'm white nor do I agree to put a plaque on everything to appease a group of people so they can be reminded continually of bad points in our history. You think adding a plaque to statues would solve everything? What about all the buildings which were funded by it. Or what about wealthy families that profited from it and are in a position of wealth today? What about a plaque for the other statues for adulterers or rapists? How far do you go? Not everything needs to be contextualized to prove a point.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 36039319)

Spot on! The BLM movement was about police brutality in the United States and over here, protesters have hijacked the cause to concentrate on statues. This is pathetic - why do the wreckers get such media attention? Their views are not reflecting the mainstream of public opinion.

Slavery was and is cruel in the extreme, but Britain was the prime mover to abolish it, and we did. Why, therefore, do we have this hard core who are still going on about it now, all these years after abolition? They cannot change history. They should be concentrating on supporting equality for everyone, particularly in the US, and campaigning to tackle head on the problem of modern slavery.

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 36039329)

But then the statue of Colston isn't about remembering our history but airbrushing it.

The current plan is now to restore the statue in a museum complete with the graffiti and ropes and explaining who he was, why did had a statue and why it was taken down.

That is actually adding to our history.

Originally Posted by Rexz (Post 36039335)

That's one statue... what about the rest? Remove them all? That might satisfy the intellectual but it won't satisfy the rest.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-...lives-18394250

Originally Posted by Rexz (Post 36039327)

Piers.. is that you?

That's a ridiculous question in relation to his statement. Next you will be asking if he was happy the statues of Hitler were taken down (democratically I'll add)

This culture of being apologetic for everything done in the past will never fix history or appease anyone. The slave trade existed in every civilisation whether you was black or white. I don't feel ashamed because I'm white nor do I agree to put a plaque on everything to appease a group of people so they can be reminded continually of bad points in our history. You think adding a plaque to statues would solve everything? What about all the buildings which were funded by it. Or what about wealthy families that profited from it and are in a position of wealth today? What about a plaque for the other statues for adulterers or rapists? How far do you go? Not everything needs to be contextualized to prove a point.

Originally Posted by Hugh (Post 36039270)

It’s interesting to see CF’ers varying views on this subject.

Has anyone discussed this with black friends, neighbours, or family? What were their views? (if you feel like sharing).

Originally Posted by Rexz (Post 36039335)

That's one statue... what about the rest? Remove them all? That might satisfy the intellectual but it won't satisfy the rest.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-...lives-18394250

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees (Post 36039337)

Nobody says it will fix everything, it does show however that we're more aware as a society of the wrong doings that occurred.

No one is asking people to feel ashamed, we're being asked to think and to teach ourselves about the difficulties that fellow members of the human race face on a daily basis.

---------- Post added at 10:33 ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 ----------

A thought all those who are against the removal of statues etc.

Did you have any complaints when Savilles plaque in Scarbrough was defaced ? Or, when his wooden statue was removed and subsequently destroyed from Scoutston ?

---------- Post added at 10:38 ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 ----------



I have, i have staff in both SF & MSP who have explained their experiences it made for very sombre listening.

My brother in law is black, ex forces and has spoken about the experiences he faced whilst serving. Also about his current experiences as a private security contractor overseas. (mix of close protection and other duties)

Originally Posted by figgyburn (Post 36039322)

Baden Powell is going.Who is next?.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-53004638