There was recent news about a decision taken by the University of Notre Dame to cover up several murals in the campus Main Building which depict the life and exploration of Christopher Columbus. The long and the short of it is that the university President was responding to what he felt were objections by some in the university community, including groups of Native Americans. According to the university President, these murals are considered at worst “demeaning” toward Native Americans, due to the “consequences of Columbus’s voyage for the indigenous peoples who inhabited this new world.”
In other news of similar nature, I recently read about the ongoing efforts to remove Confederate monuments and memorials in some Southern states. This in response to incidents involving White Supremacists and other related hate groups.
I have had the opportunity to live both in the States and in Puerto Rico, where I currently reside. As such, I feel fortunate to live in a place where racial tensions are practically non-existent, and we practically all view each other in the same non-racial way. But I have also lived in the States, including some places where racial tensions are palpable. And I can honestly state that racism is something I just do not understand, and reject it wholeheartedly.
However, this recent movement regarding the removal or covering of murals, statues, or monuments is something I consider worrisome. Statues of Confederate generals, murals of Columbus, are all part of the nation’s history. Once you begin removing or censoring history, in my opinion you are treading on that symbolic “slippery slope” you hear people mention. Once you begin deciding what is offensive and what is not, where does it end? Where do you draw the line?
In the news recently there was also a decision by Duke University to rename a building originally named after local industrialist and notorious white supremacist Julian Carr. For some reason, I do not see much wrong with that, and have no problems with it now being called the Classroom Building. Someone might say it is the same thing as the removal of statues and monuments, but I do not see it that way.
Going back to the covered murals and the removal of statues, my main point is this. Instead of seeking to remove and censor history, the focus should be two-fold. To teach upcoming generations about the past, and seeking to avoid the errors of that past as we look toward the future. If I were an African-American living in the States for example, I would be less concerned about a statue of some Confederate general, and more concerned about how I am being treated today by my peers, neighbors, and society in general. If I were a Native American attending Notre Dame University, I would be less concerned about murals of Christopher Columbus, and more concerned with applying myself fully at that institution, and expecting to get a fair shake while in the pursuit of my studies.
In my opinion, we are becoming unfocused and fighting over petty, insignificant things which mean little in life’s big picture.
Speaking of Columbus in particular… if he had not been the one to explore America in the late 15th century, someone else would surely have. Eventually, the Americas were going to become colonized by European explorers, with all the good and bad consequences that came with it. To feel “demeaned” by murals of Columbus is a bit misguided, to say the least.
This is all part of that “political correctness” (PC) movement that has permeated our society in the last several decades. Discussing PC in detail would in itself probably require several volumes, but suffice it to say that what may have been started with good intentions has become a multi-headed monster, taken to ridiculous extremes in some cases. I realize these are all topics of sensitive nature which tend to bring out the emotions in people, so I will just post this out there, and invite comments.
I do believe history books and courses tend to be one-sided and provide a biased account of events. The discourse should be more inclusive of other groups in general, and we should be commemorating other heroes to make for a more accurate representation of our past.
I agree with what you’re saying, Vanessa. It is human nature to want to skew past events to fit a certain agenda. You think of how children have been taught history in different cultures at different times, and I’m sure there is a vast difference in how the same historical events are viewed across the world. One of the benefits of today’s globalization is that it facilitates that discourse you mention, and enables the sharing of perspectives between different peoples. This makes the toppling of statues and covering of murals even more disturbing, in my opinion, because I see it as an effort to censor or rewrite history, when as a society we should be embracing history and discussing it from all the different perspectives. Thank you for your comments.
I wholeheartedly agree about the ridiculousness of the current PC movement. Yes, let’s be accepting and inclusive and sensitive, but please let’s not do it at the expense of those two other senses that make our collective lives so much more pleasant: our common sense and our sense of humor. It’s not only confederate generals and medieval world explorers that are being chucked into the closet of infamy. Everyday we hear about celebrities, politicians, professionals, etc.. that are being publicly shamed and ostracized for voicing an opinion (sometimes years ago) that is considered offensive. Needless to say, that racism and sexism (and every other kind of ism) are never to be condoned, and I’m very grateful to live in a time when this kind of oppression is no longer tolerated. However, I feel that we’ve become too ready to find fault in the things being said, and, more disturbingly, too ready to light that proverbial witches’ pyre. In the blink of an eye careers spanning decades are destroyed and reputations are forever tarnished. So, yes, let’s condemn that which needs to be condemned, but perhaps let’s take a few minutes to reflect before striking that match.
Very well expressed, Angela… and thank you for your insightful comments. Indeed, as a society we seem all too willing to go on witch hunts, and burn people at the stake for things that years ago would not have been given a second thought. Years ago I read someone’s article about the “pendulum theory”, and using it to explain the backlash that comes in the form of an extreme reactionary movement to something that has long been perceived as evil or oppressive. I believe it was in regards to the history of blacks in the U.S. Notice I said “blacks”, a term which all my life has seemed quite normal and acceptable. To some in the PC movement, this is now unacceptable, and must be replaced by African-American. But as a black friend of mine once told me, “not all of us blacks are African-American”. But that’s a topic for another time. So blacks in the U.S. went through a terrible era of slavery. Up until the middle of the last century, when the Civil Rights movement attempted to “right a lot of wrongs” from the past… and as a society we’re STILL a long way from having harmonious racial relations, or even a total lack of discrimination against blacks. This “pendulum theory”, I feel, applies in many cases. Racism, sexism, and yes… as you well put it… all kinds of “ism”. In the process of trying to “right a wrong”, the reaction is sometimes 10 times worse. You mention “common sense”. That is precisely what we as a society are not exercising when we put stamps, labels, and just plain scrutinize everything that’s said or written. No mention of intent, which to me is critical in human interaction. If the intent is to offend or to ridicule, it’s wrong. Simple as. Otherwise it should be left alone and not put under a microscope. The more I think about it, the more I’m inclined to write an article dedicated to the PC movement.
We’re certainly experiencing the return swing of the pendulum. Which is why, back to your original point, it is essential to keep history alive and present so that we know how far we’ve come, and, as the quote suggests: “we are NOT doomed to repeat it. ” Looking forward to your PC movement article.
Absolutely, Angela. Seems like a very worthwhile subject to tackle next. A topic very relevant to today’s society.