This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
Published on June 27, 2020, in The New York Times, a letter to the editor by Ira D. Gruber, a professor emeritus of history at Rice University, argued that we should not attempt to destroy our history but learn from it.
Gruber suggested following Hungary's lead and dedicating a park where statues of Confederate leaders and other memorials can be moved. In 1991, Hungary created Szoborpark (Memento Park), where statues of Lenin, Marx, Engels, and many Hungarian Communists hold forth, dating from Hungary's Communist rule from 1949 to 1989.
Arthur Lieb, a resident of Boulder, Colorado, wrote in response to an article about statues falling around the world, pointing out that while statues dedicated to racism are being toppled or removed, they remain at Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania. Lieb criticized the words etched on the plaques at these monuments, which describe the soldiers' deaths as being for a 'just,' 'noble,' or 'honorable' cause, when in fact slavery is neither just nor noble.
Jane A. Gigler, a resident of Portland, Oregon, responded to an editorial defending monuments to Confederate leaders, suggesting that instead of removing portraits of past House speakers who were part of the Confederacy, plaques should be added to educate viewers about former House members who were on the wrong side of history and why.
Tom Goodman, a resident of Chicago, argued that it is harmful to try to rewrite or erase what has happened in the past, making us no better than totalitarian regimes. He suggested renaming buildings that glorify those who promoted slavery and advocated for the dissolution of the Union, but not destroying or removing art, as sculptures, paintings, and murals provide an opportunity for learning about our country's horrific past regarding racism.
