I am against statues being taken down.FULL STOP. However, being of senior years I do think its wrong that nowhere in my education was the British history of involvement in slavery etc addressed. I think that is wrong and school children should be aware of our countries history- both good and bad. Consequently, Whilst I do believe the statues should remain, they should bear a "balanced" plaque" of the subjects history and source of wealth that was ultimately used for good causes.
I lived in Munich for 4 years 2005/9 and Dachau Concentration Camp is close by.Visiting is a very harrowing experience. I gave all my visitors the "opportunity" to visit if "they wished" My wife went once and was distressed by the experience and never went again.
In all I probably went a further 4 or 5 times taking visitors- all of whom were emotionally affected by the experience.
The point of this post is to highlight the fact that "every" time I visited there were coach loads of German school kids being taken round the whole site including Exhibition (no punches pulled) prisoner accommodation, shower blocks, ovens , other Nations memorials etc etc. They kids were fully schooled on "their nations history of Jewish internment etc"
I believe thei German approach on their history is appropriate.
Imagine the response if they decided to bulldoze the sites and white wash history.
As an aside to the above, I am really pissed off with Lewis Hamilton and his pronouncements/posturing whilst taking 40 million off Mercedes whose industrial post war might was built on the back of Jewish slave labour dressed in Concentration Camp uniforms.
However, I expect from Hamilton's perspective "THAT WAS DIFFERENT"!!! If he wants to take the knee, so be it. However, the Silence is Acquiescence pressure on others is wholly unacceptable. Personally, I am no longer able to support him in his quest for seven
RANT OVER!!
