# Revolutionary \[War\] Statue Destroyed **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 26, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761 "2017-08-26T21:12:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/1 "2017-08-26T21:12:33Z")
> **[Colonel Crawford statue outside Crawford County courthouse decapitated](https://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/news/2017/08/25/colonel-crawford-statue-outside-crawford-county-courthouse-decapitated/602034001/)** > > The now headless statue depicts Colonel William Crawford, for whom Crawford County is named. It’s funny that those who warn that placating a mob won’t satisfy the mob are vindicated when slippery slope worries once again manifest themselves. Some vandal took it upon himself, herself, \_\_\_\_self and destroyed a statue representing a man from the Revolutionary War era. Again, this isn’t about the civil war or slavery or anything notable. This is an attack on civil and democratic self governance. It’s an attempt to build a climate where if you aggrieved or offended or outraged you can round up a shrill group and destroy things. The end game isn’t confederate imagery. The end game isn’t a statue of Lincoln, a portrait of Wilson, or Thomas Jefferson. The question is: what is the end game? Can anyone honestly answer what price in terms of destroyed statues, paintings, and street renamings would satisfy the portion of society that is seeking outrage? This is why I take a zero inch (mm for our foreign readers) approach to concessions on symbolism. The only thing compromise signals is weakness. Now real issues such as when segregation was the law? Sure, do what you must to get equal rights under the law. But to have these violent protests and acts of vandalism over statues? That’s nuttiness and shouldn’t be supported or tolerated by any political opportunist. Which, actually, ties in perfectly with the psychopathic/sociopathic political thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/2 "2017-08-26T21:22:43Z")
Probably a right-wing false flag operation. Really, all sides are to blame. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/3 "2017-08-26T21:27:16Z")
Statues have been vandalized by person or persons unknown since Ogg first carved a Venus figure. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/4 "2017-08-26T21:28:06Z")
We shouldn’t do the right thing because it might upset some of the crazies. > [@DrFidelius](#): > > Statues have been vandalized by person or persons unknown since Ogg first carved a Venus figure. Yep. Just look at what someone did to [this.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_Milo) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/5 "2017-08-26T21:29:26Z")
Best bet is that the statue will be fixed and the vandals caught and punished. So much for the slippery slope. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/6 "2017-08-26T21:42:29Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Probably a right-wing false flag operation. Really, all sides are to blame. I agree that there is probably blame to go around focused on many sides. Many sides. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/7 "2017-08-26T21:47:14Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I agree that there is probably blame to go around focused on many sides. Many sides. We can’t see your hand gestures. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/8 "2017-08-26T21:48:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > We shouldn’t do the right thing because it might upset some of the crazies. > > Yep. Just look at what someone did to [this.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_Milo) Unnecessary concessions to outraged and ignorant people is not the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/9 "2017-08-26T21:49:18Z")
OMG, an individual committed a crime. It’s meaning is so meaningful. I feel like the whole world is slippery and a giant slope is ahead. What are we to do? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/10 "2017-08-26T21:51:31Z")
It appears that recap is the most preferred method of physically defacing a statue, despite paint being much more popular Unless it is a culturally significant statue like the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen or Margaret Thatcher then it wasn’t reported outside of local news. Yesterday’s vandalism is nothing new and there is (As of yet) no reason to connect it with the recent Southern incidents. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/11 "2017-08-26T21:52:58Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Unnecessary concessions to outraged and ignorant people is not the right thing. We have lots of threads debating that already. I’m not going to engage in another one here. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/12 "2017-08-26T21:55:16Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > OMG, an individual committed a crime. It’s meaning is so meaningful. I feel like the whole world is slippery and a giant slope is ahead. What are we to do? Yeah, when events unfold as predicted put your head in the sand? > [@John\_Mace](#): > > We have lots of threads debating that already. I’m not going to engage in another one here. Ok. We have 1000 threads on Trump and 1000 threads on civil war statues, one on a revolutionary era statue is obviously one too many. > [@DrFidelius](#): > > It appears that recap is the most preferred method of physically defacing a statue, despite paint being much more popular > > Unless it is a culturally significant statue like the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen or Margaret Thatcher then it wasn’t reported outside of local news. > > Yesterday’s vandalism is nothing new and there is (As of yet) no reason to connect it with the recent Southern incidents. Of course not. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/13 "2017-08-26T22:03:15Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Ok. We have 1000 threads on Trump and 1000 threads on civil war statues, one on a revolutionary era statue is obviously one too many. This post is about the Civil War statues: > [@octopus](#): > > Unnecessary concessions to outraged and ignorant people is not the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/14 "2017-08-26T22:06:56Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Yeah, when events unfold as predicted put your head in the sand? Events haven’t unfolded. I don’t give a fuck about random acts of vandalism. They signify zero. It’s always simple: monuments to traitors perpetuating slavery don’t belong on American soil. Period. Full stop. No sophistry, no tortuous reasoning, no semantic games, no equivocation. They should never have been allowed, and they shouldn’t be allowed. Is that fucking head out of sand clear enough? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/15 "2017-08-26T22:11:59Z")
Who’s next, Jebediah Springfield? ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/16 "2017-08-26T22:21:01Z")
I’ll have Jeb’s scalp served with a cup of prune juice, please. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/17 "2017-08-26T22:22:48Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Events haven’t unfolded. I don’t give a fuck about random acts of vandalism. They signify zero. It’s always simple: monuments to traitors perpetuating slavery don’t belong on American soil. Period. Full stop. No sophistry, no tortuous reasoning, no semantic games, no equivocation. They should never have been allowed, and they shouldn’t be allowed. > > Is that fucking **head out of sand** clear enough? Wrong animal. You’re dealing with a cloud of ink. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/18 "2017-08-26T22:25:57Z")
[The perfect solution](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--3Sl54-h8--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/fqfc8ctjzgjsvio9hipu.png) to treason monuments. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/19 "2017-08-26T22:30:47Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Who’s next, Jebediah Springfield? I’m old and terminally unhep to what these kids today are into I refer to Jubilation T. Cornpone. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761/20 "2017-08-26T23:22:03Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > This is why I take a zero inch (mm for our foreign readers) approach to concessions on symbolism. The only thing compromise signals is weakness. Horseshit. To start with, let me assure you that I as a diehard liberal am strongly opposed to the illegal defacement or destruction of any public monument by vandalism, whether the perpetrators’ motives be political or just plain mischievous or anything in between. But that doesn’t mean that municipalities and other jurisdictions shouldn’t **legally** move or remove such monuments when they think it’s the right thing to do. Claiming that a few acts of vandalism mean that we as a society have to adopt a policy of refusing ever to alter any forms of public commemoration whatsoever is flat-out ridiculous. (And while we’re apportioning blame for the ginning-up of public controversies, it would behoove conservatives in general to discourage their “alt-right” radical fringe from using **legal** removals of public monuments as an excuse for concerted displays of nakedly racist and antisemitic intimidation and terrorist violence.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revolutionary-war-statue-destroyed/794761.md?page=2)