Tear 'Em Down

Statues have always been political. Why did a group of powerful people decide to erect a big stone sculpture in the middle of a community? Why did they put into public space a monument to remind us of something important? These are relevant questions to ask about statues, and the answers are part history, part culture, and part politics. People who want to tear down some controversial statues seem to only care about the "ism" that the statue represents, whether that's racism, imperialism, sexism, or the other modern sins. I've been teaching students and conversing with friends about the controversial and political elements of statues for decades. I've found these controversial monuments serve as great opportunities to think about our history. When they disappear, those learning opportunities might disappear as well. When you see a statue of Cit Karson in the middle of park in the Mountain West I think it's appropriate to consider the experiences of groups of people who were not the "victors" of history the way Kit Carson was and the people he represents - Anglo-Americans who exploited the wealth and resources of the West for there own economic and political aggrandizement. I don't think Carson was a rich man, but he paved the path for other Americans to come along and get rich off the backs of the poor and the dispossessed American Indians. He fought against Mexico and Native American groups to secure USA sovereignty in the Southwest. Wikipedia describes his life with this - "Christopher Houston Carson, better known as Kit Carson, was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime via biographies and news articles, and exaggerated versions of his exploits were the subject of dime novels." His story is a fascinating one even if you don't like what he did. Why aren't we calling for other statues to be built and erected to give us the stories of the people who were left out of the glorification of Kit Carson? His statue has not been targeted for removal ... yet. Let's build and not tear down.