On Tuesday afternoon, President Trump jostled with reporters at Trump Tower.
Trump defended his remarks from Saturday, in which he failed to specifically condemn Neo-Nazis for helping to turn Charlottesville into a war zone.
But the president also pointed out a broader point that bears keen relevance to freedom of speech.
He noted that at least some of the alt-right protesters were in Charlottesville to oppose that city’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate General-in-Chief, Robert E. Lee. Trump made the point that if Robert E. Lee statues are removed, statues of other historic figures might also be on the chopping block.
He specifically referenced the founding fathers, presidents, and slave owners, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
Trump was right to do so.
Yes, there is an obvious difference between the presidents who built the republic, and Lee and those who sought to tear it down. That said, the fundamental issue at stake here is the same: A movement of activist-fanatics is seeking to cull history in the intellectual abattoir of groupthink. And their stupidity must be confronted.
After all, what’s at stake here isn’t just history, but basic curiosity. Unlike a history textbook, a statue is an inherently subjective object. Depending on the views of the individual who gazes at it, a statue can evoke feelings of hope or rage or something entirely different.
Regardless, the statue does evoke emotion. And in that emotion, it stimulates us to consider the relevance of what the statue represents. That consideration fosters intellectual curiosity, which is an inherently good thing.
By tearing down statues, we accomplish nothing. We do not erase historic ills, nor do we prevent others from celebrating that which we might oppose. Instead, those who tear down statues render themselves intellectual cousins of ISIS. Devout authoritarians and false moral puritans, they seek to destroy knowledge.
Trump was wrong not to condemn neo-Nazis on Saturday. But he is right to condemn the statue fanatics.
