Street names, statues, and other monuments are meant to celebrate the people they're named after, not just remember them. Why should we celebrate those that inflicted suffering on others, sometimes on a mass scale? The problem is where do you draw the line. Never in history has their been a perfect human. Not Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Socrates, Mohammed, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, MLK, Sitting Bull, Gord Downey or others. Every single person in the history of the planet has done something to hurt someone else. Usually the more historically famous you are the more people you've made suffer. Honestly, I would be fine if we just got rid of all street names and numbered them instead. I've never liked statues either. I prefer great architecture and art installations (come at me bro).
|