Better off without them
4/28/2017, 5:43 p.m.
We believe Richmond should take a page from the playbooks of Charlottesville and New Orleans, cities that are on the path to removing Confederate statues from public property.
As we know all too well in Richmond, these racist symbols burden the city, weighing down public perception by tying our community to a horrible past.
If progress is to be made, then a city must show that it welcomes and honors all people, their lives and their contributions. That message must be visible on a city’s boulevards and streets in its monuments, murals and activities.
The statues of Confederates cast a shadow of evil over Richmond and are not welcoming symbols or signs of progress.
Monuments to vanquished traitors who seceded from the United States and took up arms to keep black people in bondage should not be the dominant image of Richmond for visitors.
Nor should Richmond residents be subjected to the constant reminder of the past inhumanity to our forebearers and others.
The sooner they go, the better off we all will be.
