A monument is built in regard to an important part of a country’s history. They commemorate specific events or significant individuals. The debate about monument removal spins off a very heated controversy in which violence has already occurred. For example, in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, there was a protest against the proposed removal of Confederate General Robert E. Lee statue which resulted in thirty-four injuries and one death. Personally, I feel that these monuments should be removed, but not destroyed because they are very expensive, because they are a foundation for brutality among individuals of the same society, and because of their offensive symbolism. One of the first concerns that should be called to everyone 's attention when proposing the construction of a monument is: How much will it cost? Let us look …show more content…
On the news and in our own community, we have witnessed terrorist attacks, mass shootings, police brutality, etc. Some monuments also instill this feeling of violence in individuals. Take the Robert E. Lee statue for example. As previously mentioned above, on August 12 a riot sprouted up in Charlottesville in a protest against the removal of a Confederate statue. White supremacists were arguing against the removal of the monument. The statue, for them, represents white military and political power. For their opponents, or the individuals arguing for the removal of the monument, the statue signifies the oppression of African Americans under slavery. After much display of aggression, the citizens who were present were involved in physical fighting, which resulted in thirty-four injuries and one death. With this exhibition of violence, the government should not have to think twice about removing the monument. They should not be encouraging violence and marking people with fear. The government should act fast and remove the monuments now, before the issue gets out of