On the campus of one of the most prestigious universities lies a statue of John Witherspoon. Witherspoon was a president of Princeton University from 1768-1794 and was one of the fifty six who signed the Declaration of Independence. While he is often regarded as an accomplished person of the eighteenth century, he carries with him a past of slave ownership. This is where the debate lies on whether the statue should be kept up or taken down. While Witherspoon is a historic figure with accomplishment, should he be celebrated in a public forum despite his racist and unethical actions? Students of the university have come up with a unique idea to neutralize debates where they proposed a plaque which outlines the negatives and positives of Witherspoon. However, my question is, should the debates be neutralized? I don’t think it is possible to be neutral when referring to ethical or unethical actions. A wise man once said, history should be remembered, but not always celebrated. Is the act of putting a statue up a way of celebrating? Or is it for remembering?
It is important for the history of enslavement and institutional racism to be recognized, as it has had an overall major effect on the development of American society. With police brutality taking many lives and discrimination prominent in the American workplace, is it ok to keep these statues of historical figures with a racist past?
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