Erasing history is such fun. If weāre going to start destroying works of art and literature from the past to protect people from being offended thereās a long list needing created.
Well OK thenā¦you destroyed public property and you were charged. Now nobody will ever learn from it.
Times change. Slavery should no longer be celebrated.
The image depicted dear memories of Calhounās days of glory when a slave owner could rape the women, whip the men, sell the children, and lynch the trouble makers. Slave owners became terrible persons from their horrifying behavior, and pretended gentility to cover it. This gentleman should if anything get a raise for improving the facility.
He still destroyed property that was not his own. That is still a crime even if you agree that the scenes should be removed from there.
And while I agree that they should be removed, and that Yale is being insensitive and wrong for not doing so, I disagree with this man for destroying them. To me, it is no different than ISIL or a bunch of Jehovahās Witnesses destroying archaeological remains because they felt that they needed to destroy something that disagreed with their personal beliefs.
Writing a letter signed by the rest of the staff in the building, requesting its removal, would be a too civil, legal or orderly fashion to make known your concerns. Better to proceed straight to vandalism and destruction of private property. More in keeping with the current methods of expressing dislike for something. Maybe he should have attacked the person in charge of cleaning it periodically, just to vent outrage that someone took money for perpetuating the insult.
Same as ISIL? Did you seriously just write that?
Not his property to destroy. He was wrong for doing it. Also, he didnāt ālose his job,ā he quit ā not the same thing.
What argument was there for keeping the college named in āhonorā of Calhoun? The man was an influential figure, to be sure, but embodied just about every ideology we find utterly repugnant today. He was a stone-cold racist (even for his day) who argued over the long course of his career for the virtues and benefits of a civilization based on slave-holding. His beliefs about states rights (in defense of slavery) led directly to the Civil War.
Engaging this past need not require angry window smashings ā dialogue is always a better way ā but sheez, Calhoun? In 2016? Cāmon Yale.
Right on! That guy that broke the window was a NAZI FASCIST murdering terrorist as well! If you want to go full false equivalency, at least do it right.
My brain compartmentalizes very differently than most peopleās, okay. I am specifically talking about the destruction of archaeological sites by the group. Not about anything other than that. I could list other instances where people have destroyed archaeological sites that they disagreed with or other historical pieces they hated, but most people wouldnāt even know or understand them. How many people know about the treasure hunters who pretty much destroyed everything they could at Great Zimbabwe in order to prove that it was created by Solomon instead of the local populations?
Good question. Personally, I find Calhoun and his ilk very offensive. I have no idea what Yaleās discussions entailed. I would have voted to remove it and place it in a historical setting. Either way, what this man did was wrong and if he didnāt already resign his position, he should have been fired. Heās fortunate Yale isnāt charging him.
If this case had nothing to do with the instance you cite, why link the two?
Thereās an argument to be made that the racist paintings/glass are now of āhistorical significanceā.
However, this is not a museum. Itās a college. Iām not sure how building a college full of āhistorically significantā paintings/glass with scenes glorifying, for example, the holocaust, genocide, trail of tears, or other, is in any way rational, reasonable, or justifiable.
Do I condone the actions of the dishwasher? No. Do I condemn his actions? No. Yale could have moved this stuff elsewhere, where it can be protected and put into context that makes sense.
Move this stuff to a museum, where it belongs. Otherwise, donāt subject students (and employees) to this garbage on a daily basis.
This is a tough one as Iām against vandalism and the destruction of art and private property. Pretending that that a dishwasher has the capacity to change the will of Yale University where the student body couldnāt is an odd notion at best. To pretend that a black dishwasher in 2016 is not directly affected by the history unleashed by the likes of Calhoun is also ridiculous. To pretend that sanitized image of slavery doesnāt resonate in a very demeaning visceral way with this man - to ask him to simply ignore it while he goes about his labors is an odd notion. Art shapes, reflects and provokes itās culture. This image was essentially whispering the N word at him from on high - day after damn day. Itās not the same as destroying a 900 year old Buddha - a culture long gone and far removed. Itās more like the Egyptians removing the images of Akhenaten for his sun god heresy shortly after his demise. This is living history.
He is fortunate, definitely. I canāt think of any good reason to keep something named for Calhoun. The man was horrible, from everything Iāve read, and if I remember correctly, he was pretty much one of the architects of the Civil War.
The destruction of historical properties, in my mind, all tend to be equal. You may disagree with me, but that does not change how I view things. And you did not understand what I mean. āNot about anything other than thatā means that I am not talking about anything else linked to or associated with ISIL. All other associations linked to them are not part of what I am talking about. I am specifically talking about the destruction of historical properties, and nothing more.
Yeah. It used to be a crime punishable by shooting on sight to cross the Berlin wall archaeological site.
While I agree with your post, I have to ask: Is Yale a private college? Do they receive actual federal or state assistance? If the answer to the former is āyesā and the to the latter āno,ā then we have no say whatsoever how they handle their private property so long as building codes, environmental laws are followed, etc. If they are a public college, then Iād say the public might very well have a say in this sort of thing.
And now begins making fun of my way of seeing things. The Berlin Wall was not an archaeological site, and was built within the last seventy years. Additionally, crossing it was not destroying it. I know that my way of seeing the world is very different than most other peopleās, but there is no need to attempt sarcasm because, while I recognize what you are trying to do, sarcasm tends to be lost on me, and I tend to see your points more as meas spirited attempts at belittling my points of view than an honest attempt to discuss an issue. Sorry, I tend to be incredibly logical.
Incidentally, the hall was built and opened back in the 1930ās. At this point, it is considered historic. Calhoun was a graduate from Yale. And I agree it should be renamed, and the windows replaced. I disagree with destroying the windows.