This afternoon's Birmingham "Protest"

[Protheroe]

“Edward Colston to me and generations of Bristolians stands out as a hero whose wealth has continued to benefit the housing, education and healthcare of the citizens of this city,"

Are you incapable of nuance WWHO?

This is the problem with hysterical hyper liberals, they're completly unable to see anything except through the clouded prism of race, gender or class victimhood. Colston may have been an utter bastard when it came the slave trade, but should a man's entire legacy be wiped out because he engaged in a legal (yet morally indefensible) trade?

You can't judge 18th / 19th century figures on today's values. Otherwise I suggest you behead every single statue of Queen Victoria.

[baggy1]

“Edward Colston to me and generations of Bristolians stands out as a hero whose wealth has continued to benefit the housing, education and healthcare of the citizens of this city,"

Are you incapable of nuance WWHO?

This is the problem with hysterical hyper liberals, they're completly unable to see anything except through the clouded prism of race, gender or class victimhood. Colston may have been an utter bastard when it came the slave trade, but should a man's entire legacy be wiped out because he engaged in a legal (yet morally indefensible) trade?

You can't judge 18th / 19th century figures on today's values. Otherwise I suggest you behead every single statue of Queen Victoria.

What are your views on Jimmy Saville's fund raising? A good legacy?

[WWHO]

“Edward Colston to me and generations of Bristolians stands out as a hero whose wealth has continued to benefit the housing, education and healthcare of the citizens of this city,"

Are you incapable of nuance WWHO?

This is the problem with hysterical hyper liberals, they're completly unable to see anything except through the clouded prism of race, gender or class victimhood. Colston may have been an utter bastard when it came the slave trade, but should a man's entire legacy be wiped out because he engaged in a legal (yet morally indefensible) trade?

You can't judge 18th / 19th century figures on today's values. Otherwise I suggest you behead every single statue of Queen Victoria.

Nuance?

What's nuanced about using a gollywog as a mascot when standing for election in a city that was not only built on the slave trade, but whose population is 16 per cent BAME?

What's nuanced about the same Councillor amending a plaque (removing Colston's affiliation with the Tory Party and disputing the extent of his role in the slave trade) after a cross coalition of community members had already agreed upon the wording?

What's nuanced about Bob Frost's comments about Liverpool, a city that is still struggling to come to terms with its colonial past? 

Regarding Colston's legacy. I don't expect it to be wiped out, but i also don't think it should be commemorated or celebrated in statue form either. As the for the 'he was a man of his time' argument? No, he was a man of his upbringing and status.

Oh, and I very rarely get hysterical about anything. As a human being and a historian, I get upset over the historical (and contemporary) abuse and exploitation of ordinary people at the hands of an omnipotent, privileged elite. Does that make me a "hyper liberal", whatever that even means ... ?!

[Protheroe]

“Edward Colston to me and generations of Bristolians stands out as a hero whose wealth has continued to benefit the housing, education and healthcare of the citizens of this city,"

Are you incapable of nuance WWHO?

This is the problem with hysterical hyper liberals, they're completly unable to see anything except through the clouded prism of race, gender or class victimhood. Colston may have been an utter bastard when it came the slave trade, but should a man's entire legacy be wiped out because he engaged in a legal (yet morally indefensible) trade?

You can't judge 18th / 19th century figures on today's values. Otherwise I suggest you behead every single statue of Queen Victoria.

Nuance?

The nuance is in the issue, not the individual. Please try and separate the two or yes, you do come over as hysterical.

[WWHO]

“Edward Colston to me and generations of Bristolians stands out as a hero whose wealth has continued to benefit the housing, education and healthcare of the citizens of this city,"

Are you incapable of nuance WWHO?

This is the problem with hysterical hyper liberals, they're completly unable to see anything except through the clouded prism of race, gender or class victimhood. Colston may have been an utter bastard when it came the slave trade, but should a man's entire legacy be wiped out because he engaged in a legal (yet morally indefensible) trade?

You can't judge 18th / 19th century figures on today's values. Otherwise I suggest you behead every single statue of Queen Victoria.

Nuance?

The nuance is in the issue, not the individual. Please try and separate the two or yes, you do come over as hysterical.

Is it?  Because it's really hard to separate the issue and the individuals, when the golly-wog wielding, slave trader hero-worshipping Tory Councillor is one of the very same individuals who obstructed attempts to educate the community about Colston's more dubious activities.

[Protheroe]

“Edward Colston to me and generations of Bristolians stands out as a hero whose wealth has continued to benefit the housing, education and healthcare of the citizens of this city,"

Are you incapable of nuance WWHO?

This is the problem with hysterical hyper liberals, they're completly unable to see anything except through the clouded prism of race, gender or class victimhood. Colston may have been an utter bastard when it came the slave trade, but should a man's entire legacy be wiped out because he engaged in a legal (yet morally indefensible) trade?

You can't judge 18th / 19th century figures on today's values. Otherwise I suggest you behead every single statue of Queen Victoria.

Nuance?

The nuance is in the issue, not the individual. Please try and separate the two or yes, you do come over as hysterical.

Is it?  Because it's really hard to separate the issue and the individuals, when the golly-wog wielding, slave trader hero-worshipping Tory Councillor is one of the very same individuals who obstructed attempts to educate the community about Colston's more dubious activities.

The issue is Colston. The individual is some idiot local councillor. Let's not get started on idiot local councillors becuase my list of the racist, corrupt & incompetent (from all parties) is much longer than yours.

[Shabby Russian]

I see the statue of Colston has been retrieved from the harbour and the plan is to display it ina museum.

A good solution. It is somewhat ironic that in dumping the statue in the harbour, the protestors have breathed new life into it and made it more relevant - now not only is it a representation of Colston his life and why he was a prominent Bristol citizens (with all that entails), it is also a symbol of the history we are making today, for future generations to learn from.

[Protheroe]

I see the statue of Colston has been retrieved from the harbour and the plan is to display it ina museum.

A good solution. It is somewhat ironic that in dumping the statue in the harbour, the protestors have breathed new life into it and made it more relevant - now not only is it a representation of Colston his life and why he was a prominent Bristol citizens (with all that entails), it is also a symbol of the history we are making today, for future generations to learn from.

Indeed.