Theodore Roosevelt Statue Outside American Museum Of Natural History Will Be Removed

[ny_quant]

The statue was meant to celebrate Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) as a devoted naturalist and author of works on natural history ... An avid conservationist and big game hunter, he is perhaps best known for his environmental legacy: He expanded the National Parks System and established 150 national forests, five national parks and 51 federal bird reserves, according to the U. S. Department of the Interior. After his presidency, Roosevelt with his son Kermit mounted an East African big game expedition to hunt and collect hundreds of scientific specimens for the Smithsonian Institution collections, including a white rhino, which today is exhibited at the National Museum of Natural History.

Comments

[ny-quant.livejournal.com]

It was still acceptable 2 years ago.

[misha-b.livejournal.com]

Clearly a statue like that could not be erected two years ago. There is a big difference between leaving a statue in place and actively removing it. I don't have a particular opinion on when/what statues should be removed, but it seems like a reasonable decision to me.

Personally, I think making an exhibit explaining the context and the history of the statue is the best solution, rather than simply taking it away. Even statues to horrible characters, like Lenin, could be kept as long as a proper context is provided.

[ny-quant.livejournal.com]

// Personally, I think making an exhibit explaining the context and the history of the statue is the best solution, rather than simply taking it away.

OK! I'd make an exception for mass murderers like Lenin, though.

[misha-b.livejournal.com]

I agree that most of the statues to outright criminals should be removed (although the definition of a criminal is somewhat vague, many generals would surely qualify). Still, some can be made into learning exhibits.