That's the thing - our history is a complicated one. Our national heroes are controversial and our past is checked by triumphs, tribulations, and injustices. These struggles are what makes us American, if anything.

Because of these complexities, these statues make some Americans proud of our past (for good and bad reasons), while they make others sickened by what they represent. To some, they symbolize a nation that managed to stick together, despite grotesque wrong doing, bloody wars, and seemingly irreconcilable differences. To others, they represent a history of slavery, genocide, inequality, and an unwillingness to compromise.

In my opinion, these represent a part of our past we should not forget, especially because of the bad. Children should know the wrongs of the past, so that they may not repeat them in the future. They should know that some people long ago thought that they were doing the right thing, but then took up arms to defend their right to enslave another human being. They should understand how discrimination has been perpetuated through public policy and institutional racism. There are so many lessons to be learned from our past that we should try our best to not wipe them from our collective memory.

However, I feel that it is not appropriate to display these statues in public, especially if large segments of our society take issue with them. I think they are better displayed in museums, or as educational exhibits in the buildings they once stood in front of - reminders of where we, as a society have come from, tastefully teaching our children of the good and bad aspects of our history. Maybe this is all too idealistic, but I think there is middle ground here.