On October 12, 2020, which is called Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a group of about 300 people tore down the statues of President Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt in what the rioters called “A Day of Rage”. Portland Mayor Edward Tevis Wheeler, also known as Ted Wheeler, condemned the violence and Portland mayor canidate Sarah Iannarone stated, “Public access to art is vital to our city’s cultural fabric … I condemn all acts of violence and destruction, especially those targeting public art.”
Should we as a society ever tolerate the taking down of statues of, “The Great Emancipator”? What will it take as an American people to stand up to rioters and to tell them that we will no longer allow you to destroy public works or art and to destroy aspects of our nation’s history?
Hamilton Historical Records 