Over the past month, statues and depictions of prior presidents, Christopher Columbus, and even religious homages have been subjected to forms of vandalism by many unhinged “activists”.
So, it is with little surprise that the latest casualty of the attacks on statues was none other than that of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Maplewood Park.
According to Rochester Police, the tearing down of the statue of Douglass took place during the Fourth of July weekend. Police stated that the depiction of Douglass was removed from the base where it was erected, and was found approximately 50 feet from its original location.
While the statue itself did not have any sort of graffiti applied to it, officials noted that one of the fingers on the statue was damaged in conjunction with the obvious damage sustained to the statue’s base.
Reports indicate that the statue was removed in order to apply repairs to the damage sustained.
This particular case of vandalism is by far the most bizarre of statues to have been targeted by extremists intent on tearing down statues of historical figures. The reason being is that Douglass is perhaps one of the most important figures associated with the abolitionist movement.
Douglass, who was born a slave and eventually attained his freedom, accomplished so much in a period of America’s history when there were so many literal and metaphorical obstacles for black Americans.
He held numerous public offices in his time, was an accomplished writer and creator of news publications, and even assisted Ulysses S. Grant in his presidential campaign and heralded Grant’s acts that targeted the Ku Klux Klan when Democrats had formed the racist organization.
Perhaps it was Douglass’ affiliation with the Republican party that may have set off those against the statue – but it could merely be just another acted-out bit of aggression toward monuments in general that have swept throughout the nation.
Whatever the modus operandi was in dismantling this statue of a man who helped shape this country, the act is yet another stain upon recent events that have showcased disdain for America’s history as a nation.
