The purpose of statues

To The Guardian

Afua Hirsch’s article, “Why not topple Nelson?” has the argument back to front when she says the purpose of statues of “figures like Nelson” is to energise “white supremacist groups”. On the contrary, it is those agitating to remove such statues who are trying to import into the UK the US’S “frenzied debate”, in the hope of stirring up conflict and hostility even though our “white supremacist groups” are insignificant at present, thanks to what she calls our “inertia, arrogance and intellectual laziness”. Her anger would be better directed at current discrimination, not at absurd historical claims such as the suggestion that “the brutalisation of black slaves made Britain the global power it then was”. Sure, it played a part, and should be commemorated – but so should Nelson. Alan Bailey, London

To The Guardian

Afua Hirsch is right that consideration should be given to how appropriate memorials to Britain’s imperial past now are. That is not about rewriting history, but rather gaining a better understanding of exactly what Empire actually meant. At the same time, she is right that the “subjects” of that Empire are almost forgotten from history when it comes to memorials, let alone statues. For example, London still lacks a reminder of the work of William Cuffay, the black tailor and son of a slave who was the leader of London Chartism in 1848, and was transported to Tasmania for fighting for the right to vote. Keith Flett, London

To The Guardian

When does the furious scrubbing of history cease? When will I be satisfied that the world and, indeed, the past, have been rendered acceptable to me? And am I sure that my own soul is equally shining and new? Such puritanism sets a fearsomely high standard. Guy Walker, Portsmouth