Missed conversations

Re: What my statues said about Macdonald, Ruth Abernethy; and Balancing state security and civil liberty, David A. Wilson, and other columns in the Sir John A. Fortnight series

I believe we all, including the next generation at the least, lose a great deal when the statues of former leaders are demolished by protest-vandals.

When these monuments are taken down or destroyed we lose the conversation about how leaders are humans, culture is relative and no one is perfect, save God himself. We could have amazing discussions about how some perhaps voted for Thomas Jefferson with one hand figuratively holding their nose because, while he promoted democracy and was a good thinker, he was a slave owner as well.

Instead of teaching kids to unreservedly hold politicians as heroes, we could be talking about the delicate balancing act that democracy and voting really is. We could discuss the flaw that democracy relies on society to put forth, nay to even generate, candidates of value to that society.

We could talk about how culture sometimes raises one value above all others in an effort to be fair or relevant, yet corrects course in future years because the majority finally realize an imbalance.

And all of that would lead us to discussions of the alternatives to democracy in the world. And this should easily prove to the nubile brains of our children that, flawed as it is, democracy gets the job done well and should be supported through lawful actions such as voting.

Or as has been famously spoken, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” Melissa Fisher, Spruce Grove, Alta.