Edward Colston statue: Four cleared of criminal damage

[AngleEyes]

(some)IRA memorial is a memorial to those who commited terrorist acts or were members of a terrorist organisation ?

On man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.
There's two sides to a political struggle and neither is absolutely wrong.

Slavery is absolutely wrong, by any stretch of the imagination. But then to commemorate the slavers and describe them as philanthropic is offensive.

who planted bombs that killed innocent people

Like who flew the planes and dropped bombs that killed thousands upon thousands of people.

 

[jeds]

I've got mixed feelings over this. As a Bristolian I was in favour of either moving the statue or at least adding a plaque. Locally, information has been poor and I don't believe there was ever a decent conversation about it. Local papers are very low quality and have tended towards sensational opinions and rantings rather than facts. This got local backs up for lots of reasons and ended up a misinformed slanging match. My feeling on the so-called Colston four is also a bit mixed. On the one hand you can't go around hacking down monuments just because it offends your particular sensibilities, otherwise where does that end? On the other hand I understand that not all people think the same way as me. People talk of precedents but criminal decisions don't set precedents in law, although they do influence public thinking. Actually I think the decision was a one-off and I don't think the next lot of statue vandals will necessarily be so lucky.

The debate locally has been pretty much the same as this thread; tunnel vision, extremes at both ends, nonsense and untruths, some dishing out the usual bit of abuse, most invalidating any other opinion that doesn't align with theirs. No progress.

 

[transam]

imo the point is , not the fact that the statue was removed , transam gives not a jot and tbh i had never heard of this coulson bloke untill it kicked off


but it was removed by a mob , who decided they can do what ever they want , vigilantes ??

12 fruit cakes on a jury seemed to think its perfectly alright perhaps they would be happy if some one turned up around there house and removed some poster or what ever that some people did not like

 

[jeds]

There's no dispute over Colston being a slave trader - he certainly was. There's also no dispute over him being a philanthropist that funded hospitals, schools, housing for the poor and many other charitable institutions - he certainly did. The problem really comes down to the difference between what was considered normal back in the day and how we view that now. They are really two different things that can't be compared.

There will never be complete agreement. My view is somewhere down the middle in that I don't think it is right, or actually necessary, to have a statue of Colston in the City centre, but I also don't think it is right to delete the history. One option would be to move it into the museum with a fuller description of the issues and facts. I could support that.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

There will never be complete agreement. My view is somewhere down the middle in that I don't think it is right, or actually necessary, to have a statue of Colston in the City centre, but I also don't think it is right to delete the history. One option would be to move it into the museum with a fuller description of the issues and facts. I could support that.

Bristol now would be a very different place, were it not for him so those now living in Bristol, of all colours and especially those living back then - owe him a debt of gratitude for that generosity. Nothing can change that.

The fact that much of his money came from slave trading, is incidental to what he did here in the UK - it was legal, it was the norm for the time. The norm for the time in the UK was youngsters up chimneys cleaning them, down mines and working long hours in factories. Life was very hard back then for many, very different to now - live with it. My working life and quality of life improved dramatically over my life too. Things change, attitudes change - it always has and always will.

 

[JohnD]

Bristol now would be a very different place, were it not for him so those now living in Bristol, of all colours and especially those living back then - owe him a debt of gratitude for that generosity. Nothing can change that.

Stand next to the Jimmy Saville statue and say that.

 

[Mottie]

Did Jimmy Saville do something that was legal at the time then?

 

[JohnD]

like colston, he was a considered a philanthropist and had a good reputation at the time

like colston, his misdeeds are now quite widely known.

like colston, his memorial has now been removed

 

[Deleted member 18243]

Chinese community are half as numerous as the black population, but you rarely see people of Chinese heritage on tv,

The Chinese in Britain don't constantly play the victim, nor do they have countless children or burden the welfare state. They don't generally go about selling drugs and murdering each other. They behave decently and keep themselves to themselves. Same goes for the Jewish, of whom there are many in Britain.

 

[Munroast]

The Chinese in Britain don't constantly play the victim, nor do they have countless children or burden the welfare state. They don't generally go about selling drugs and murdering each other. They behave decently and keep themselves to themselves. Same goes for the Jewish, of whom there are many in Britain.

and those from India.

All seem to work hard and do well for themselves, a real asset to the country.

I have no probs with a multi cultural britain, but we all have to work hard and stand on our own feet, and those who work the hardest should reap the rewards.

 

[fillyboy]

like colston, he was a considered a philanthropist and had a good reputation at the time

like colston, his misdeeds are now quite widely known.

like colston, his memorial has now been removed

What utter, utter, utter bollux. What sort of lefty fruitcake mentaloid could compare Colston to Saville?, Saville was outed by John Lydon in 1978 on the BBC. For his trouble, Lydon's comments were deleted by your lefty chum's at the BBC who then proceeded to ban him from appearing on the BBC for several years.
Nothing Colston did was illegal or even immoral several hundred years ago, everything Saville did was illegal, and your lot sought to defend him.
I can't even begin to guess why someone would be so desperate to defend a paedophile. Perhaps you could tell us John?

 

[fillyboy]

and those from India.

All seem to work hard and do well for themselves, a real asset to the country.

I have no probs with a multi cultural britain, but we all have to work hard and stand on our own feet, and those who work the hardest should reap the rewards.

Highest achievers in terms of educational qualifications and home ownership. I wonder who are the lowest.

 

[transam]

like colston, he was a considered a philanthropist and had a good reputation at the time

like colston, his misdeeds are now quite widely known.

like colston, his memorial has now been removed

don’t really see the connection between this colstoun bloke and Saville

 

[diy_fun_uk]

The debate locally has been pretty much the same as this thread; tunnel vision, extremes at both ends, nonsense and untruths, some dishing out the usual bit of abuse, most invalidating any other opinion that doesn't align with theirs. No progress.

Which is why I believe, ultimately, we'll be the masters of our own downfall.

 

[AngleEyes]

with a fuller description of the issues and facts.

And that was all that was asked for for ten long years, with some interested parties dragging their feet to delay or prevent the progress.