And it’s not a surprise that citizens would take matters into their own hands when arbitrary curbs had been placed on local democracy. The bronze sculpture that towered over the historic quad at North Carolina’s flagship university — like many other Confederate monuments rooted in racism — had long been a source of controversy and pain. Calls for its removal intensified after protesters in nearby Durham, spurred by the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, last August toppled the statue of a Confederate soldier that had stood in front of the old Durham County courthouse. “The actions that toppled Silent Sam bear witness to the strong feelings many North Carolinians have about Confederate monuments,” the governor said. “I don’t agree with or condone the way that monument came down, but protesters concluded that their leaders would not — could not — act on the frustration and pain it caused.”

Source: Washington Post August 24, 2018 22:41 UTC