, Columnist
Forget the Past. Statues Represent Who We Want to Be.
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For all the controversy over Confederate statues, I thought it would be worthwhile to step back and consider some more general principles for public honors and monuments, starting with some less dramatic scenarios than the clashes and tear-downs we’ve seen this week.
I can think of at least three practical reasons for erecting public statues. First, we may wish to create an incentive for future behavior, as we do with Nobel Prizes and Halls of Fame. If a politician thinks his or her legacy might include more recognition, that may provide an additional reason to work for the public interest.