Past battles should not inflame present disputes

Statues serve to commemorate reconciliation rather than division

A statue on the portal of Duke University Chapel bearing the likeness of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was vandalized on early August 17, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina — Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

We like to think of public statues as cultural monuments, but they also embody raw power. History is not just written by the victors but commemorated by them too. The toppling of statues often marks the changing of an era, either by revolution or war.