Thread by @NAChristakis

I support removal of many statues (especially those that memorialized actual threats to nation). But I believe that 1) this should be done democratically, not by mobs; 2) statues can often be moved to place for historical context (like Russia did with Stalin statues in Moscow) 1/

Here is the Fallen Monument Park in Moscow, where I have been, as a model: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Mo… Statues of confederate generals, etc, should meet this fate. The violent destruction of art and monuments is generally not a sign of a healthy polity. 2/

Another example: in India, many statues of colonists were simply relocated to a distant park. amp.scmp.com/week-asia/life… 3/

An online petition says Mahatma Gandhi is "a fascist, racist, & sexual predator." Petitioning government to take down a statue is a democratic process. A mob pulling it down is not. (I'm leaving aside deep irony of this targeting.) bbc.com/news/uk-englan… h/t @bedigitalgenius 4/

So contrast the petition to take down the Gandhi statue (or to perhaps contextualize his failings, many of which he repudiated in vivo) with the defilement by a group on the street, noted here: telegraphindia.com/world/gandhi-s… h/t @bedigitalgenius 5/