Dan Kahneman wrote:
Confederate statues are simply ridiculous, but should only be taken down legally. Those who break laws need consequences. And they should stop giving Trump ammo to attack the left.
When it comes to statues, this is a legitimate argument but there is also a legitimate counter-argument.
Sometimes fighting injustice requires illegal acts. In the civil rights era, protesters illegally occupied buildings, illegally staged marches, and performed all kinds of other acts of civil disobedience. It can be argued that without civil disobedience, the civil rights laws we have today would have never been passed.
The same thing can be said about destruction of confederate statues. These acts of civil disobedience are incredibly powerful. To see the physical destruction of these relics by people who are brave enough to face arrest sends a powerful message to the power structure that the people are rising up. And furthermore, that bravery becomes contagious to the point that government can no longer ignore it.
Often times, there are only two ways to bring about lasting social change:
1. Civil disobedience
2. Violent uprising
Which one would you prefer?