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OrbitalDawn
Ulysses Everett McGill
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You really think tearing down a university is as practical and feasible as tearing down a statue?
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The UCT - Cecil John Rhodes Statue Thread
- Thread starter The_Right_Honourable_Brit
- Start date
You really think tearing down a university is as practical and feasible as tearing down a statue?
Its the principle behind it... he was 'bad' so destroy his statue, but leave HIS building alone so we can benefit from HIM. How is that 'okay' given the context of the statue. Surely if the statue goes because it represents such an evil man as they depict, his building represents him too?
Edit: I honestly don't care if its there or not, just pointing out double standards.
LOL, its NOT HIS buildings.
OrbitalDawn
Ulysses Everett McGill
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 47,035
No. You're engaging in reductio ad absurdum, a fallacy.
The university as it functions now serves the public good, and has done so for many years. Having a problem with some parts of the institution doesn't somehow justify tearing it down completely.
And it's not his building.
And a statue is to honouring him. The university isn't there to honour him
LOL, I should have been clearer, HIS MONEY PAID FOR IT TO BE BUILT.
Do you have proof of this (that his personal finances were used to construct the whole campus)?
The_Right_Honourable_Brit
High Tory
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The current location of upper campus is due to him. He donated the land in his will. That's not debatable. So UCT has every right to honour him or at the very least, recognise his substantial contribution to UCT.
I have no doubt his money was also used to finance some of the buildings as well.
Many evil people have donated land or built structures in the past. Does not make them worthy of honour.
Sure, they have a right to. Doesn't mean they have to celebrate a man like that
His trust paid for it.
Lets have a look at what his money is still paying for today. Wonder how many of the people throwing **** around are being educated by his money.
http://www.mandelarhodes.org
Even Bram Fisher, you know, the dude who defended Mandela way back when, studied at oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. And yes, none of this undoes the bad he did, but there are more important things to worry about in this country than a bloody statue of someone who's legacy now does so much for people of all colours in SA.
Maybe do a search on the Rhodes trust and see what is actually going on with his legacy and how many people to this day benefit from him.
Who's celebrating? I don't recall any public holidays eetc? Merry Cecilmas? Its a statue.
No point in arguing with someone who doesn't understand the purpose of a statue.
Took the words right out of my mouth
Was actually referring to you. You knew that right?
Indeed, and I'm saying, right back at you
To me, a statue is 3d artwork, this one specifically is of a man who lived 100+ years ago. Others seem to think its a god who is worshipped and celebrated, people sacrifice on an alter in front of it to appease the god cecil. Others seem to be blaming all their current day problems on it(they must have missed the ceremony mentioned before). Others seem to be haunted by this ghost of him. In reality, its a piece of bronze in the shape of a man who lived many many years ago. Is destroying it really going to change anything in peoples lives? Are their grades suddenly going to improve? Is the crime rate going to drop? Will rape suddenly stop? Are jobs going to be magically created when its torn down?
I'm not trying to belittle his actions, I wasn't alive back then, all we can go on is history books. He wasn't a nice man(thats understating I know), but what I'm getting at is, what will this achieve? Why is it okay to destroy his statue but study in his legacy? Aren't there more important things these **** flingers can focus on, like hunger, crime, jobs, rape, corruption etc etc etc
Indeed, and I'm saying, right back at you
In reality, its a piece of bronze in the shape of a man who lived many many years ago. Is destroying it really going to change anything in peoples lives? Are their grades suddenly going to improve? Is the crime rate going to drop? Will rape suddenly stop? Are jobs going to be magically created when its torn down?
I'm not trying to belittle his actions, I wasn't alive back then, all we can go on is history books. He wasn't a nice man(thats understating I know), but what I'm getting at is, what will this achieve? Why is it okay to destroy his statue but study in his legacy? Aren't there more important things these **** flingers can focus on, like hunger, crime, jobs, rape, corruption etc etc etc
You have the same backwards thinking the University of the Free State had when asked to change the name of one of the student residents which was called House Hendrik Verwoerd back in 2003 or thereabout.
So arguing this point with someone as close-minded as yourself is simply pointless. You cannot even use common sense to understand what he point of a statue in a public space is.
Yeah, you see, this is were I start getting a little irritated. My mind is very very wide open. My common sense is written right there for all to see, it is very simple and dumbed down so it doesn't take much to understand, yet, instead of answering the questions I'm now close-minded and have no common sense.
British Imperialism is easily one of the best things to happen to the progression rate of the human species, ever.
When they arrived, SA was comparable to civilizations that existed 5000 yrs ago. It was things like British imperialism that allowed them an almost instant civilizational catch-up. Men like Cecil John Rhodes are not celebrated, but they ought to be treated as if they were God men. There should be bowing, and the sacrificing of virgins, quite frankly ^_~
When they arrived, SA was comparable to civilizations that existed 5000 yrs ago. It was things like British imperialism that allowed them an almost instant civilizational catch-up. Men like Cecil John Rhodes are not celebrated, but they ought to be treated as if they were God men. There should be bowing, and the sacrificing of virgins, quite frankly ^_~