Why Are We Letting Mobs Decide Which Statues Get To Stand?

InsightSpencerFernando

Would the same leniency be shown for right-wing Canadians tearing down what they disagree with? Of course not.

Are you allowed to tear down a statue or government monument if you disagree with it?

You would think the answer to that would be “no.”

But clearly, it now depends on where you sit on the political spectrum.

In Toronto, a statue of Edgerton Ryerson – after which Ryerson University is named – was torn down by a mob:

“BREAKING: Left-wing activists tear down statue of Protestant minister and Canadian educator Egerton Ryerson at Ryerson University in Toronto”

Antifa celebrated the destruction of the statue:

The statue was also torn apart:

“Nothing actually came off when it fell. They severed the fingers and gave each digit to a different elder that was present. Once the head was decapitated, the remaining elder decided that it be taken directly to Harbourfront, and tossed into Lake Ontario.”

Abject surrender

Of course, the university has already surrendered, saying the statue will not be repaired or replaced.

Here is their full statement:

“The Standing Strong (Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win) Task Force is tasked with recommending actions that the university should take to respond to Egerton Ryerson’s legacy. To fully understand his legacy, we sought to learn from our community members about what this means to them. We have learned from you – and more importantly, we have all learned from each other.

Thousands of people responded to our survey, community conversations were hosted formally and informally, people engaged with the media, hosted panels, issued open letters and filled social media with their insights and opinions. We have followed it all and we continue to learn. Out of respect for everyone who has participated, we are taking time to thoroughly review all of the submissions from our engagement period while we continue to follow the new statements, petitions and calls for action as they come forward.

Despite the urgency expressed by some this week for immediate change, it is vital that we respect our commitment to the community for a transparent process. Only by following the process we laid out can we ensure that the community has the information necessary to understand the recommendations we put forward.

With the statue removed, there may be regrets that the many students, faculty, staff and community members who have worked tirelessly towards its removal were not offered the opportunity to witness the moment it came down. We recognize that the absence of the statue does not reconcile Egerton Ryerson’s legacy and so we will continue our work. The Task Force will provide our final recommendations regarding principles of commemoration, the university’s name, and other elements of commemoration on campus before the fall semester.

We appreciate the trust and support of the community as we remain committed to our mandate.”

Really read through the statement, and see the mindset behind it.

Notice the immediate posture of submission, and how they immediately admit the removal of the statue won’t stop them from going further, thus incentivizing this exact kind of mob action.

Absent from the statement is any acknowledgment of the fact that the statue was torn down without any democratic decision being made, and there’s no discussion of any consequences for desecrating property.

There have also been no calls from prominent politicians for any consequences for the removal of the statue.

This is where we are now

This is now the world we are in. Far-left mobs can bring down statues without consequences, without debate, and without anyone else having a say.

They get to bring down Canadian history, whether you like it or not.

Of course, there’s nothing democratic about it, and it continues to incentivize behaviour that amounts to ignoring the political process and using force to get what you want.

Societies that descend into the use of raw force to settle political disputes are in serious danger, and the mere fact that this is taking place is a disturbing sign.

Yet, we also know that this kind of ‘accommodation’ is not equally applied.

Could right-wing mobs tear things down?

Imagine if a mob of right-wing Canadians marched around and tore down statues they disagreed with.

Imagine they took down a Pierre Trudeau statue, or went to location named after a foreign political leader and desecrated it.

Do you think that would be allowed?

Of course not.

There would be absolute panic from those in power, with quickly called-press conferences of politicians and police demanding prosecution and punishment.

The statues would be quickly restored, put back up, and would probably get round-the-clock protection.

New legislation would be passed criminalizing right-wing organizations (with ‘conservatives’ probably voting for it).

Society would change to further limit the expression of even moderate-conservative viewpoints, while the far-left would go unimpeded.

This is the double-standard of the application of the law in Canada today.

Where was the police enforcement

To think of that double-standard further, consider this:

“Interesting how there is a huge police presence if you try to hold a Church service or keep your business open, but mobs can pull down statues without interference.”

https://twitter.com/SpencerFernando/status/1401924054165049345

The police have been able to show up in force to stop Church services, and to stop individual business owners from keeping their livelihoods going.

10, 20, 30, 40, and more cops would show up (on the orders of politicians of course), making it clear that basic rights like the right to gather for worship and the right to operate a business were cancelled, and the government didn’t hesitate to dramatically punish those who disagreed.

But lo and behold, a mob brings down a statue – statue which had already been desecrated for about a week – and there’s no police action, no arrests, no interference.

This kind of double-standard, and brazen hypocrisy in favour of far-left mobs, further divides and destabilizes our society.

What next?

If those in power continue allowing far-left mobs to have their way and dictate what is and isn’t allowed to stand, what will happen next?

The far-left argues that all of Canada is illegitimate, so will the politicians allow them to tear down government buildings, destroy businesses, and start threatening regular Canadians going about their lives?

The far-left is never satisfied, and will keep pushing, and if those in power don’t push back the demands and use of force by radical groups will only get worse.

Spencer Fernando

Photo – Twitter

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