By Elaine Hewitt

For those who want to move the statue “Fame,” please listen to several different perspectives.

There are a number of reasons to support leaving the statue where she is. First, the statue is art. For many Rowan citizens, “Fame” is the first piece of art they experience. It’s the piece of art that they have grown up with. Second, the angel-like figure represents comfort — not only comfort in experiencing death but the comfort of being held in an angel’s arms.

But more important is what moving “Fame” would mean.

First, moving “Fame” would mean that if a person wants to get rid of something he or she doesn’t agree with in Salisbury, all that’s necessary is committing vandalism. Scare people. Salisbury is afraid. Salisbury supports thuggery, not the rule of law.

Once accepted that vandalism and fear give you what you want, this plan could be adopted by any group against any icon or place in Salisbury. What is the next target? Who picks the next target?

There is a movement in our country that seems to say, “Disagree with me, and I will attack you. I will destroy you. I will eliminate you.” Giving in to vandals is consistent with this very dangerous movement.

Second, moving “Fame” would mean that we should erase history. Of all towns, is that the message Salisbury wants to send? Although history can be viewed from varied perspectives, history is based on facts. By studying history, we can learn to better live our lives today. By destroying history, we hide from who we are as human beings.

This move to destroy history in Salisbury is, again, consistent with a movement in our country. There seems to be a movement in our country to eliminate history.

For example, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington owned slaves. There seems to be a movement to use that fact to discredit the extraordinary work that the two founding fathers and their peers accomplished in establishing a country with freedoms and protection from tyranny that was unheard of at the time. It is still an extraordinary example to the rest of the world.

By studying history, we’re not perfect, but there’s a reason millions of people are trying to get into our country, not out of it. The end goal of this national movement to destroy history seems to be to eliminate the Constitution of the United States.

It’s no coincidence that we have concurrent movements — destroy anyone who disagrees with you and destroy history.

I’m not saying that moving the statue “Fame” would cause the Constitution of the United States to fall. I am, however, saying that the efforts to move “Fame” should be challenged.

In Salisbury and Rowan County, do we want to see thuggery win over the rule of law? Do we want to support destroying history?

If there is a focus, let it be on the citizens of Salisbury and Rowan County working together to represent our history more fully, possibly through art. Let it be on the citizens of Salisbury and Rowan County to celebrate our freedom of speech without fear of attack and destruction. Let our focus be on our acknowledging that human nature is flawed but living on and attempting to learn from our actions and our history.

Let us represent our history more fully through new art. If appropriate, let us add a plaque that articulates a 21st-century perspective on this piece of art.

Elaine Hewitt lives in Cleveland.