This past summer has seen renewed attention around the appropriateness of the content of memorials in public spaces. Absent any kind of nationally accepted standards in deciding which memorials should stay and which should go, each case is argued individually, which expands the controversy.

In the absence of context, memorials glorify their subjects. Context could be through design, location, or information. This memorial in Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham uses design to tell the story of how dogs were used to frighten and control peaceful protestors. The Confederate memorials at Gettysburg help tell the tale of how that pivotal Civil War battle unfolded. In Concord, Massachusetts, a memorial to British soldiers explains how those soldiers came to die there.

Each of these memorials display their subjects in a larger narrative. However, the Robert E. Lee memorial in Charlottesville simply paid homage to the Confederate general. The design depicts him as regal, he had little connection to Charlottesville other than being a Virginia native, and there is no information to explain him save the dates of his birth and death. Without context, a memorial is simply an honor, and public honor should be reserved for people who helped improve life for the public.
- Marty