The Viewpoints
Argument for Keeping the Statues
Having established that Macdonald had a very personal hand in the establishment of acts which harmed generations upon generations of Indigenous peoples, the question now becomes a matter of what to do with these statues that have already been erected.
For some, the aggressive acts of vandalism and outcries for them to be removed feels disrespectful and is removing history from Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pointed out that “he was our first prime minister and [he thinks] it's important to recognize the role he played in the creation of this country,” after the statue in Montreal was toppled during a protest to defund the police.
​
There is also the argument that to place blame on one man for all the horrors inflicted on the Indigenous peoples is doing a disservice to acknowledge the magnitude of Canada’s wrong doings, and that even though Macdonald started a lot of these acts and movements, a long chain of other government officials and leaders allowed and continued this path of destruction long after he was gone. Macdonald was hardly the only person who thought this way at the time, and can be seen as a product of the spirit of the times, of a widespread belief in social darwinism, where certain races were seen to be more evolved than others.
​
Further information and reading for this stance on the statues can be read here, a debate article written by Rick Anderson for the Toronto Star , or this opinion article by Steve Paikin.
In Support of Tearing Down The Statues
On the other hand, many people are in support of the removal of these statues. These commemorative statues represent a racist man who committed violent acts against humanity and does not represent the ideals and morals of this country. Although Macdonald may not have hated the Indigenous, it may be more chilling to think that the suffering and the erasure of a people's suffering was seen by himself and all those around him as justified. To have these statues stand is to signify that Canada is proud to have this man as a leader, and completely disregards the acts of crime he commited. There needs to be a transparency within the historical events that we memorialize and hold in a positive light, for there to be an authentic representation of the country.
​
To read the opposing Toronto Sun debate article in support of tearing down the statues by Bernie M. Faber, click here. To read an additional opinion article in support of tearing down the statues, visit this page​ to read Hanna Methot's writings on the matter.