Instead of toppling historic statues, we should focus our energy on fighting the injustices of today

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Sage Willoughby, Jake Skuse, Milo Ponsford and Rhian Graham outside Bristol Crown Court after being cleared of criminal damage for pulling down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston (Ben Birchall/PA)

I’m glad the jury delivered a verdict of “not guilty” in the case of the Colston four. Yes, toppling the statue was a sort of vandalism, but it was committed with commendable social intent, and no one was hurt. Had it not been for Covid I would probably have been in the crowd, cheering them on.

What is regrettable is that such an act was deemed necessary in 2020. Slavery was, and is, undoubtedly wrong. But 300 years ago it was not illegal, and Edward Colston was honoured for his philanthropic deeds. In future ages it’s not unlikely that much of the wealth acquisition practised now will be seen as reprehensible.

The problem is that racist behaviour, personal and institutional, is still prevalent. If it were not, the outrages of past times would be of much less public interest. What really matters is not Colston, or his statue, but the way we live now. We should let the past bury its dead and instead turn more of our attention to the injustices of our society in the 21st century.

Susan Alexander

Frampton Cotterell, South Gloucestershire

Tories still don’t get it

Many Tory MPs and their supporters still don’t get it about the considerable downsides of empire. Its baleful legacies remain with us in spite of years of race relations legislation – which has had only partial success in eliminating covert discrimination and more or less overt prejudice among hopefully now a minority of the British population. These Tories don’t recognise, or perhaps choose to forget, that British fortunes were made out of brutality and exploitation.

The downing of Colston’s statue only came after years of peaceful attempts to persuade the local authorities in Bristol to have it removed to a museum where his various Bristol benefactions could be seen against the very murky background in which his fortune was made. There are other statues on display in our towns and cities which probably ought also to be removed to a contextualised museum setting, and the relevant authorities should have the sense to do so before liberal-minded young people take direct action again.

As for Suella Braverman wanting to overturn a common sense verdict by an English jury or indeed contemplating a change to the law to flatter Tory prejudices, words fail me!

Gavin Turner

Norfolk

Thank goodness for our legal system

In answer to a rhetorical question, yes, the law can be an ass. But to qualify this assertion, it should be said that in the vast majority of cases, it is only when it becomes apparent that the law makers had not taken every conceivable circumstance into account. Luckily our courts can and do make an interpretation into the underlying intention of the law. Pulling down a statue owned by the state of either Winston Churchill or Jimmy Savile is deemed equally as criminal damage in the eyes of the law.

Thank goodness our legal system allows such refined interpretation of the law when all the circumstances have been considered, no matter how much it might offend our attorney general.

Peter Smith-Cullen

Dunston, Norfolk

Family matters

Surely, if the Pope wants the human race to prioritise producing children over owning pets he should enable the ordained functionaries of the Catholic Church to set an example: allow priests to marry and doubtless they will produce copious offspring.

Unfortunately, such an initiative will probably take a similar time span to common sense around contraception.

Robert Boston

Kingshill, Kent

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Overblown ego

A wealthy tennis player with an overblown ego prefers voluntarily to stay in a hotel in a foreign country rather than return home to his family for Christmas, is, by not being allowed to put others at risk by breaking the country’s health rules, somehow being subject to a crucifixion. Give me strength!

Geoff Forward

Stirling

Boris hit the nail on the head

Well done Boris Johnson for launching his attack on the anti-vax lobby over their “mumbo-jumbo” on social media.

The prime minister has hit the nail on the head. Anybody denying the existence and seriousness of coronavirus is a threat to public health.

The figures speak for themselves. The overwhelming number of people either on ventilation or in intensive care units are irresponsible unvaccinated people.

People need to take this virus seriously because the fact of the matter is that we are going to have to still live with it for sometime yet.

Get boosted. Stop spreading what amounts to conspiracy theories. Save lives.

Geoffrey Brooking

Havant, Hampshire