I’m a conservative, so my default is to ask what are the reasons for altering the status quo. So far, the best argument I have heard for bringing down statues that honor confederate dead is that they offend people. I don’t dispute that, nor do I think that offense should be ignored, but, for reasons I have discussed, I don’t think that’s a very persuasive reason to dishonor the people who were honored by those statues by removing or moving them. There are better ways to disclaim any lingering racist intent — including putting up statues honoring slaves or modifying plaques to make clear what the current purpose of the statue is — than removing a statue that has stood, without incident, for decades, and, in some cases, for over 100 years.