Warts and all

I think we should keep our streets and statues of Sir John A. Macdonald, but add to them.

The problem with history is that most people think it is solid like a statue. Yes, the dates, names and places are the same, but our intrepretation changes as we change. When Sir John was alive Canadians glossed over how First Nations lost their lands. Now, we know that was unfair. When the Second World War happened, we forgot in our victory that we sent Japanese Canadians to internment camps and that we turned Jewish refugees from Germany away before the war. We recognize that now. 

The same is true about Sir John's legacy. We can see him now in a new light. He hasn't changed. We have. And that's the way it should be.

But we shouldn't just sweep it all under carpet and forget it. We should embrace the whole thing. We should remember Sir John for all the things he did right and all the things he did wrong. He was intolerant. He did bad things to indigenous peoples. But he was also an addict. He made a lot of his decisions as our first Prime Minister while stone cold drunk. You could say he was a product of his times but that's no excuse. He was also an amazing leader and rightly is credited with creating our country. 

Let's add to this story, not delete it. Lets put up new plaques at the statue or add another one that tells the story of Sir John warts and all. He was not a superhero, he was just a human like the rest of us. Flawed. Imperfect. Good some times. Bad the others. Let's tell that story. It'll serve history, but also ourselves and our children.