The Student Room Group

Rhodes must fall

Pro or against?

If you didn't know Rhodes is the dude who colonised Zimbabwe and parts of SA, hence its pre-independence name of the state of Rhodesia. mass genocide followed by the introduction of western infrastructure (the usual slavery story) . He also started the Rhodes scholaship for students in Oxford so they built a statue of him at one of the colleges of which students are campaigning to have it taken down on the basis of racial glorification

I'm totally pro without question

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Against. The man gave scholarships so people could attend universities. If you want to start doing this, take down Churchill's statue as well. He had views that people like you would disagree with. You are trying to rewrite history, expunge a person from it because you disagree with what they did.
I'm on the fence. I'm glad in SA they removed the statue though.
Original post by THE EPIC Panda
Against. The man gave scholarships so people could attend universities. If you want to start doing this, take down Churchill's statue as well. He had views that people like you would disagree with. You are trying to rewrite history, expunge a person from it because you disagree with what they did.


Believe me, if this world is so "over" constitutional racism as it claims to be, most British figureheads would've been condemned but hey Rome wasn't built in day right?
One falls, hopefully it'll create a domino effect.

Btw "people like you" you mean black people? Or PoC? Tad bit vague there love
Im neutral, probably edging towards pro.

He was by no means unique in his thinking for the time, so making him out to be a monster is i think wrong.

But i dont think we should be glorifying the man.
Reply 5
Rhodes must stay
Original post by Chellecharity
Believe me, if this world is so "over" constitutional racism as it claims to be, most British figureheads would've been condemned but hey Rome wasn't built in day right?
One falls, hopefully it'll create a domino effect.

Btw "people like you" you mean black people? Or PoC? Tad bit vague there love


No. No.

You can't take down these people statues because of the PC culture you want to foster. These were the people that built our country, for better or worse. Just because you disagree with them, doesn't give you the right to get rid of them from history.

And when I say "people like you" I mean the PC zealots.
I literally don't care but if you pushed me definitely against. I.e. keep thr statue
Original post by Farm_Ecology
Im neutral, probably edging towards pro.

He was by no means unique in his thinking for the time, so making him out to be a monster is i think wrong.

But i dont think we should be glorifying the man.


When will people understand that just because a view is shared by many and becomes a norm, it doesnt make it any less or any more. double standards
Original post by THE EPIC Panda
No. No.

You can't take down these people statues because of the PC culture you want to foster. These were the people that built our country, for better or worse. Just because you disagree with them, doesn't give you the right to get rid of them from history.

And when I say "people like you" I mean the PC zealots.


I'm 100% certain that if Rhodes lived to this day, he wouldn't have expected the level of integration between races in society. Is it fair to say that the scholarship put in place to uphold and better a white Britain ?
Original post by Chellecharity
When will people understand that just because a view is shared by many and becomes a norm, it doesnt make it any less or any more. double standards


More or less double standards? Im not sure i understand?
Against, as is anyone moderately sane, because revisionism is an abhorrent cancer in our excessively PC society.

Boo hoo, it doesn't influence you, no-one cares about your hurt feelings and you're not special enough to warrant them being considered
Original post by Chellecharity
I'm 100% certain that if Rhodes lived to this day, he wouldn't have expected the level of integration between races in society. Is it fair to say that the scholarship put in place to uphold and better a white Britain ?


Please do your research. His money is available to Anyone from the former British Empire. That means black, white, what ever you can get it if you are eligible. So no, this doesn't just help the majority white Britain.
Original post by Architecture-er
Against, as is anyone moderately sane, because revisionism is an abhorrent cancer in our excessively PC society.

Boo hoo, it doesn't influence you, no-one cares about your hurt feelings and you're not special enough to warrant them being considered


*Cries in oppressed black girl* am I playing my role well enough ?
Original post by THE EPIC Panda
Please do your research. His money is available to Anyone from the former British Empire. That means black, white, what ever you can get it if you are eligible. So no, this doesn't just help the majority white Britain.


The irony how society at the time had barely any people who weren't white. As if Zola from SA could just happily apply and fly out to get a world class education in the country where the guy who killed most of her people lived.

Even more ironic how one of the figureheads of this movement actually studied at Oxford on the Rhodes scholarship lol
Reply 15
Original post by Chellecharity
The irony how society at the time had barely any people who weren't white. As if Zola from SA could just happily apply and fly out to get a world class education in the country where the guy who killed most of her people lived.

Even more ironic how one of the figureheads of this movement actually studied at Oxford on the Rhodes scholarship lol

You're one week late. The college won't remove the statue. End of story. You can piss on the man without whom your country wouldn't exist, but don't come here and spread your hate.
Reply 16
I find it disgusting that a minority of Oxford students make demands that a key figure in both the University's and British history should have his memory spat on and disrespected in such a way. It's appalling, quite frankly.

We must not judge historical figures for their political actions and beliefs against modern standards.
Original post by Chellecharity
The irony how society at the time had barely any people who weren't white. As if Zola from SA could just happily apply and fly out to get a world class education in the country where the guy who killed most of her people lived.

Even more ironic how one of the figureheads of this movement actually studied at Oxford on the Rhodes scholarship lol


Thanks for conceding the argument. I see you have no more constructive criticisms to put through, other then "That man was a racist".

Since you been such a good sport, I'd like you to answer a question. Since you like the idea of getting rid of statues of people you disagree with, would you take away the title of Baron from Ralph Robert Wheeler Lingen, 1st Baron Lingen? This man wrote the book that started the decline of the Welsh language. Without this book, Welsh would be spoken by every one in Wales, but instead this book was used as proof that Welsh was not a language of learning. This nearly killed the language. So, what do you say?
The logic extends to all controversial historical figures. Should Trinity College, Cambridge remove the statute of Henry VIII which is on its gate? He was a tyrant, misogynist and massive human rights abuser.
Original post by Chellecharity
Pro or against?

If you didn't know Rhodes is the dude who colonised Zimbabwe and parts of SA, hence its pre-independence name of the state of Rhodesia. mass genocide followed by the introduction of western infrastructure (the usual slavery story) . He also started the Rhodes scholaship for students in Oxford so they built a statue of him at one of the colleges of which students are campaigning to have it taken down on the basis of racial glorification

I'm totally pro without question


Yeah, the bold is the problem.

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