Susan Meloff

In the case of whether to paint over murals at a high school that depict negative and painful aspects of American history, I have an idea. Why not keep the murals as a reminder of why Americans since then have worked hard through the generations for equality for all its citizens. Then also have the students at that school or a commissioned artist paint additional murals alongside them showing how far America has come as a nation. Then the children who walk those halls will learn about how far this country has come since those early days. They will learn that those who came afterwards fought for equality for all races. What could demonstrate that more than to juxtapose those murals with one depicting our first African American president. Students will learn that the history of mankind has been rife with turmoil and inequality in all nations, but in some areas of the world where free expression is not allowed, real change does not happen like it does in America. The good thing about this country is that everyone has the right to free speech and free expression whether it be in literature, art, at the podium, in the political realm or in the media. This freedom has allowed Americans to make their case heard and to make their country better. Erasing the past will only deny future generations the opportunity to see what activism in a free country can accomplish.