Videos posted online show an unidentified group of men pulling McDonogh from the water. They used ropes and planks and carried the bust to a waiting pick-up truck as "God Bless America" and a John Philip Sousa march played on a calliope along the riverfront.I kind of hope they never find it. Much better if we get to follow hints and rumors for years about who might have taken it and why. Would be really great if these are punctuated by the occasional random sighting in the window of an abandoned building, or on a highway at night. Every now and then it might show up to commit pass interference at a crucial point in some important game but then disappear again undetected by authorities.
The statue appeared to still be spotted with paint that protesters had splattered across McDonogh the day before.
The current whereabouts of the statue, however, remained an apparent mystery to city leaders, raising questions about what the unidentified men planned to do with the metal bust.
Speaking of which, I'm not sure what purpose the authorities are working toward in this statement.
NEW: @NOLACityCouncil issues a statement on the removal of John McDonough Statue. @wdsu https://t.co/iFUJG6JaOk pic.twitter.com/vSGgybzfyS— Sherman Desselle (@ShermanWDSU) June 14, 2020
On the one hand, the councilmembers are "doing everything within our power" to end racial injustice. On the other hand they "strongly condemn" an unapproved expression of public exasperation with the failure of those efforts thus far. I really don't think politicians can have it both ways like this anymore. It just isn't coherent. Especially when the people issuing the statement have built their own careers and stores of wealth benefiting from the inequities they claim to be working against.
At the very least, they could have taken the time to learn to spell McDonogh.
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