President Donald Trump announced last week that his administration is preparing an executive order to protect controversial monuments from vandalism and damage.
"I think many of the people that are knocking down the statues don't even have any idea what the statue is, what it means, who it is when they knocked down," the president said Wednesday, adding, "Now they are looking at Jesus Christ, they are looking at George Washington, they're looking at Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson. Not going to happen, not going to happen while I'm here."
No word yet on exactly what the order will contain, but there is talk that U.S. Marshals Service will be involved in protecting the monuments. When asked by CNN, the Marshals Service did not confirm or deny any such involvement.
Intelligent people can debate whether or not monuments dedicated to controversial persons or historical events such as the Confederacy or the Civil War should be removed or left in place. It's happening right now in our city.
But there is no room for vandalism or even wholesale destruction. Strong opinions do not excuse such vigilante acts. Any final decision on the fate of such statues should come through proper legal channels.
Until such a decision is made, the monuments should be protected.