University to pull down statue of historical figure now deemed racist

You thought it was going to be another statue of Robert E. Lee, destroyed by another southern city or school eager to prove how politically correct they are by denying public space to one of the great heroes of American -- yes, American! -- history. Noooo... This time the beloved historical figure who is to be insulted and dethroned [There must be a better word, but I can't think of it. Ed.] is none other than Mohandas Gandhi, one of the 20th century's greatest fighters against colonialism and racism.

Or so it was thought. After all, didn't the Mahatma (Great Soul) lead the non-violent revolution that succeeded in driving the evil white British out of India? Was his campaign not just against the Brits, but against racism? Didn't he believe that all men [and women. Ed.] are created equal? Errr, maybe not.

This statue of the Indian independence leader was erected two years ago at the University of Ghana, in Accra, the shithole country's capital, but was removed in the middle of this past Tuesday night, after professors at the university began a petition against the statue, which has since gained over 2000 signatures. The petition claims Mr Gandhi was a racist, citing his writings over the years in which he said Indians were "infinitely superior" to Africans, whom he called "kaffirs", a racist slur at the time.

In 1896, the Mahatma wrote: "Ours is one continual struggle against a degradation sought to be inflicted upon us by the Europeans, who desire to degrade us to the level of the raw Kaffir whose occupation is hunting and whose sole ambition is to collect a certain number of cattle to buy a wife with and, then, pass his life in indolence and nakedness."

Mr Gandhi was in South Africa at the time. Perhaps there was some truth to what he said in 1896, but certainly there is no truth whatever to it 122 years later. Right? Anyway, his statue is gone now. It has not been replaced by a statue of an African hero [or heroine. Ed.] because [Unfortunately, considerations of space prevent us from posting the rest of Walt's comment. Ed.]