Reappearance

I can't keep all the politics of statue-toppling straight any more. Okay, so the other night, an inspired and unknown artist installed a bust representing York, the slave from the Lews & Clark expedition, in Mount Tabor Park where the Harvey Scott statue used to be before it was brought down last October.

I have no problem with the removal of Scott and the substitution of York, although it would have been nice if it could have been done legally.

But aren't statues of York taboo? I seem to recall the avengers of all societal wrongs wrecking a statue of York on the University of Portland campus not too long ago. It was during the period when even Lincoln had to go.

Maybe it was because Clark was also in the tableau at UP. He's nowhere to be seen on Tabor. So perhaps York will survive up there.

There are no known images of the real person, York. What monuments there are show what he might have looked like. But he has captured many imaginations. As well he should.