There is an intense debate going around the FSU campus this past week: whether or not the statue of Francis Eppes, one of the original sponsors of the college and commonly regarded as its founder, should be torn down, or kept on the campus. This debate started because African American students made the point that Eppes once owned slaves. His statue in the center of main campus is a reminder of that and can be seen as very offensive to the African American community on campus. When presented in that manner, it seems like a very legitimate point of view, and it is. However, there is a point that some students, faculty, and people all over America seem to be overlooking: having slaves was a social norm when Francis Eppes was alive. In fact, it was almost considered socially unacceptable for a rich white family to not have at least one slave. This behavior was especially strong in the south, where Florida State University is located.
If the entire country went through every memorial statue that has been built and decided to tear down any that could be offensive to a community in America, there wouldn't be many left. The Washington Memorial is an example. The Washington Memorial is not only a staple in any eighth grade field trip or family vacation, it is also a symbol of our first president. Another example is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Francis Eppes' grandfather owned slaves, but he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Should his contribution to founding our country be overlooked because he took part in the social norm of the time? It is this reporters opinion that it shouldn't be.
Every influential person has their flaws and no one knows what the future holds. Any social norm in today's world could become an abomination in years to come. That doesn't mean that any type of contribution we have to forwarding the world should be disregarded. FSU campus should keep the statue of Francis Eppes, without him FSU wouldn't be standing.
