Assignment: Statuesque – The town council has announced its intent to erect a new statue in front of the town hall. Since there are enough statues about town of the founder, explorers, and other long-dead figures, the council has decided to allow the citizens to nominate someone to honor with the statue. Entries are open to anyone, living or dead. Who do you think deserves to have a statue erected of him/her in your town? The town council wants justification for the nomination, so why should this person be honored with a statue? Speak from your heart.

In my town? Atlanta? Or in my blue-collar hometown between Boston and Providence? Actually, I can’t really imagine either place honoring anyone with a statue now. There is a lovely statue of Thomas Jefferson in Decatur (next door to Atlanta). Our son calls it “the Daddy” and sits in his lap. If the statue is at all accurate, Tom was a hottie. In either place, I think I would argue for someone in living memory, if not still living.

The person I would most want to see honored in Atlanta would have to be Jimmy Carter for all the good work he has done here. He makes a better ex-president than he did a president. Because of him, a lot more people have decent housing and better lives. He is also an intelligent Georgia guy, and it would seem a good fit, and I honestly can’t think of anyone else alive deserving (in this part of the country). I’d like to see Malcom X as well if for no other reason than to preserve some historical diversity of opinion.

If I wasn’t in Atlanta? I think a statue of John Lennon would be perfect almost anywhere, especially given the times. No, I’m not going to spell out the reasons why. Doesn’t anyone do their own research anymore? If you’re old enough, I don’t have to explain. If you’re too young, it will take a lot more explaining than a blog post. That’s a little bit of a rationalization, so I will probably have to write a little essay about John Lennon in the near future.