What do you do with statues that stand as symbols of hate and oppression? In Hungary, the put them in a park.
Read MoreBudapest
08-25-09 We've Got Giant Cowboys. . .
in Travel
By Scott Shephard
. . . but in eastern European countries, such as Hungary, they had giant Communists. Marx, Engels, Lenin, happy workers - you name it, and they probably had a giant statue for it.
Many of you may remember that when Sadam fell from power, one of the first things that happened is that the giant statues and pictures of Sadam were toppled and destroyed. That also happened in eastern Europe when communism fell. But in Budapest, someone had the foresight to save the statues and many are now housed in a park on the outskirts of Budapest called "Statue Park." In all of my European travels, our visit to this park is one of the more memorable experiences.
The title of this blog entry is a reference to the fact that in our community, the most monumental art we have are two identical statues of cowboys, intended to draw attention to the convenience stores they stand next to. I was trying to imagine why anyone might topple them. A revolt against capitalism? Or overpriced necessities like bread or milk? Or maybe bad art? Who knows. . . ?
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