By Robert S. Carr, special to Charleston Currents  |  George Santayana,  a Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet and novelist, is probably best known for his often proclaimed and lampooned quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  If that thought is accurate, what does it say about the future of those who tear down monuments to the past?

Mayor John Tecklenburg of Charleston has the right idea.  Instead of tearing down monuments that may offend some, he is quoted as saying in The Post and Courier:  “The whole story of our history needs to be told. I intend to be complete and truthful about our history and add context and add to the story instead of taking away.”