Equilibria
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From the drawing, I assume this will be placed at the foot of Merrimac St.
The West End was allegedly a "slum" that had to be bulldozed, but it produced people like Leonard Nimoy. Apparently the bureaucrats were wrong.
Couldn’t we get a statue of the man rather than a big hand? Like, I know that Nimoy was best known for playing Spock, but it’s the actor who grew up here. Not the character..
For anyone who doesn't know, Nimoy did some cool interviews and documentaries and such where he talks about his childhood/background.
Not to make any insinuations because AFAIK there aren't any to make, but it's playing with fire to put up a statue of a famous person these days. Better to stick with the concept.
Not to make any insinuations because AFAIK there aren't any to make, but it's playing with fire to put up a statue of a famous person these days. Better to stick with the concept.
If it turns out that Nimoy was an awful person in private
Bingo. Again, I have no inkling that's the case, but why take the risk?
It's important to consider the extent to which Nimoy identified with Spock, and in particular with the meaning behind the salute. Although he struggled with the association for a portion of his post-Star Trek life, he eventually changed his mind, even going so far as to publish a memoir titled, "I am Spock." To the extent that the hand salute can be seen as a meaningful representation of his contribution to the arts and serve as a reflection of his personal philosophy, it might well be a very appropriate tribute.Statue of a famous person or statue of a slaver? I can't think of any statue of modern people that anyone wishes to tear down. I've seen some people joke about peeing on the Bobby Orr statue, but none that want it removed. If it turns out that Nimoy was an awful person in private, the plans can be rolled back. However, it seems just from reading his wiki article that a lot of people have attested to his character and that he did a lot to support the arts and environmental activism.
I'd personally rather have no statue than one that's just a giant hand making a salute from an old sci-fi show. Perhaps the statue of Nimoy could show him making the salute (while wearing normal clothes). Still, I think it's important to honor the actor rather than the show he starred in.
It's important to consider the extent to which Nimoy identified with Spock, and in particular with the meaning behind the salute. Although he struggled with the association for a portion of his post-Star Trek life, he eventually changed his mind, even going so far as to publish a memoir titled, "I am Spock." To the extent that the hand salute can be seen as a meaningful representation of his contribution to the arts and serve as a reflection of his personal philosophy, it might well be a very appropriate tribute.
Placemaking has become "Selfie Spot Making" and this is a great example of the trend.
And before Nimoy gave it to Spock, he got it from the blessing of the Cohanim. So far I haven't heard it called blasphemous or cultural appropriation, but it can't be entirely immune from such objections given that it was an active borrowing from a religious ceremony