Harlan Crow, a billionaire who apparently collects memorabilia from fascist and communist regimes, has come under recent scrutiny. Some media personality who has nothing to do with Crow (seriously, who is this guy?) defended him and his collection by saying, “He said that he’s filled his property with these mementos because he hates communism and fascism. Well, I mean, that seems like a reason why you might own this stuff is to remember the things that you hate.” Wow, what a brilliant excuse. Maybe I should start collecting things I hate too, like kale or cats wearing clothes.
What struck me about Crow’s defenders is how they all seem to accept his justification for his collection. Like, really? Are we seriously buying that someone who hates tyrants would surround himself with their relics? Most normal people go to museums for a little bit of peace and quiet, not to get riled up. But hey, to each their own.
I highly doubt that Crow is a Nazi or dictator worshipper, but I also highly doubt that his explanation for his collection is genuine. This whole thing kind of reminds me of when my little brother would collect bugs and then tell my mom that he was just studying entomology. Yeah, right.
Let’s just remember that public memory is a real thing. Whether it’s the controversies over Confederate statues or Harlan Crow’s collection of random military memorabilia, what we remember says a lot about who we are as a society. And let’s be real, a statue of Robert E. Lee is not a monument to the Union dead or a memorial to the enslaved. It’s a monument to Robert E. Lee.

Serious News: nytimes