Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Caron weighed in on historic statues being removed across the country Friday, saying he believes we should not erase history.
In an interview with Fox News’ Bill Hemmer, Carson was asked about the removal of statues of historical figures such as Christopher Columbus and Thomas Jefferson, to which he responded by saying it is “rather silly” and described why he thinks they should remain standing.
Hemmer also mentioned Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s decision to have four paintings of former Speakers who served in the Confederacy removed from the U.S. Capitol.
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“Ohio, has decided yesterday to remove the statue of Columbus. There is a push in New York City Council to remove the statue of Thomas Jefferson. And I guess in summation, do you think that this is necessary for an American cultural cleanse?,” Hemmer asked Carson. (RELATED: Pelosi Says She Has Demanded Confederate Speaker Paintings Be Removed From Capitol)
“No, I don’t think so. I think it is rather silly, quite frankly. Those who forget their history are bound to repeat the mistakes from their history. And what intelligent people do is they analyze their history, both the good things and the bad things, and they learn from those things, and they are able to advance. But if you try to hide them, what good does that do. It makes absolutely no sense,” Carson responded. (RELATED: Exclusive: Ben Carson Says Critics Will Come To Realize Trump is Helping Baltimore)
Carson’s remarks come on Juneteenth, the celebration of the liberation of those who had been held as slaves in the U.S.