Vandalism as History, from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources . . .

  . . . or how to tell if your state's Department of Historic Resources is possibly a bunch of political hacks.

Curiosity drove me to see what our state Department of Historic Resources thought of our iconoclastic times. 

And so from the Department's own website under "DHR Guidance Regarding Confederate Monuments" we find this statement- that the "DHR offers these guidelines to support the removal of monuments in a manner adhering to best preservation practices", which, if you think about it, is an odd statement coming from an organization whose supposed mission statement is "to foster, encourage, and support the stewardship of Virginia's significant historic architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources."

In these "guidelines" we find . . . italics are my own.

Paint removal: The owner of the monument should decide if the paint is now an important part of the history of the monument that should be preserved before the decision for removal is made. Please keep in mind that while paint and other forms of vandalism may be disfiguring to the monument, it may also now form an important part of the history of the monument. If it is decided that the paint removal is necessary.

. . .

Conservation/Preservation of damaged monuments: The owner of the monument should decide if the damage is now an important part of the history of the monument that should be preserved before the decision for repair is made. Please keep in mind that while vandalism may be disfiguring to the monument, it may also now form an important part of the history of the monument.