thenewinquiry.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenewinquiry.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
SAN DIEGO
If you want a lesson in the power of monuments to influence hearts and minds and whitewash the past, look no further than the statue of former California Gov. Pete Wilson.
It stands forlorn and mostly forgotten in downtown San Diego, next to a Panera Bread. The life-sized bronze replica captures Wilson in all his Midwestern milquetoast glory. The boyish smile. The helmet of hair. The hands in the pockets of pleated pants.
This oversized trophy is now spotted with oxidation, and nowhere near as shiny as it was during its 2007 unveiling, when 500 fans and 300 protestors faced off.