A mob assembled on the Fourth of July, ripped down a Christopher Columbus statue and threw it into Baltimore Harbor. Once again, city officials collectively shrugged their shoulders and looked the other way. In response, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan wrote, “Baltimore city leaders need to regain control of their own streets and immediately start making them safer. That is the antithesis of democracy and should be condemned by everyone, regardless of their politics.”

We have a question for the vandals posing as protesters: how will historians view your actions in the coming years? The fact of the matter is Columbus statues have nothing to do with today’s racial injustice, and the destruction is shameful because these lawless actions are distorting and overshadowing the work of real activists who are striving to uplift minorities by stamping out discrimination.