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Once upon a time in our nation's lurid past, we exploited an entire race for our gain. Most recently we have sought to heal this ugly wound through the symbolism of the Reconciliation Triangle. Three identical statues have been erected in Liverpool, England; Richmond, Virginia; and Benin, West Africa. In my mind, however, an important location is missing from this triangle ... which I guess if we added it would become a rectangle, or perhaps a rhombus.  The important missing location is of course Hollywood, California. If there is any city on earth that has worked harder to foster racial relations? I mean, hello? Roots, anyone? Amistad? The entire North and South miniseries? And one of the most esteemed residents of Hollywood is Charlize Theron, who is in fact African. She was born in Benoni, South Africa, which sounds a lot like Benin, West Africa when you think about it. She has also spearheaded an African Outreach Project, which is very apropos given that Africans carry spears.  I think it is glaringly apparent that Hollywood and Ms. Charlize Theron should be represented somehow in this symbolic gesture of reconciliation between Africa, England, and the United States. I have decided that shrubbery, which is viewed as a type of peace offering in England (as noted in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail), from Ms. Theron's gutter would most appropriately adorn the statue that graces my fair city of Richmond, Virginia.  This is humble ceremony in which I dumped ... er ... festooned the shrubbery at the foot of the statue. Well, there wasn't really a well-defined foot, more like a giant melded leg stump.  We rushed the ceremony a bit, because we were afraid that the police might not understand the symbolism fraught in our gesture and fine us for littering. This may be the former confederate capital, but racial relations are still quite tense.  | |||||||||||||
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