The attitudes of many historic figures fall short of modern standards and the actions of some are now rightly recognised as appalling crimes. But trying to erase difficult parts of history from our national consciousness or oversimplifying the memory of historic figures to single views could be counterproductive. Michael Rosen’s suggestion of adding plaques to monuments with a commentary about their historical context would be a good start. Fortunately, however, Penny Lane is much more famously associated with one of the Beatles’ most beautiful songs. Peter McKennaLiverpool• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

Source: The Guardian November 19, 2017 19:07 UTC