"Erected during the period of Jim Crow laws and segregation, the statues represent the subjugation of African Americans. That remains true today for white supremacists who use them to symbolize hatred and bigotry." -University of Texas President Greg Fenves

When the alt-right, and even more moderate conservatives, object to the removal of these statues of Confederate generals and politicians, the angst of those who demand their removal must be understood in an historical context.  
As Mr. Fenves makes clear in this article, the vast majority of these statues were not erected at the end of the Civil War, but rather "during the period of Jim Crow laws and segregation." In other words, these statues were created and publically displayed to intimidate and humiliate blacks, and to deliver a none too subtle message about white power and privilege. 
I feel the public would be better served if these statues were placed in museums, where they might be understood within an historical context.