"In a democracy, destroying a work of art is never a solution to any offense it may give. Once art has been made and released into the often choppy flow of life, it should stay there. ... To dictate its elimination is an implicitly autocratic move ...."

Roberta Smith on the San Francisco murals.

So that makes three positions that have been staked out.

The open letter position:  a work of art should not be destroyed if its message is anti-racist, even if it is traumatizing to students.

The school board position:  a work of art that is traumatizing to students should be destroyed, even if its message is anti-racist.

The Roberta Smith position:  a work of art should never be destroyed.

And related:  Two more murals set for removal at local schools.