Commentary After 187 years, the statue of Thomas Jefferson was removed from New York City Hall. The reason for the removal could be guessed without having even heard about the removal. Jefferson owned slaves. A lot of slaves. Jefferson’s ownership of slaves while also writing the famous line “all men are created equal” have led many historians to suggest he was either terribly conflicted or an outright hypocrite. It’s a debate that will undoubtedly continue. The ongoing debate is one that’s of necessity to learning American values and the difficulty of upholding them. One of those values is liberty, to which Jefferson’s name has become irrevocably attached. In Jefferson, we see what it means to be a great man who stands for the higher things, yet greatly falters in living up to them. This we could easily call hypocrisy, but we must also consider the time and circumstances in which …