re: The term dog whistle is one of the stupidest things in society.

I think certain rhetoric while having some legitimate basis is best avoided because it agitates some negative segments of humanity. The cost of that type of language is what we see today.For years we've avoided using the language trump deployed during his run.

On the flip side, while I don't give a frick about statues, the removal of them has had the same negative impact. It has agitated the worst in people and has led to violence. The societal cost of removal has proven greater than any benefit. If they were left in place the worst outcome would likely be some angry editorials and poorly attended protests to remove.