A recent poll found that very few people know who Adolf Hitler is because they are not constantly reminded of him by monuments in public parks and political grounds. This is startling affirmation of what many in the Trump administration have been saying about the removal of Confederate statues in the United States.

Chief of Staff John Kelly recently came under fire for calling the removal of Confederate monuments “a lack of appreciation of history” and said the Civil War was caused by “the lack of the ability to compromise.” Many in the administration, including Trump, argue that removing the statues will cause us to forget our history.

“Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments,” Trump tweeted. “You can’t change history, but you can learn from it.”

The same holds true for many dictators and insurgent leaders throughout the world. Most Iraqi’s stare blankly when asked if they have heard of Saddam Hussein. “Without monuments to these murderers and traitors, we simply forget they ever existed,” Historian Wilbur Wainright commented. “It is critical to leave their statues in place so we remember their deeds, good or bad.”

In Germany, few people still remember Hitler’s reign of terror that left millions dead and over half of Europe in ruins. “The name rings a bell. Maybe if I saw a hulking bronze statue of him whenever I came to a park, I might know who you are talking about,” a Berlin dog walker pointed out.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders remarked about the events of the Civil War, “we can’t erase the fact that they happened,” as she argued that removing statues of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was wiping away a part of American history.

“Statues are not always erected to honor great leaders,” Wainright continued, “Certain shameful parts of our history can’t be remembered by simply reading textbooks, they need to be cast into giant metal statues, trotted out, and displayed in the center of public spaces for all eternity. Otherwise we just forget.”