Debate over the Civil War statue in Oak Bluffs is turning into something of its own civil war, and it’s time the selectmen showed some leadership.

Whether they accept the recommendation of the local NAACP and remove two plaques honoring confederate soldiers on the statue of a Union soldier, or bow to opposition from veterans groups and others, some people will be unhappy.

But their decision this week to schedule a forum for May 21 rather than putting an end to an increasingly ugly skirmish serves only to prolong and inflame the acrimony. Comments online and at public meetings have taken on a racially charged tone that has no place on Martha’s Vineyard. This is a deeply emotional issue, not one that can be resolved by more argument or additional facts.

And there really is only one answer: take down the plaques.

This newspaper, at another time, attempted to distinguish the statue from other Civil War monuments based on its unusual history. It was built in 1891 by a man who fought for the confederacy and was trying to win favor in his adopted home by depicting a union soldier. It wasn’t until 1925 that the two plaques were added, specifically honoring confederate soldiers, and declaring in one that “the chasm is closed.”

But the chasm was not closed then, and it isn’t now. If anything, the endurance of symbols of the pro-Slavery confederacy around the country has become harder to excuse with the passage of time.

The notion that this odd remnant of history, originated by someone whose motives even at the time were murky at best, must remain unchanged is just silly. Our physical history is rewritten every day as buildings are razed or renovated or added onto. The plaques were added three decades after the statue was built; they can be removed nine decades later.

And what is the purpose of war memorials if not to inspire patriotism and unity? It should be enough that some members of our community are offended, not elevated by the plaques.

If veterans want a fitting memorial, a far better use of effort would be to build one in honor of a true war hero, the Island’s own Ted Morgan, who fought in a war that united, not divided our country.

That would be a cause worth fighting for.