Answer:
I agree. Withered, "as though swept by fire," and "once so attractive" create a despairing tone.
Hope this is sort of what you were going for! :)
The destruction of any public property, be it statues or historical buildings, is completely unjustifiable. Not only does destroying these artifacts not benefit anyone, but it hurts countless people. From public workers, who'd have to either rebuild or clean up the destroyed property, to people with connections to the monuments having to deal with the losses, no one is benefited by blatant acts of destruction such as these. And, arguably, not even those who commit them.
