Columbus Day
This is what an Am Civ major wears on Columbus Day.
Point
"As a national holiday, Columbus Day has virtually nothing to do with honoring Italian heritage or culture, and it is not about celebrating mutually held values of decency, respect or justice. Columbus Day celebrates ... invasion and domination, especially of indigenous peoples' territories. ...
"Luther Standing Bear wrote in 1933 that 'The man from Europe is still a foreigner and an alien. And he still hates the man who questioned his path across the continent.' The United States has created Columbus Day to rationalize its historical crimes against indigenous peoples."
-- Glenn T. Morris, Shawnee, professor of political science, University of Colorado at Denver
Counterpoint
"I think what is going on here is an intolerant, militant left-wing group is attempting to deny Italian-Americans their right to march under a banner of their hero. ...It is anti-European and anti-Western civilization. We have a right to our heroes, and they to theirs."
--Pat Buchanan, former Reform Party presidential candidate
posted by Anonymous at
3:19 PM
5 Comments:
LOVE the shirt, and love Glenn T. Morris' point. ;)
By
BrideOfPorkins, at Tue Oct 09, 11:59:00 PM EDT
I think there's a middle ground, where we can respect the spirit of exploration symbolized by Columbus, while bringing a new understanding of who Americans really are, including the native tribes.
By
Anonymous, at Thu Oct 11, 08:22:00 AM EDT
Anne - I have a private blog and I'd like to invite you to read it. If you're interested, please send a note to miriamblogger@gmail.com .
I've enjoyed your comments on Rabbi Neil Fleischmann's blog.
By
Anonymous, at Thu Oct 11, 08:25:00 AM EDT
Miriam, I can appreciate that moderate point of view, and it's more my style, really, than going to either extreme. But I can also understand how Indians today might feel pained by all the mindless celebrating of what amounted to the wholesale grab of their ancestral lands and the destruction of much of the native culture.
By
Unknown, at Thu Oct 11, 08:25:00 AM EDT
The hubub in Denver was less this year than in previous around the CD parade. Frankly, with heritage from both sides (European and American Indian) I side with the Indians more. I really don't see how Columbus was a hero. Why don't we celebrate de Verrazzano or Sebastian Cabot? They had much more to do with the exploration of North America than did ol' Chris. Shouldn't Leif Ericson Day (Oct. 9) be the real holiday as he is credited as being the first European to discover North America?
By
MikeM, at Sat Oct 24, 09:06:00 AM EDT
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