Thread: Happy Columbus Day weekend!

Happy Columbus Day, everybody!

Especially you racist, imperialist empire builders.

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The freedom to march
By Reggie Rivers
Denver Post Columnist



Christopher Columbus was a murdering, slave-trading, culture-killing, exploitative conqueror who had no regard for the people living on the land and claimed ownership of everything he saw the moment he stepped off the boat.

He treated the indigenous population not as fellow humans, but simply as resources to be subjugated, raped and/or sold for profit. His defenders argue that we can't blame Columbus for all the bad things that happened during his repeated voyages to the New World, because conquering, enslaving and aggressively spreading Christianity were simply the norms of the time.

That's true, but even by the standards of his era, Columbus was worse than most. After sending his first load of slaves back to Spain, he was admonished by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel to not send any more, but he continued the slave trade.

The abuses inflicted against the indigenous populations represent a true genocidal campaign that had enormous effect. Many historians estimate that within 60 years of Columbus' first arrival in the New World, 3 million Native Americans in Haiti were gone (diseases played a significant role in the devastation as well).

I completely agree with the American Indian Movement's (AIM) view that it's inappropriate for the United States to have an official federal holiday celebrating the accomplishments of a brutal dominator like Columbus. If Congress doesn't act to remove his name from the calendar, then Colorado should take the initiative to change the holiday within the state.

However, despite my distaste for the official holiday, I also completely agree with the Sons of Italy, who argue that they have a right to stage their march tomorrow in honor of Christopher Columbus. This is a simple free speech issue. They've planned their march, received a permit, and the city has an obligation to police the event and ensure that the parade can proceed without interference from protesters.

I have felt the same way about Ku Klux Klan marches in the past. I would aggressively campaign against any attempt by the state to officially honor one of the founders of the KKK, but I would defend with equal vigor the right of a particular KKK group to stage a march




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in Denver.
The controversial parade tomorrow gives us an important opportunity to publicly debate the violent legacy of Christopher Columbus.

Members of AIM object to the government naming a holiday after the man who murdered their ancestors. The simple logic of their complaint is easy to understand.

If, 100 years ago, a criminal broke into your great-grandfather's house, murdered or enslaved most of the family, looted the home, sold everything for profit and used the money to start a company that later became a corporate giant, you'd probably object if the government decided to honor this criminal as one of America's greatest entrepreneurs.

That official government praise would reveal an utter contempt for your family and the horrible crime that was inflicted up on it. Clearly, the guy who committed the crime had no respect for your family, and by naming a holiday after him, the public would be saying, "We don't have any respect for your family, either."

The good news is that the battle between the Sons of Italy and AIM has raised public awareness about Columbus' murderous past. I don't believe the public is deliberately disrespectful of the suffering that Native Americans have endured. I believe most of us are simply ignorant about the crimes that were committed.

However, while we push to change the name of this holiday, we must protect the First Amendment rights of anyone who wants to celebrate Christopher Columbus. If they lose the freedom to express themselves, we all lose.

Former Bronco Reggie Rivers

[/quote]

Reggie Rivers is not only an ex Denver Bronco but he is black and I would argue has a victim mentality like so many "minorities" do and he also knows very little of Cristobal Colon! Columbus!

Columbus made like 3 trips to the "New World" that he found by accident and he never really new where he landed. Looking for the spices islands of the East Indies which is South East Asia today he stumbled onto the Western hemisphere.

Colombus was NOT a murderer or anything else of that nature. This is revisionist history with historians with a VICTIM MENTALITY that distort the truth! Yes, disease and future SPANISH colonizers such as Pizarro and Cortes yes, defeated the Aztec and Inca empires and European diseases YES helped do the Indian in but this was no conspiracy constructed by Christopher Columbus! (The Aztecs were a civilized bunch who ripped the hearts out of male and female virgins in religous ceremonies?)

Rivers, if he had never played FOOTBALL in Denver as a BRONCO would be a NOBODY or a NON entity! Anything he has in Denver as a columnist is because of his ability to have a short brief football career as a BRONCO! This is no academic scholar or anything else and for those of you who do live in Denver Rivers is just another LIBERAL of the two Denver papers that have a leftist liberal bias towards just about everything!

Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, New Mexico
Columbus, Montana
Colon, Panama
The nation of Colombia all bear the great name of the explorer and adventurer Cristopher Columbus of italy who sailed for Spain. A great man whose only intention was to find a quicker shorter route from Western Europe to the East Asia to increase trade of salt, suger and other commodities..............

Anyone got a link to this? I want to see this in the Denver post with my own eyes.

W

Here you go, William. Sorry I forgot to post it yesterday.

http://www.denverpost.com/rivers

Blah blah blah. More "white guilt." I'd take this crap more seriously if it wasn't so one-sided. Why don't they put out a book: "WHITE PEOPLE BAD: ALL OTHER PEOPLE GOOD." Because thats there one and only point, isn't it? Its like the latest flack about Bill Bennet and his supposedly "racist" comments. This would fly, except for the fact that the "racism" only cuts one way with these so-called anti-racist types. Have you noticed with this media b.s. that white people are always forced to apologize, or are fired from their jobs, for some terrible terrible "racist" or "insensitive" comment made about a minority. Which is fine except for one annoying detail: It never works the other way. You never (or rarely) hear of some minority being forced to apologize, or get fired, for a "racist" comment made about white people. Why? Because these so-called "anti-racists" are the biggest racists of them all. THeir "racial sensitivity" only works one way. Becaues THEY'RE the racists.

More and more attacks from the freak fringe shouting real loud with their media megaphone. I am so sick of these idiots who think we were never correctly educated before they took over the class rooms as political workshops indoctrinating the youth with their socialism and total lies about european exploration and expansion.

The truth will always shine in the darkness when it is revealed.

If it wasn't for Columbus and the "slave trade", Reggie Rivers would today be living in a mud hut and dying of AIDS in Africa.

All I had to do was look at the name to realize that this would be an anti-White article.

Tim you hit the nail right on the head. If it wasent for colonialism Africans would still be running around selling EACHOTHER to the slave traders which was stopped by colonialism when the US and Royal Navies and British Army attacked the slave traders and bandits. Lots of good came out of colonialism that maybe people dont realize.

www.9news.com

Columbus Day Parade and protests
by: ">Dan Werner Web producer

Created: 10/8/2005 4:52 PM MDT - Updated: 10/8/2005 9:31 PM MDT


DENVER - Like last year, protestors made an arrangement with Denver Police as to how they will conduct their affairs. But unlike last year, the arrangement did not include plans to be arrested.


Before the parade reached 20th and Blake, demonstrators walked past a police barricade and lay down in the intersection, pretending to be the victims of a mass murderer (which they claim Christopher Columbus is). Then, when a police officer announced through a bullhorn they'd be arrested if they didn't leave, the demonstrators were picked up (still pretending to be dead) and carried away by other demonstrators.

Meanwhile, a man hidden behind a sheet carried a mirror and engaged a number of people in spirited arguments.

"You're dressed like the Gestapo!" he yelled at police before turning his attention to a man who was videotaping him.

But the relatively harmless bit of theater still angered organizers of the Columbus Day Parade, who say police should have a zero tolerance policy with the protestors.

"I'm very disappointed with local authorities," said Anthony LaPiana, with the National Italian American Council.

By the time the parade reached that critical intersection, participants were met with the usual chorus of insults and raised fists. Mostly, they smiled back and waved, though some sneered.

The parade included a group of adults and children dressed in traditional Aztec Indian garb, a gesture that infuriated the protestors, many of whom claim to be Native Americans. One woman ran along the parade route, imploring the children to get out of the parade immediately. LaPiana insists the group in Aztec costumes was not there to provoke the protestors.

"They told me they supported the parade and the holiday, and they wanted to be here," said LaPiana.

I anticipate within the next few years that the Federal government will stop observing Columbus Day. They'll probably replace it with Cesar Chavez day.

Trivia: Who is the only American to have his own Federal Holiday?