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Monday, October 11, 2010

Oklahoma, Native Americans and Columbus.....

In Oklahoma today is officially noted as a celebration of Columbus and his "discovery". Only one state, South Dakota, has been enlightened enough to change this day to something honoring the victims of Columbus. In South Dakota, today is Native Americans Day.

Oklahoma, which proudly displays Native America on the state automobile license plate, continues to recognize this day as Columbus day even though, as the author of this article notes:
If Christopher Columbus were alive today, he would be put on trial for crimes against humanity. Columbus' reign of terror, as documented by noted historians, was so bloody, his legacy so unspeakably cruel, that Columbus makes a modern villain like Saddam Hussein look like a pale codfish.

Question: Why do we honor a man who, if he were alive today, would almost certainly be sitting on Death Row awaiting execution?
Oklahoma insults all Native Americans, and all beings that oppose and detest oppression, theft, murder and slavery by continuing the shameful "honoring" of this disgusting individual.

A further excerpt from the article:
Columbus wasn't a hero. When he set foot on that sandy beach in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492, Columbus discovered that the islands were inhabited by friendly, peaceful people called the Lucayans, Taínos and Arawaks. Writing in his diary, Columbus said they were a handsome, smart and kind people. He noted that the gentle Arawaks were remarkable for their hospitality. "They offered to share with anyone and when you ask for something, they never say no," he said. The Arawaks had no weapons; their society had neither criminals, prisons nor prisoners. They were so kind-hearted that Columbus noted in his diary that on the day the Santa Maria was shipwrecked, the Arawaks labored for hours to save his crew and cargo. The native people were so honest that not one thing was missing.
Columbus was so impressed with the hard work of these gentle islanders, that he immediately seized their land for Spain and enslaved them to work in his brutal gold mines. Within only two years, 125,000 (half of the population) of the original natives on the island were dead.
Columbus deserves no honor and Oklahoma dishonors itself by continuing this sham "holiday".

As long as we human animals continue to believe lies and misinformation, as long as we confuse historical or current myth with reality......we will continue to be oppressors and torturers and murders of the innocent.......and deniers of our behavior and our crimes.

I oppose and detest oppression, slavery, torture and murder.......no matter what species the victim happens to be.

I deeply and sincerely apologize for this travesty of a holiday to all victims and all the ancestors of the victims of this monstrous being named Columbus.

Update 10/12/2010: Further writing about this subject can be found here. Be sure to see this brief video.

10 comments:

Christina said...

I dont think most believe these fairy tales about Columbus I just think they are too lazy and uninterested in anything except the box around their own head.

veganelder said...

Thank you for the comment Christina. You may be right, if so, time for some thinking "outside" that box.

Krissa said...

Thank you so much for this post! No one wants to hear this and it just makes no sense that Christopher Columbus has a holiday. I can understand that the numerous towns named after him are not going to change their towns' names, but this 'holiday' is a joke. I pretty much think the same thing about Thanksgiving. I do not think the idea of giving thanks is a joke, but the Thanksgiving Day and all it stands for is so hypocritical. ... That is great that SD recognizes today (yesterday) as Native American Day. I was lucky enough to visit the Black Hills a few times when I was a kid on family vacations. It is such beautiful country, but it does have quite a history of heartbreak. Again, thank you for shining a light on Columbus. The truth needs to be known. And not ignored or swept under the rug or poo-poo'ed. That man does not deserve a holiday.

Christina said...

Way past time I think. People surely adopt odd hero's and people to celebrate.

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting:

Krissa, thank you for your appreciative words. I would love to visit the Black Hills, even though much heartbreak and pain occurred there. You are right, he deserves no honor or accolades.

Christina, odd indeed. :-)

So I'm Thinking Of Going Vegan said...

Funny how both the American Columbus and the Canadian Thanksgiving fell on the same day this year. So both countries were celebrating different but related forms of oppression. Sad.

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting SITOGV (will the acronym work?). It is curious when you think about it....few "celebrations" are about things worth celebrating or the ostensible "celebration" actually is about events or occasions or people that were nothing like what popular knowledge suggests.

Bea Elliott said...

So it's turning out that everything I thought I knew was a lie. Even though I considered myself an astute critical thinker... And even with a few years of vegan ethics - It never dawned on me about the myths of Columbus -

I'm beginning to realize there's much more celebration in the quiet personal moments than in any nationalized or "traditional" holiday.

No wonder why there's a big scramble to re-write and re-"right" all the history books. Their veneer is disintegrating rapidly... Two centuries too late.

veganelder said...

Thanks for commenting Bea. Christopher C. was a piece of work wasn't he? Part of the hype came about because Italian Americans were trying to address anti-catholic sentiment and wanted to get an Italian symbol that could be strongly identified with "America".

Bea Elliott said...

As usual - It's all about image. Smoke and mirrors.