"I hate revisionists that rewrite history, because we have no more facts about Columbus than the facts that have been used for the last 500 years," Demicco said. "Every immigrant family should have pride in their heritage. Italians have done an awful lot of good for the community and brought over a lot of culture and arts, not just pizza and pasta."
But not all teachers address Columbus' purported brutality. Colchester Elementary School teacher Kim Waltmire said many of her colleagues just teach simple songs about Columbus' voyage.
5 comments:
Writerfella here --
Even this particular development has its insidious side. How much easier for living Americans to deny any culpability for the founding of their nation while reaping social benefits they still deny to surviving Natives, by playing The Blame Game? Columbus did it! The Conquistadores did it! The Catholic fathers did it! Andrew Jackson did it! Custer did it! Sen. Dawes did it!
Writerfella still loves that unexpected and hilarious sequence in one of THE ADDAMS FAMILY films where Wednesday and Pugsley turn the tables on the local white bread Thanksgiving pageant, and it all is played for the more macabre truths behind history as it came to be revised.
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Well, I'm happy to blame all the people you listed. But when people say, "I'm not responsible for what my ancestors did," I don't let them off the hook. I say they're responsible for how the treat Indians today: whether they uphold the legal treaties, demand equal rights for all, and educate themselves against pernicious stereotypes.
I think that's a responsibility for all, regardless of ancestry.
Writerfella here --
A 'Columbus Day Mystery' was left back at the NEWSPAPER ROCK issue that included 'Columbus Day Attitude' among its articles. Want a bit of a chill up the spine? Go back and read...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Writerfella here --
POSTSCRIPTUM: for the chronologically challenged, that FeedBlitz arrived Sunday, October 8.
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
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