“They [the Indians] do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane…. They would make fine servants…. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” -Christopher Columbus
On October 12th America celebrates the man who wrote that in his log, and then left a legacy of slavery and the violently imposed servitude of gold mining. This legacy would culminate in the near total destruction of the North American Indigenous population, for gold, land and religious extremism. As a nation we cannot understand our place in the world today, unless we come to grips with our past, especially the bloody parts of our history. To continue celebrating a murdering imperialist like Christopher Columbus only serves to reinforce the ideology of violent oppression against native peoples.
We must show this country and the rest of the world that no longer will we identify with and celebrate this monster, we are calling on local and community based groups and individuals to join together to build a nation-wide network of resistance to traditional Columbus Day parades and parties. To endorse this call, voice your comments, suggestions, support or criticisms check out the website:
o2.guerillascience.comOriginal: The October 12th Collective