Cornell Students Decry Columbus Day

Copyright © 2003 by The Cornell Daily Sun, Inc. ^ | 10/10/03 | By CASEY HOLMES

[jigsaw]

He talked about his experience of bringing students from elite Catholic schools to
Native American reservations. These students, he said, were shocked at seeing such
despair, including poverty and alcoholism, on the reservations.

This trip must have been during Blame The White Guys Week (of which there are 52 per year.)

[Diva Betsy Ross]

It is all true! We have white liberal guilt to thank for the image of peaceful, berry eating, compassionate Indians. Columbus, by proxy is the one who brought humanity to the Natives.

I think they should thank Columbus and the real Native Americans, for showing them a better life than rape, slavery and murder. The life that these college students are enjoying today. The life where they get all kinds of taxpayer suported hand outs, for having ancestors who may have been from this land. Real Native Americans do not get such hand outs for merely having been here first, or for creating America.

But then we would have to admit we are a country based upon Christian ideals. That doesn't go over big with the vicitm crowd these days.

[Vesuvian]

Students, faculty and staff gathered at noon yesterday on Ho Plaza....

Please tell me it's named after Don Ho, instead of who I think it is....

[Kenton]

I know it's premature, but may I wish all you Freepers a Happy Columbus Day!

[Kenton]

"The indigenous people are near extinction," said Victoria R. Lopez, residence hall director of the LLC.

This reminds me of the very sincere little college girl who chastized me for being a hunter, telling me "people like you are the reason that deer are nearly extinct!"

[TRY ONE]

"Take an Indian to lunch, this week. Show him we're a regular bunch, this week."

I will --- And I will wear my nice Arrow shirt!

[sergeantdave]

Last week when I visited Indian territory I found that I was up to my eyeballs in Indians. I'll have to tell my buddy that he's nearly extinct and he may as well part with that venison roast and those whitefish filets in his freezer.

[ZULU]

"Native American Students at Cornell was the main organizer of the rally. The group had the support of other organizations on campus: the American Indian Program, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), the Akwe:kon program house and the Latino Living Center. These groups supported the rally because they feel that the image of Columbus as a hero is a Native American concern as well as a Latino and an African-American issue. "

Columbus never saw a North American Indian, if it wasn't for the Spanish, the MEChA people would be sacrificing each other to some idiot stone idol and drinking each other's blood, and if it wasn't for the discovery of America, the black students would be living in some paradise like Kenya or Zambia or the Congo, killing each other off in civil wars or dying of AIDS.

Its all over for the U.S. We have become a nation of idiots.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

He talked about his experience of bringing students from elite Catholic schools to Native American reservations. These students, he said, were shocked at seeing such despair, including poverty and alcoholism, on the reservations.

Which, of course, has nothing to do with their self-ghettoization and insistence on living under a system of Chiefs who exploit them through low wage casino jobs, etc., while themselves living in luxury.

[2banana]

I know it is hard to believe, but before Indians were running casinos and selling cigarettes tax-free in North America, they were a stone-age people. They had not learned to domesticate animals, they had no written language, they used only stone tools and they had not even yet invented the wheel. They had never seen a horse, a metal knife or a plow before Columbus. They also commonly practiced slavery, genocide and cannibalism against other tribes.

No matter how many times liberals watch "Dances with Wolves" and "Pocahontas," it will not change these facts.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Are you sure you're not writing for the CDS? On the other hand, you just can't make this up. I notice that there is no indication of the size of the audience. However, noon outside the Straight would give these wing nuts exposure to people headed for food at that time of day.

These students, he said, were shocked at seeing such despair, including poverty and alcoholism, on the reservations.

Thats what happens when the Federal Government takes control of your life and becomes the sole provider. We never did find out what happened the all the money that slipped through the BIA hands did we

Currently, Anpao plans to create a Cornell-sponsored genocide panel or conference. Through this panel, he said, serious discussions can be fostered about the implications of genocides, such as those found in America, Rwanda and Germany.

I notice no mention of Russia, China, Cambodia, Iraq, North Korea, Burma....

[green iguana]

Actually, some of their best cutting tools (at least those of the indians of the Northeast) were made of shell. Extremely sharp (tho' brittle.) Good enough to shave with. Also used as tweezers, for skinning, etc.

[gaspar]

I wonder how the cowering administration at Cornell justifies their support for MEChA, an unabashedly racist organization that preaches a fascist philosophy?

[drjimmy]

And I will wear my nice Arrow shirt!
With a bow tie?

[Valin]

I'm sorry








Well not really, just trying to be polite.





Not that it will do any good.






But I wanted it on the record.

[Valin]

National Brotherhood Week
Tom Lehrer

Oh, the white folks hate the black folks,
And the black folks hate the white folks;
To hate all but the right folks
Is an old established rule.

But during National Brotherhood Week,
National Brotherhood Week,
Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark are dancing cheek to cheek.
It's fun to eulogize
The people you despise
As long as you don't let 'em in your school.

Oh, the poor folks hate the rich folks,
And the rich folks hate the poor folks.
All of my folks hate all of your folks,
It's American as apple pie.

But during National Brotherhood Week,
National Brotherhood Week,
New Yorkers love the Puerto Ricans 'cause it's very chic.
Step up and shake the hand
Of someone you can't stand,
You can tolerate him if you try!

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics
And the Catholics hate the Protestants,
And the Hindus hate the Moslems,
And everybody hates the Jews.

But during National Brotherhood Week,
National Brotherhood Week,
It's National Everyone-Smile-At-One-Another-Hood Week.
Be nice to people who
Are inferior to you.
It's only for a week, so have no fear;
Be grateful that it doesn't last all year!

[Sam Cree]

"They had never seen a horse"

That may not be true. I have read of a theory that horses had existed in North America, but that Indians had hunted them to extinction, using them as a food source.

[antiRepublicrat]

Let's take a balanced look. Yes, Colombus enslaved, tortured and killed them. This can't be denied.

For example, they were given medallions with expiration dates. Renewal was done by bringing gold or other riches to his people, while being found with an out-of-date one would get you tortured and/or killed.

They were sent en-masse to Spain as slaves. The people on the receiving end were complaining that not many were surviving the trip, and they weren't very useful as slaves -- but keep sending them anyway.

But we have to look at this both in the context of the times and Colombus' position in the grand scheme of things. Back then, slavery was the norm, torture was done even on your own people and indigineous people were considered sub-human.

In the grand scheme of things, Colombus wasn't in charge and had to fulfill the wishes of the queen. A priest with Colombus actually wrote to the crown detailing all of the torture and the slave trade, begging for them to be stopped due to the misery and suffering they were causing. He was rebuked, and told to get in line behind the queen's wishes.

So, Colombus wasn't exactly a saint bent on saving the natives from the powers that be, but neither was he a bad guy given his time and situation either.

[antiRepublicrat]

... Turkey/Armenia.

The forgotten genocide.