Obama: Columbus Day a Time to ‘Reflect on Tragic Burdens Tribal Communities Bore’

[CrusaderFrank]

I'm not sure what's unamarican about history. Perhaps you can explain that to me.

The real history is that by the time Columbus got here the Indians cultures in North, Central and South America had already been decimated by pandemics of smallpox and influenza. The American culture that Columbus "discovered" were the equivalent of Hiroshima survivors shortly after the blast. The death toll in the Americans was probably in the tens of millions.

Sure thing bud.


I'm not sure how that justifies cutting off people's hands for failing to bring you enough gold.

You're confused. That was the Spanish down in Mexico.

You still think you're qualified to lecture me on history?

 

[Conservative]

I'm not sure what's unamarican about history. Perhaps you can explain that to me.

The real history is that by the time Columbus got here the Indians cultures in North, Central and South America had already been decimated by pandemics of smallpox and influenza. The American culture that Columbus "discovered" were the equivalent of Hiroshima survivors shortly after the blast. The death toll in the Americans was probably in the tens of millions.

Sure thing bud.


I'm not sure how that justifies cutting off people's hands for failing to bring you enough gold.

Ferdinand Columbus described how it worked: "[The Indians] all promised to pay tribute to the Catholic Sovereigns every three months, as follows: In the Cibao, where the gold mines were, every person of 14 years of age or upward was to pay a large hawk's bell of gold dust; all others were each to pay 25 pounds of cotton. Whenever an Indian delivered his tribute, he was to receive a brass or copper token which he must wear about his neck as proof that he had made his payment. Any Indian found without such a token was to be punished." With a fresh token, an Indian was safe for three months, much of which time would be devoted to collecting more gold. Columbus's son neglected to mention how the Spanish punished those whose tokens had expired: they cut off their hands.

Hero-making Christopher Columbus excerpted from the book Lies My Teacher Told Me Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

feel free to give all your possessions to the nearest native American if you feel so bad about what happened about 500 years before you were born.

 

[GHook93]

In his presidential proclamation recognizing Columbus Day issued last week, President Barack Obama said the holiday was a day to “celebrate our heritage as people born of many histories and traditions” and a time to “reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore” since the explorer arrived on the North American continent in 1492.



And here I thought it was to celebrate the man known as Columbus.

It's a crock of shit. First, Colombus didn't discover the America, the US calls home, nor did he colonize the land that later became the US! He landed in the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic)! He never it made it to what would become the USA!!!

Where Did Columbus First Land In The New World? - History - Questions & Answers


Second, Cortez never landed in what is the USA, rather he landed in Cuba, Hispaniola and finally Central American. He exploits of the Mayans/Aztecs never took place in what would become the USA!!! Furthermore, he would have never been successful in his exploits without the cooperation of various blood-thristy tribes hellbend on killing each other!

Cortez

Third, the Indians weren't peace loving hippies the liberals make them out to be. They were warlike tribesman that slaughter women and children as easily as they slaughtered soldiers on the battlefield. Indian tribes slaughtered each other with great vigor. In fact, the Pilgrims and other settlers lived in constant fear and under constant assault of the Indians!


Fourth, there were no Indian countries when the Pilgrims landed (the true first Americans!)! They had villages and tribes and were in fact nomades that picked up and traveled the land based on the seasons. The vast vast vast vast majorityof the USA landscape was uninhabited and unclaimed! There were hundreds of tribes throughout out the American wilderness and mostly at war with each other!

Fifth, while the white man did eventually slaughter the Indians, the white man was under constant attack by the Indians. The real story is the Indians were aggressors and the white man fought back. When the white man eventually got the upper hand the Indians still fought back with get ferociousness and pride, so the white man did the same and fought the war to win the war!

 

[FJO]

Smallpox anyone? Hell during Pontiacs rebellion they gave the Indians smallpox infected blankets as a peace offering.

Tobacco and nicotine were unknown in the Old World, before the so-called Native Americans gave them to the unsuspecting white people.

Just a guess, but probably more white people died and are still dying from diseases caused by the Indians' gift than Indians who died from smallpox.

Smallpox, in the meantime has been eradicated. By white scientists.

 

[FJO]

In his presidential proclamation recognizing Columbus Day issued last week, President Barack Obama said the holiday was a day to “celebrate our heritage as people born of many histories and traditions” and a time to “reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore” since the explorer arrived on the North American continent in 1492.



And here I thought it was to celebrate the man known as Columbus.

Essentially, yet another in a long line of apologies from Obama. This is getting pathetically sad.

Why do conservatives want to hide history?

Why do liberals want to CHANGE history?

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

"I've always been confused about why we need to celebrate Columbus."


Apparently you don't celebrate Columbus either and you used "we".

Don't get cute with me, junior.

Its a FEDERAL HOLIDAY genius. KWANSA is not. Your tax dollars and mine pay federal employees to NOT WORK on Columbus day.

I could name a dozen Italians more deserving of the honor of having a U.S. Federal Holiday in their honor.

Name them!

Here's a few:

Enrico Fermi
Joe DiMaggio
Antonio Meucci
Frank Sinatra
Annette Funicello
Dean Martin
Nancy Pelosi
Antonin Scalia
Robert De Niro, Jr.
Joe Pesci
Al Pacino
Louis Prima
Chuck Mangione
Sonny Bono
Steve Buscemi
Chick Corea


(includes some Sicilians)


NOT saying ANY of them deserve their own federal holiday, just that they deserve one MORE than Columbus

 

[beretta304]

Its a FEDERAL HOLIDAY genius. KWANSA is not. Your tax dollars and mine pay federal employees to NOT WORK on Columbus day.

I could name a dozen Italians more deserving of the honor of having a U.S. Federal Holiday in their honor.

Name them!

Here's a few:

Enrico Fermi
Joe DiMaggio
Antonio Meucci
Frank Sinatra
Annette Funicello
Dean Martin
Nancy Pelosi
Antonin Scalia
Robert De Niro, Jr.
Joe Pesci
Al Pacino
Louis Prima
Chuck Mangione
Sonny Bono
Steve Buscemi
Chick Corea


(includes some Sicilians)


NOT saying ANY of them deserve their own federal holiday, just that they deserve one MORE than Columbus

You left out Frankie Avalon. I'll let your idiocy stand on it's own.

 

[there4eyeM]

How would the fact that one group was barbaric excuse another group's barbarism?

Was the way the original occupants of the Americas were treated fair and good, an example of humanity at a higher level? Should modern Americans feel proud of massacres?

Just because Obama says something doesn't make it odious or false. Just defending something he said doesn't make us an Obama supporter.

Down with the two-party dictatorship!

Vote other!

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

The real history is that by the time Columbus got here the Indians cultures in North, Central and South America had already been decimated by pandemics of smallpox and influenza. The American culture that Columbus "discovered" were the equivalent of Hiroshima survivors shortly after the blast. The death toll in the Americans was probably in the tens of millions.

Sure thing bud.


I'm not sure how that justifies cutting off people's hands for failing to bring you enough gold.

You're confused. That was the Spanish down in Mexico.

You still think you're qualified to lecture me on history?

I'm sorry, I didn't know you were a history teacher. Here's some material you haven't seen:

The tribute system, instituted by the Governor sometime in 1495, was a
simple and brutal way of fulfilling the Spanish lust for gold while
acknowledging the Spanish distaste for labor. Every Taino over the age
of fourteen had to supply the rulers with a hawk's bell of gold every
three months (or in gold-deficient areas, twenty-five pounds of spun
cotton); those who did were given a token to wear around their necks
as proof that they had made their payment; those who did not were, as
[Columbus's brother, Fernando] says discreetly "punished"-by having
their hands cut off, as [the priest, BartolomŽ de] las Casas says
less discreetly, and left to bleed to death.

9.11 - Columbus' History of Genocide

I guess Columbus's brother was lying? Did he conspire with Obama to make Columbus look bad?

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Its strange to me you righties would be so into Columbus day as a national holiday considering it was FDR that made it so.

 

[PoliticalChic]

In his presidential proclamation recognizing Columbus Day issued last week, President Barack Obama said the holiday was a day to “celebrate our heritage as people born of many histories and traditions” and a time to “reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore” since the explorer arrived on the North American continent in 1492.



And here I thought it was to celebrate the man known as Columbus.

How about a moment to reflect on the poor Irish.....The Italians got a federal holiday!

And the Italians- two salad dressings!
The Irish: nada.


Where the heck is the 'Social Justice' in that????

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

The real history is that by the time Columbus got here the Indians cultures in North, Central and South America had already been decimated by pandemics of smallpox and influenza. The American culture that Columbus "discovered" were the equivalent of Hiroshima survivors shortly after the blast. The death toll in the Americans was probably in the tens of millions.

Sure thing bud.


I'm not sure how that justifies cutting off people's hands for failing to bring you enough gold.

Ferdinand Columbus described how it worked: "[The Indians] all promised to pay tribute to the Catholic Sovereigns every three months, as follows: In the Cibao, where the gold mines were, every person of 14 years of age or upward was to pay a large hawk's bell of gold dust; all others were each to pay 25 pounds of cotton. Whenever an Indian delivered his tribute, he was to receive a brass or copper token which he must wear about his neck as proof that he had made his payment. Any Indian found without such a token was to be punished." With a fresh token, an Indian was safe for three months, much of which time would be devoted to collecting more gold. Columbus's son neglected to mention how the Spanish punished those whose tokens had expired: they cut off their hands.

Hero-making Christopher Columbus excerpted from the book Lies My Teacher Told Me Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

feel free to give all your possessions to the nearest native American if you feel so bad about what happened about 500 years before you were born.

I'm not sure what this has to do with anyone's feewings. Maybe you can explain.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

In his presidential proclamation recognizing Columbus Day issued last week, President Barack Obama said the holiday was a day to “celebrate our heritage as people born of many histories and traditions” and a time to “reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore” since the explorer arrived on the North American continent in 1492.



And here I thought it was to celebrate the man known as Columbus.

How about a moment to reflect on the poor Irish.....The Italians got a federal holiday!

And the Italians- two salad dressings!
The Irish: nada.


Where the heck is the 'Social Justice' in that????

St. Patrick's Day might be a national holiday if we weren't so prudish about drinking in this country.

 

[beretta304]

In his presidential proclamation recognizing Columbus Day issued last week, President Barack Obama said the holiday was a day to “celebrate our heritage as people born of many histories and traditions” and a time to “reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore” since the explorer arrived on the North American continent in 1492.



And here I thought it was to celebrate the man known as Columbus.

How about a moment to reflect on the poor Irish.....The Italians got a federal holiday!

And the Italians- two salad dressings!
The Irish: nada.





Where the heck is the 'Social Justice' in that????

St. Paddy's Day.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Name them!

Here's a few:

Enrico Fermi
Joe DiMaggio
Antonio Meucci
Frank Sinatra
Annette Funicello
Dean Martin
Nancy Pelosi
Antonin Scalia
Robert De Niro, Jr.
Joe Pesci
Al Pacino
Louis Prima
Chuck Mangione
Sonny Bono
Steve Buscemi
Chick Corea


(includes some Sicilians)


NOT saying ANY of them deserve their own federal holiday, just that they deserve one MORE than Columbus

You left out Frankie Avalon. I'll let your idiocy stand on it's own.

You left him out, too. Then you came back and edited your post to include him.

Sorry but I couldn't possibly list all the great Italian and Sicilian Americans.

 

[beretta304]

In his presidential proclamation recognizing Columbus Day issued last week, President Barack Obama said the holiday was a day to “celebrate our heritage as people born of many histories and traditions” and a time to “reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore” since the explorer arrived on the North American continent in 1492.



And here I thought it was to celebrate the man known as Columbus.

How about a moment to reflect on the poor Irish.....The Italians got a federal holiday!

And the Italians- two salad dressings!
The Irish: nada.


Where the heck is the 'Social Justice' in that????

St. Patrick's Day might be a national holiday if we weren't so prudish about drinking in this country.

Who's prudish about drinking?

 

[beretta304]

Here's a few:

Enrico Fermi
Joe DiMaggio
Antonio Meucci
Frank Sinatra
Annette Funicello
Dean Martin
Nancy Pelosi
Antonin Scalia
Robert De Niro, Jr.
Joe Pesci
Al Pacino
Louis Prima
Chuck Mangione
Sonny Bono
Steve Buscemi
Chick Corea


(includes some Sicilians)


NOT saying ANY of them deserve their own federal holiday, just that they deserve one MORE than Columbus

You left out Frankie Avalon. I'll let your idiocy stand on it's own.

You left him out, too. Then you came back and edited your post to include him.

Sorry but I couldn't possibly list all the great Italian and Sicilian Americans.

No didn't leave him out if I never had a list. I added the sentence as sarcasm.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

How about a moment to reflect on the poor Irish.....The Italians got a federal holiday!

And the Italians- two salad dressings!
The Irish: nada.


Where the heck is the 'Social Justice' in that????

St. Patrick's Day might be a national holiday if we weren't so prudish about drinking in this country.

Who's prudish about drinking?

Are you kidding me?

You've got to be 21 to drink (but not to sign up to fight a war or to get married or to take on 30 years of debt) and you can't consume alcohol in public in most all places.

 

[PoliticalChic]

In his presidential proclamation recognizing Columbus Day issued last week, President Barack Obama said the holiday was a day to “celebrate our heritage as people born of many histories and traditions” and a time to “reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore” since the explorer arrived on the North American continent in 1492.



And here I thought it was to celebrate the man known as Columbus.

How about a moment to reflect on the poor Irish.....The Italians got a federal holiday!

And the Italians- two salad dressings!
The Irish: nada.


Where the heck is the 'Social Justice' in that????

St. Patrick's Day might be a national holiday if we weren't so prudish about drinking in this country.

If 'if' and 'buts' were candy and nuts,
We'd all have a Merry Christmas!


For the Irish: no salad dressing, no peace!

 

[beretta304]

St. Patrick's Day might be a national holiday if we weren't so prudish about drinking in this country.

Who's prudish about drinking?

Are you kidding me?

You've got to be 21 to drink (but not to sign up to fight a war or to get married or to take on 30 years of debt) and you can't consume alcohol in public in most all places.

It's called common sense.