Swapping Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day a welcome move
In his recent letter to the Review-Journal, “LA comrades,” Glenn Crabtree criticizes Los Angeles for exchanging Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day. He quoted Solzhenitsyn, “To destroy a people you must first sever their roots.”
My response was to reflect on how we, the white Europeans, have done everything possible to destroy the indigenous peoples themselves who were here on Columbus’s arrival. I thought of conquest, intentionally introduced smallpox, forced dislocation, reservations, starvation, broken treaties, “Indian” schools with cultural annihilation, etc, etc.
I think the Los Angeles move is a welcome gesture to help restore their roots and acknowledge the wrongs that they have endured. Then I read Mr. Crabtree’s last statement about anitfa and realized that the only roots he is worried about are his own, and he has no regard for the culture, history or mistreatment of others.