Many American's have the day off on Monday in celebration of a particularly
twisted US holiday: Columbus Day.
Columbus had this to say of the natives he encountered:
"They...brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other
things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They
willingly traded everything they owned...They were well-built, with good
bodies and handsome features....They 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."
For more info on Columbus' genocide, check out the first chapter of
howard zinn's brilliant "People's History of the United States"
http://www.horizons.k12.mi.us/~aim/papers/zinncolumbus.html
peace,
chris widman
wluw-chicago
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