Detroit to ditch Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day

**Jason** · October-14-17, 03:58 PM

Don't worry guys, next week city council will rename Grand Circus Park to Kwame Kilpatrick Park and will make June 8th [[his birthday) a city holiday.

I'm sure SyGolden48236 wouldn't complain about Detroit honoring such a terrible mayor/human being. Obviously the people opposed to naming things after Kilpatrick are just special snowflakes trying to erase history [[and destroy western civilization or something or another).

I'm in favor of ditching Columbus day. Pretty much everything surrounding him that would justify making a holiday for him was propagandistic myth building with no basis in historical fact.

And yeah, Columbus was around over 500 years ago but the holiday is much newer and it's the holiday we're talking about. There was no Columbus Day for hundreds of years. I'm fine with a dumb holiday being a blip on the historical radar. Most other countries in the americas have already renamed the holiday.

If Italian-Americans want a holiday for themselves they should just have The Situation Day. If you think the idea of them naming their day after The Situation from Jersey Shore is offensive, then you should consider naming it after Columbus much worse. The Situation is a much more honorable person than Columbus.

**O3H** · October-14-17, 09:47 PM

Ask 5,000 grade school kids in Michigan who founded Detroit ?
Any anyone .....crickets.....Bueller, Bueller.... more crickets

We allow the teaching of idiotic worthless shit to kids in the USA

Detroit was founded in 1701 when Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
established a fort and settlement on the site.

https://detroithistorical.org/learn/...roit-1700-1760

**canuck** · October-15-17, 06:09 AM

You'd hafta to get rid of all the references to Columbus; cities, a district, provinces and of course: a country. Too bothersome a job. Let's keep him and burn some sweetgrass, stick a chief's headdress on the holiday.

Other than that, we could always honor Colombo in his stead. A fictional hero known for his brains and good fashion sense.

In Canada and England mostly, John Cabot, another eyetalian is cel-o-brated on account of his 1497 exploration of the North American Coast for the English crown, namely Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Maine. There is a Cabot Square about a 10 minute walk from my house in Montreal. The eyetalian community put a bronze statue up in 1935 although the park exists since 1870.

**One Shot** · October-15-17, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I'm in complete agreement with SyGolden here.

I don't have an issue with Columbus Day one way or another, but I absolutely think all of this outrage over [[in the grand scheme of things) trivial things is beyond ridiculous. If all of this energy was directed towards addressing issues that are actually hurting people, such as wage stagnation, rapidly rising college / health care costs, abuse of slave labor by corporations, etc., the world would be much better off.

X2
AMEN!!!

This shit of offended/hurt feelings is completely out of control!!! Grow a f$&@king backbone and go on with life!

**ABetterDetroit** · October-15-17, 11:05 AM

Hilarious thread.

The City of Detroit, with a majority of its citizenry the descendents of the Atlantic Slave Trade, adopt a resolution to change the name of a stupid federal holiday to NOT honor the person who started trafficking in Slaves over the Atlantic and throw a little recognition at his victims and...

Whose "feelings are hurt"? Who needs to "grow a pair"? because something, Gasp!, has in the slightest symbolic way on a very small level changed?

It is hysterical when the whiners whine loudly about whining.

**313WX** · October-15-17, 11:32 AM

As others have said, the man's been dead for over 500 years and faux outrage over him and the holiday was a non-factor until Trump came along.

Fine, you wipe his name from history. Are the lives of folks who

*Are living in poverty
*Are a health crisis away from financial ruin
*Are buried in thousands of dollars in student loan debt
*Live in neighborhoods where gunshots and theft are common place.

any better off because the name of a holiday was changed?

**dtowncitylover** · October-15-17, 11:50 AM

I'm still looking for an answer as to why we need a federal holiday to honor Christopher Columbus.

Or do the naysayers just really hate historical FACTS and being called out for supporting an outdated myth of him.

**Richard** · October-15-17, 11:52 AM

People do not want to deal with complex solutions,it takes to long and takes away from instant gratification of something being accomplished even if it is anything.

China has some serious human rights issues but yet we reward them by buying their products spending billions each year.No problem with funding that.

**Richard** · October-15-17, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

I'm still looking for an answer as to why we need a federal holiday to honor Christopher Columbus.

Or do the naysayers just really hate historical FACTS and being called out for supporting an outdated myth of him.

We really do not need any federal holidays but if the Catholics want Columbus Day,the Irish with St Patrick's day,the christians with Easter and Christmas,MLK day etc etc.

So what,nobody is forcing anybody to honor or partake in any activities associated with the holidays.

Want to live in a diverse country but regulate who honors what and when,I may or may not agree with any of the holidays but the country is not here to cater to my personal wants,if I wanted to live in a country where everything is regulated to what I should believe in then I would move to a dictatorship based country.See how easy that is.

Why Do we need 50 different make,model,colors,options when it comes to cars,we do not,but sense the make up of purchasers is diverse,as is the selection.Do not like a red Chevy,do not buy one.

There was a time when pillage and raping was a way of life,either you were pillaging and raping or being pilliaged and raped,I think one would be hard pressed to find anybody that was honored throughout history that did not have a dark side linage in the past 500 years.

**Wesley Mouch** · October-15-17, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

I'm still looking for an answer as to why we need a federal holiday to honor Christopher Columbus. ...snip...

Clearly, there's no real reason. It is an anachronism. But it remains a celebration of our country's history. Yes, its distorted. And we can and should correct that. Switching to Indigenous People's Day is reverse cultural appropriation. It may feel good to the radicals, but its disrespectful of the mostly positive history of our fine land. I personally don't feel the need to knock the Italians down a notch, although it might feel good for me.

We would be better if we created new celebrations, rather than needing to appropriate old ones.

**iheartthed** · October-15-17, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

We really do not need any federal holidays but if the Catholics want Columbus Day,the Irish with St Patrick's day,the christians with Easter and Christmas,MLK day etc etc.

Just so we're on the same page, St. Patrick's Day is not a federal holiday. Neither is Easter.

**Jason** · October-15-17, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

As others have said, the man's been dead for over 500 years and faux outrage over him and the holiday was a non-factor until Trump came along.

Fine, you wipe his name from history. Are the lives of folks who

*Are living in poverty
*Are a health crisis away from financial ruin
*Are buried in thousands of dollars in student loan debt
*Live in neighborhoods where gunshots and theft are common place.

any better off because the name of a holiday was changed?

Columbus Days have been getting renamed in the western hemisphere since the 90s. Outside of certain cities/communities, I think the anti-Columbus Day sentiments became mainstream in the US in the early Obama years [[or maybe that's just when me and other people I know first started hearing about it because that's when facebook/the internet were maturing). Or maybe even the late Bush years. Either way this issue comes up every Columbus Day, and while I acknowledge that Trump might have accelerated the renamings, they've been happening regardless.

If the argument is that we shouldn't fuss over a guy who's been dead for over 500 years, the same argument works against making a holiday for him in the first place. "The guy has been dead for 400 years, why are we making a holiday for him now after all this time?"

Changing the name in Detroit is a matter of doing a quick vote and having some text replaced in city documents. It doesn't use any political capital or city resources, so it doesn't detract from working to improve any of the other issues you've mentioned.

**Richard** · October-15-17, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Just so we're on the same page, St. Patrick's Day is not a federal holiday. Neither is Easter.

Holidays of celebration or honoring,that is the argument.

What do you think is less divisive,creation of a national indigenous person day filled with celebrations and educational events or creating a this is a fight that really has nothing to do with Columbus but a war of wills.

Seems to me in order to be recognized in a positive way,the way to do it would be to create positive support verses the overthrowing of others,which is kinda the same exact thing that is being used as the argument to begin with.

The only reason I knew it was Columbus Day was because I went to the DMV and there was a sign in the window,closed for Columbus Day.

The next day it was not.

**313WX** · October-15-17, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by Jason

Columbus Days have been getting renamed in the western hemisphere since the 90s. Outside of certain cities/communities, I think the anti-Columbus Day sentiments became mainstream in the US in the early Obama years [[or maybe that's just when me and other people I know first started hearing about it because that's when facebook/the internet were maturing). Or maybe even the late Bush years. Either way this issue comes up every Columbus Day, and while I acknowledge that Trump might have accelerated the renamings, they've been happening regardless.

If the argument is that we shouldn't fuss over a guy who's been dead for over 500 years, the same argument works against making a holiday for him in the first place. "The guy has been dead for 400 years, why are we making a holiday for him now after all this time?"

Changing the name in Detroit is a matter of doing a quick vote and having some text replaced in city documents. It doesn't use any political capital or city resources, so it doesn't detract from working to improve any of the other issues you've mentioned.

I get what you're saying.

I'm just a proponent of the "bigger fish to fry" school of thought. These symbolic gestures on trivial things are time and resources wasted IMO.

And on the contrary, they actually do distract from the issues I mentioned. As someone said above, the issues I mentioned are complex situations that no one wants to address, so instead they cling on to these [[in the grand scheme of things) meaningless issues in order to make themselves feel good without making any tough decisions or doing any hard work.

**MSUguy** · October-15-17, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by One Shot

X2
AMEN!!!

This shit of offended/hurt feelings is completely out of control!!! Grow a f$&@king backbone and go on with life!

Maybe you should take your own "advice"

**Jason** · October-15-17, 01:34 PM

Ditching Columbus Day shouldn't divisive in the first place. If history were a movie, Columbus would be the obvious bad guy.

I just remembered that it was an Oatmeal comic that raised a lot of the awareness about Columbus. I recommend everyone read it.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/columbus_day

**iheartthed** · October-15-17, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

Holidays of celebration or honoring,that is the argument.

What do you think is less divisive,creation of a national indigenous person day filled with celebrations and educational events or creating a this is a fight that really has nothing to do with Columbus but a war of wills.

Seems to me in order to be recognized in a positive way,the way to do it would be to create positive support verses the overthrowing of others,which is kinda the same exact thing that is being used as the argument to begin with.

Besides Columbus Day, there is not a single federal holiday that celebrates an individual who was not an American citizen. Considering that he never set foot on the North American mainland, he was at best an incidental figure in founding the United States. Why not have a holiday for Queen Isabella instead? Without her he would have never even have been able to explore the Caribbean islands since she financed it all herself.

The only people who seem to be defending this holiday seem to be the ones who know the least about him and the holiday.

**SyGolden48236** · October-15-17, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Besides Columbus Day, there is not a single federal holiday that celebrates an individual who was not an American citizen.

Ever hear of Christmas? Jesus Christ was not an American Citizen.

**iheartthed** · October-15-17, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by SyGolden48236

Ever hear of Christmas? Jesus Christ was not an American Citizen.

I'm talking about actual people...

**SyGolden48236** · October-15-17, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I'm talking about actual people...

Jesus Christ was a real person. Whether one believes that he was the son of God or not is another story. But it is a historical fact the he was indeed an actual person. You're just trying to be argumentative.

**iheartthed** · October-15-17, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by SyGolden48236

Christians will tell you that he was a real person. You're just trying to be argumentative.

You're clearly trolling at this point so have at it.

**SyGolden48236** · October-15-17, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

You're clearly trolling at this point so have at it.

So anybody who disagrees with your line of BS is trolling? That is textbook left-wing radical SJW behavior. I'm done with you.

**iheartthed** · October-15-17, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by SyGolden48236

So anybody who disagrees with your line of BS is trolling? That is textbook left-wing radical SJW behavior. I'm done with you.

You aren't disagreeing. You are trolling. You have not offered any constructive points for why we should keep this holiday other than it annoys liberals. You are trolling.

**oladub** · October-15-17, 04:14 PM

"Indigenous: definition - originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native."

"Indigenous People Day" sounds so clunky. Little kids will have trouble spelling 'indigenous' and it has four syllables. I prefer Native American Day.
South Dakota's official holiday on this date is Native Americans' Day [[also known as Native American Day), while people in Berkeley, California, celebrate Indigenous People's Day.
There is that. 'Indigenous People's' has more of a leftist 'in your face whitey', tone to it after too much Obama. That said, I prefer Native American Day to Columbus Day. "Early Asian Immigrant Groups' Day" would probably be more accurate as all of the non-related groups crossing the Bering Strait hundreds or thousands of years apart from places as diverse as the Urals and SE Asia were not native either and only one of those groups was first. The balance were newcomers like Europeans and Africans. But I understand. They mixed together by the time Europeans arrived and took away their privilege. Columbus never set foot in the the future U.S..