Detroit to ditch Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day

[Richard]

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.

So the answer is to swap a day around that people know little about and replace it with another day that people know little about.

Is that kinda like common core math?

[Jimaz]

Then there's October 9th, Leif Erikson Day. Not as much controversy there.

[O3H]

The sad fact is that most of our youth know almost nothing of geography, maps, politics and history - BUT they know sports stats like there is no tommorow. Completely screwed up priorities on the home front.

[Honky Tonk]

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.

Not to mention celebrating Chinese New Year.

[Honky Tonk]

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.

A Jew defending Jesus Christ, now THAT'S what I call diversity!

[iheartthed]

"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.

Why stop there? Let's call them "early African Immigrants that didn't come over on slave ships."

[DetroitNightLights]

The only reason that we celebrate Columbus Day at all is because the Knights of Columbus and prominent Italian-American individuals and organizations in the early 20th century wanted their own version of St. Patrick's Day to honor Italian culture and heritage. And they lobbied Congress to get it.

If this is true then when is there so much uproar from the left about Columbus Day? It is because the left is prejudiced against Italians?

This whole issue is utter nonsense. Just create another holiday to celebrate the Indians and their culture and leave the day honoring Italian culture alone.

Now I don't know whether to celebrate in our region's Little Italy district, or Mount Pleasant.

[aj3647]

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.

Trivial things like a single black man kneeling during the National Anthem before an insignificant sports game?

Would it be fair of me to suggest that all the white conservatives who frothed at the mouth and got red-faced with rage over Colin Kaepernick are just "sensitive snowflakes?" Or how about the ones who lose their goddamn minds over Starbucks coffee cups not being "Christmas-y enough?" Or the ones who burst an aneurysm in their brains if the cashier at Target wishes them a "Happy Holidays" instead of a Merry Christmas?

[313WX]

[[snip)

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?

[Jimaz]

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?

How would changing the name of a holiday hinder progress on any of those issues? Does it have to be an either-or decision or can we decide to work on all of these issues [[and more)?

[313WX]

How would changing the name of a holiday hinder progress on any of those issues? Does it have to be an either-or decision or can we decide to work on all of these issues [[and more)?

The point is progress isn't being made on any of those things, but yet we manage to have plenty of time and resources to demonize someone that's been dead for a half century and make gestures that are symbolic at best.

The priorities are fucked up.

[Wesley Mouch]

Trivial things like a single black man kneeling during the National Anthem before an insignificant sports game?

Would it be fair of me to suggest that all the white conservatives who frothed at the mouth and got red-faced with rage over Colin Kaepernick are just "sensitive snowflakes?" Or how about the ones who lose their goddamn minds over Starbucks coffee cups not being "Christmas-y enough?" Or the ones who burst an aneurysm in their brains if the cashier at Target wishes them a "Happy Holidays" instead of a Merry Christmas?

There's a distinction here that I believe you are missing.

SJW's complain that Columbus Day [[or sports teams logos, or the word 'chief') are offensive.

The complaint of conservatives here isn't that there's a problem with Indigenous Peoples Day, its a problem with the removal of Columbus Day.

You'll note we aren't debating the value of Indigenous People's Day here, just the wisdom of re-branding away from a traditional celebration.

[aj3647]

There's a distinction here that I believe you are missing.

SJW's complain that Columbus Day [[or sports teams logos, or the word 'chief') are offensive.

The complaint of conservatives here isn't that there's a problem with Indigenous Peoples Day, its a problem with the removal of Columbus Day.

You'll note we aren't debating the value of Indigenous People's Day here, just the wisdom of re-branding away from a traditional celebration.

Please, do tell how you traditionally celebrate Columbus Day. Do you have your family over for a big Columbus Day feast in celebration? Do you dress up like Columbus and go to Columbus Day parties? Do you exchange Columbus Day gifts with your co-workers? Decorate your house for it?

I love how all of a sudden you guys are acting like this is some important holiday of deep importance to you. You don't do jack-shit on Columbus Day and you know it, it means nothing to you as a "holiday" or a celebration, and the only reason you care at all is because some liberals were opposed to it.

FYI, you know the leading opposition to Columbus Day comes from Native Americans, right? But yeah, they're just a bunch of Social Justice Warriors, who cares what they think! Just a bunch of babies and whiners, what are they even complaining about! They live like fucking Kings on their reservations with all that casino money, so why should we give a shit about them or even try to see things from their perspective. This is just more of the War on White People!

[iheartthed]

There's a distinction here that I believe you are missing.

SJW's complain that Columbus Day [[or sports teams logos, or the word 'chief') are offensive.

The complaint of conservatives here isn't that there's a problem with Indigenous Peoples Day, its a problem with the removal of Columbus Day.

You'll note we aren't debating the value of Indigenous People's Day here, just the wisdom of re-branding away from a traditional celebration.

A traditional celebration, lol. Good one. I don't remember Columbus Day being a holiday that was celebrated when I lived in Michigan. It was only an annoying bank holiday, and maybe a weekend to find a sale on a mattress. Other than that it was business as usual. I never got a day off from school for it or attended a Columbus Day "celebration", lol.

Look, if people want to celebrate the guy then that is their right. My issue is with it being a national holiday. I don't think a national holiday should be devoted to this guy. To be fair, I also do not want an Indigenous People Day to be a national holiday. But if I have to choose between the two then I'd much rather have the IPD.

[Richard]

So it really has nothing to do with creating a national IDP day which would be an actual solution and everything to do with,he was a bad man and I do not want a national holiday to celebrate a figure head.

It would be a lot easier and less headache to just make a list of everybody in history that did bad during their lifetime and wipe everything that has to do with them from the face of the earth,then the three people remaining can create a perfect world and start all over again.

Then they can create a social dictatorship and just eliminate anybody along the way that does anything outside of the realm.

It must of mattered to somebody,otherwise it would have never been created,the lack of wanting to create a national IDP day shows that it does not matter enough for somebody to want to push the initiative.

It has not mattered enough in the last ten years and it certainly doesn't matter to the city's that have already implemented the change,imagine that city's changing the reach of the federal government and changing national law,I think there was a war that followed the same lines.

I do not care about the Indians,I just want to cleanse the bad people from history and this seems like a good platform.

[Pat001]

The surest way for history to repeat itself is if people erase it.

NBA star Ray Allan visits Auschwitz

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ra...auschwitz/amp/

[Honky Tonk]

The surest way for history to repeat itself is if people erase it.

NBA star Ray Allan visits Auschwitz

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ra...auschwitz/amp/

Good post Pat001.

[aj3647]

The surest way for history to repeat itself is if people erase it.

NBA star Ray Allan visits Auschwitz

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ra...auschwitz/amp/

I can't help but notice that we remember the Holocaust by honoring its victims, not creating a holiday named after the man who perpetrated it.

Anyways, let's say Columbus Day is no longer a federally-recognized holiday. Does that in any way prevent any of you from "celebrating" it? No, no it does not, no more than you are prevented from celebrating St. Patrick's Day just because it's not a federal holiday. The point is moot, though, since I'd be willing to bet that approximately 0% of the people here do anything at all to "celebrate" Columbus Day except maybe get an extra 30% off a dining room table down at Art Van Furniture.

It's an arbitrary holiday that was arbitrarily created due to lobbyist pressure and is entirely predicated on a widely-held but otherwise 100% bullshit premise [[Columbus discovered the Americas). If it went away tomorrow, it would affect the lives of no one and that decision would be just as arbitrary as the very existence of the holiday itself.

[Richard]

I can't help but notice that we remember the Holocaust by honoring its victims, not creating a holiday named after the man who perpetrated it.

Anyways, let's say Columbus Day is no longer a federally-recognized holiday. Does that in any way prevent any of you from "celebrating" it? No, no it does not, no more than you are prevented from celebrating St. Patrick's Day just because it's not a federal holiday. The point is moot, though, since I'd be willing to bet that approximately 0% of the people here do anything at all to "celebrate" Columbus Day except maybe get an extra 30% off a dining room table down at Art Van Furniture.

It's an arbitrary holiday that was arbitrarily created due to lobbyist pressure and is entirely predicated on a widely-held but otherwise 100% bullshit premise [[Columbus discovered the Americas). If it went away tomorrow, it would affect the lives of no one and that decision would be just as arbitrary as the very existence of the holiday itself.

So by changing it to IDP day how exactly would it effect the lives of the the American Indian or the everyday human being in the country.

Other then telling one nationality FU over another.

Its like flipping a pancake.

[iheartthed]

So by changing it to IDP day how exactly would it effect the lives of the the American Indian or the everyday human being in the country.

Other then telling one nationality FU over another.

Its like flipping a pancake.

I don't think anyone objects to it being Italian American Day. But remove it as a national holiday since we don't celebrate ethnic holidays as national holidays.

[Richard]

I don't think anyone objects to it being Italian American Day. But remove it as a national holiday since we don't celebrate ethnic holidays as national holidays.

It is a federal holiday,calling it national is a play on words.

Thanksgiving is also a federal holiday,any problems with that one?

September 15-21 [[Floating Monday)

Native Americans' Day

The holiday was petitioned for multiple times and was introduced into Congress multiple times, but was unsuccessful. The proclamation exists today as the "Native American Awareness Week."[34]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federa..._United_States

So instead of gaining support to actually get it passed lets jump on Columbus and the Italians.

How many here actually celebrated Native Americans Day last month or even knew it existed?Should be no problem sense there is no need to have a actual day to celebrate. Right?

[iheartthed]

It is a federal holiday,calling it national is a play on words.

Thanksgiving is also a federal holiday,any problems with that one?

September 15-21 [[Floating Monday)

Native Americans' Day

The holiday was petitioned for multiple times and was introduced into Congress multiple times, but was unsuccessful. The proclamation exists today as the "Native American Awareness Week."[34]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federa..._United_States

So instead of gaining support to actually get it passed lets jump on Columbus and the Italians.

How many here actually celebrated Native Americans Day last month or even knew it existed?Should be no problem sense there is no need to have a actual day to celebrate. Right?

When I say national I mean federal, in case that is not clear. I'm not trying to play on words. This also isn't a discussion about Thanksgiving, so let's stay on subject. I also said that I don't mind the day being renamed to Italian American Day, but don't want an ethnic federal holiday -- it doesn't matter whose ethnicity it is. And if Columbus Day, as it is now, is supposed to be some type of tribute to Italian Americans, which you seem to acknowledge, then another good reason for removing it from the list of federal holidays.

[Richard]

When I say national I mean federal, in case that is not clear. I'm not trying to play on words. This also isn't a discussion about Thanksgiving, so let's stay on subject. I also said that I don't mind the day being renamed to Italian American Day, but don't want an ethnic federal holiday -- it doesn't matter whose ethnicity it is. And if Columbus Day, as it is now, is supposed to be some type of tribute to Italian Americans, which you seem to acknowledge, then another good reason for removing it from the list of federal holidays.

Do you consider the federal holiday of MLK jr day as an ethnic holiday?

We are a nation of immigrants what would a federal holiday consist of excluding every ethnicity that migrated or was brought here.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

This whole movement is so silly that it actually does not make me angry. First, no matter what any city council anywhere votes, Columbus Day will still be Columbus Day in Detroit and everywhere else. Also, changing local government reference to it to IPD does not in any way pay tribute to Native Americans. In fact, it is absurdly condescending, as if the many different people, of many different tribes, that have lived in many different places for centuries are a collective and wholly similar group is a childish simplification of Native American history and culture. The movement is solely an attempt to stick a thumb in the eye of anyone and anything perceived as "traditional" in America. But, really. Who cares? The Left opted out of being perceived as American years ago. I am no part American Indian, but I think that if I were, I would think those trying to "protect" or "honor" my heritage would be doing more harm than good. And I think I would still feel- as I do now- that the "anti-Columbus" movement is about making its proponents feel better in their anti-Americanism and not about promoting NA history and culture or helping contemporary Native Americans [[most of whom, by the way, do not live on reservations or own casinos; they live and work among the rest of us!).

[iheartthed]

Do you consider the federal holiday of MLK jr day as an ethnic holiday?

We are a nation of immigrants what would a federal holiday consist of excluding every ethnicity that migrated or was brought here.

No, MLK Day is not an ethnic holiday. Being a nation of diverse ethnicities is exactly the reason there should not be a federal holiday for any single ethnicity.