Submitted by John Stella
I strongly oppose proposed name change instead of Columbus day on the second Monday of October proposed by the Bedford Select Board. It is outrage to propose name change by the Select Board.
Polls show overwhelming support of American people and overwhelming Massachusetts registered voters in favor to preserve tradition of Columbus Day holiday to honor Columbus who came to America in 1492 to seek new life and freedom.
In 1992, our nation and our state celebrated the 500th anniversary Christopher Columbus who came to America in 1492 to seek new life, freedom, and opportunity.
In 2020, last year, our nation celebrated 400th anniversary of the pilgrims who came to America that landed at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1620 to seek new life, new freedom and new opportunity.
Both Columbus and the pilgrims came to America to seek new life and opportunity. That is why we celebrate these holidays because we honor them who came to America for their freedoms.
I strongly recommend Bedford registered voters should consider for their conscience to vote no [on Annual Town Meeting] on article 34 proposed name change and to allow to preserve the tradition of Columbus Day.
Please attend town meeting on Saturday May 15th at 9 am at Bedford high school football field.
Loading ...
Hundreds of communities across America are choosing to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples day in an effort to celebrate the resilience of Indigenous people who survived attempted genocide, instead of European explorers like Christopher Columbus that perpetrated unspeakable violence toward Native people in America.
The installation of Columbus Day came at at time when Italian Americans, like many immigrant groups, were the target of racism and violence. However, Christopher Columbus is now a painful reminder of oppression, violence and genocide, not the invaluable and enduring contribution of Italian immigrants on American culture. In fact, many Italian Americans support the move to Indigenous People’s Day because they resent the associate with a man whose actions caused deep and irreparable harms. It is important to recognize the heritage and incredible contributions of Italian Americans and other immigrant groups who faced, and continue to face, racism in the US. However, it should not be on THIS day.
Changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day gives us the opportunity to rectify the harm caused by elevating Christopher Columbus as a hero instead of a brutal colonizer and proponent of slavery, by replacing it with an acknowledgement and celebration of indigenous people who were directly harmed as a result of European colonization. There is no other day acknowledging Indigenous People and it’s time to change that and help foster true education, awareness, healing and reconciliation.
I can’t believe that they’re even going to vote on this!! Well let’s have meetings on changing Christmas, changing Easter, changing veterans Day, changing memorial Day Martin Luther King Day and President’s Day