I wrote the below letter to Catherine Pugh, Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, and the Baltimore City Council. The letter is in reference to the Columbus Obelisk that has been vandalized twice and now is in dispute over its long-term fate.
August 19, 2018
August 19, 2018
To
the Honorable Mayor of Baltimore, Catherine Pugh, Greetings:
I am writing to you as an American Citizen, an historian, and a member of the
National Christopher Columbus Association concerning the Columbus Obelisk on
Harford Road. It has come to my attention that the Italian American Civic
Club made you aware of matters concerning the Obelisk, namely their request to
restore the monument after it was vandalized August 21, 2017. According
to the Italian American Civic Club you, Mayor Pugh, and the Baltimore City
Council, promised them in October 2017 to restore the Obelisk. I request that you honor that promise.
The Columbus Obelisk is the oldest monument to Christopher Columbus in the
United States and the World. It was dedicated in 1792 in the presence of
President George Washington. In July of this year, the Obelisk was again
vandalized. Because of the continuing danger to this important historical
relic, the Civic Club wishes the Obelisk to be moved to a more secure location
where it can be protected from further desecration.
Mayor Pugh, I share the sentiments and desires of the Italian American Civic Club
regarding the Columbus Obelisk. I also share their outrage at the
suggestion from the Baltimore City Council to rededicate the monument to a
figure other than Christopher Columbus. If such a thing is done, it will
violate the historic importance of the monument itself and also remove the
value this monument holds in the Italian-American community. In the late
19th and early 20th centuries, Italian Americans adopted
Columbus as a symbol of struggle against prejudice and a desire to be accepted
a American citizens. At the time, the Ku Klux Klan was attempting to erase the
legacy of Columbus because he was a Spanish/Italian Catholic and not a White
Anglo-Saxon Protestant. At the same time, many Italian immigrants were
persecuted for the same reasons. After eleven Italians were lynched in New
Orleans in 1891, many Italian-American communities erected monuments to
Columbus in their memory.
I believe Christopher Columbus is not only for Italian-Americans. Every
American citizen who is a descendant of immigrants, from those who arrived at
Jamestown to those who arrived yesterday, belong to the legacy of
Columbus. If George Washington is the father of the United States, then
Christopher Columbus is its grandfather. We are all in the New World because of
him. Our nation’s capital, the District of Columbia, was named for
Columbus, and the Pledge of Allegiance was written in his honor.
The people who vandalized the Columbus Obelisk and other such monuments did so
because they believe Columbus to be guilty of crimes such as rape, slavery, and
genocide. I can assure you, Mayor Pugh, based on historical evidence all
these allegations are false. Columbus did not mistreat Native
Americans, he did not rape or engage in sex trafficking, did not own
slaves, and did not attempt to exterminate native populations. The few
people Columbus did sell as slaves were prisoners of war he fought in a
conflict of self-defense. According to Columbus’ own writings the slaves he did
capture as prisoners of war he intended to later release.
Mayor Pugh, I implore you to uphold the promise given to restore the
Columbus Obelisk. I also entreat you to not rededicate it to another
subject. This monument belongs to the heritage of all Americans.
Sounds like Maryland needs its own version of NC's "Historic Artifact Management and Patriotism Act". What next? "DC" refers to "Columbia", so should it be renamed? And don't get me started on everything named "Washington". Interestingly enough, Pugh also butted heads with the Maryland Historical Trust over Confederate monuments, so this isn't surprising.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, people need to realize that acknowledging a person's impact on history is not the same thing as endorsing everything the person ever stood for.
Thanks for the links, I had no idea but I am not surprised. I doubt Mayor Pugh cares whether or not a group of people want the monument restored and preserved. What gets me is if she said she would repair the monument, why hasn't she? Was she hoping to stall them long enough so they would either forget or give up?
DeleteI'd imagine it's standard political pandering. It's basically a job requirement. I'd write to her myself, but I'm not exactly one of her constituents given that I live in NC.
DeleteAnyways, it's nice to see you writing again!
Hello Rebekah. I am a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with you as well as know you and about your interest and love for exploring and knowing every thing about every thing. Going through your blog post a letter to the Mayor of Baltimore defending the cause of Columbus Obelisk, shows how you are thorough with the knowledge of subject to defend its cause. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 39 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with agreat contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reachout to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have you come to Mumbai to work with us during your vacation time. I am sure you will have a life changing experience. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and friends. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Dwiakar Wankhede.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! I love connecting with Christians from all around the world, especially ones outside the West. All Christians are not strangers to each other, because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Bless you, I will pray for you, your ministry, and the people of your church.
Delete