Destruction, death from Columbus

THE EDITOR: On the matter of the furore surrounding the colossal effigy of a colonial power and Italian colonist, it is of grave historical consequence that not one of his succeeding apologists had cause to judge him primarily against the voiceless as a plundering opportunist seeking fame, glory and fortune for personal gain.

The evidence is clear as to Christopher Columbus’s motive, intention and overriding aim. In successfully negotiating his Spanish grant with the Spanish crown early in 1492, he anticipated that after discovering and conquering any and all of our islands and the continent, he marshalled himself to be Spain’s admiral and governor of the islands and continent, and that in future his progeny may call themselves dons, admirals, viceroys and governors over all conquests.

What did dons, admirals and governors attached to kingdoms in their time do? They first laid a trail of destruction, eliminating all forms of opposition and consolidated power. They then created grandiose living monuments and statues to themselves and their progeny in perpetuity.

When Columbus arrived, it is recorded that between one and two million native peoples lived in the region. However, within 50 years after his arrival, its recorded that fewer than 500 survived. Most died of starvation, overwork and European diseases.

Ignobly, like the legacy of slavery, the most lasting consequence for native peoples were foreign names forced on them like Bermudez and Martinez, which, through generations, had to be accepted unquestionably.

In deciding what to do with the Columbus statue, we cannot assume that conquistadors, plunderers and exploiters hold sacred points of view in their sentiments of us and our descendants.

The reality is, the financial exploitation of conquered territories by plunderers cannot be our goal for those we hold in highest esteem. Nor should descendants, allies, emissaries, friends and other beneficiaries of plunderers present and past, now profiting as gatekeepers and monitors to outdated, conspicuously harmful memorials, be encouraged to continue their pilgrimage.

While destroying iconography is no answer to an offensive presence, a controlled environment, housing and explaining why some historical images (far more harmful than the most) should be curtailed, is essential for human development.

KATHLEEN PINDER

St Ann's

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"Destruction, death from Columbus"

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