Pittsburgh Art Commission requests public comments about the city's Christopher Columbus statue. (Atlantic: to live, store)

[gg]

Italians weren’t exactly looked highly upon in the early days, but they worked hard an overcame. Gotta love them. They really kicked butt here and have such a great history here in our region.

[Doowlle34]

Sometimes oppressed peoples (even Italians) threaten to rise up against their oppressors.

Not sure if you can read the attached, but it details (basically) unfounded rumors that, in 1891, following a mass lynching of Sicilians in New Orleans, local Italians were rumored to be organizing to march on (and attempt to takeover) Pittsburg [sic].

[Joe_P]

"We take this action in view of the fact that the Sons of Italy, an organization composed entirely of aliens, contemplate the erection of a monument of Columbus . . . . While many believe that it was Columbus that discovered America, there is much doubt connected with this, the majority giving credit to Amerigo Vespucci."

So, I don't know -- the rough point here Erieguy is that history has been used to oppose Columbus statues in the past (albeit with possible base motivations), while now folks seek to use history to oppose the statues once again (perhaps with more noble motivations).

Yep.

Columbus was just a means to an end. Just siting statues as history is silly. Many confederate statues were built much later on as a way for Southern whites to remind blacks of their "place."

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by zalewskimm

Take down the Mister Fred Rogers statue. I've heard that his son disliked him for various reasons and didn't consider him a good father. Why not ML King (womanizer) and Harvey Milk statues out there (friend of Jim Jones)..

Bingo

[Doowlle34]

A few other notes from the historical record:

- A 1980s-era article on Pittsburgh public statues and monuments referenced the fact that Pittsburgh Italians had worked for 50 years to get the statue of Columbus erected and that they had been "blocked at every turn."

- Indeed, in pushing my searches back further in the record, I do find a reference to local Italians dedicating the initial $454 and change for the statue in 1910 (again, with it not being erected until 1958, and refurbished in the early 1990s).

- The earliest reference to an act of vandalism against the statue is from 1997, which is earlier than I would have thought.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by Doowlle34

A few other notes from the historical record:

- A 1980s-era article on Pittsburgh public statues and monuments referenced the fact that Pittsburgh Italians had worked for 50 years to get the statue of Columbus erected and that they had been "blocked at every turn."

- Indeed, in pushing my searches back further in the record, I do find a reference to local Italians dedicating the initial $454 and change for the statue in 1910 (again, with it not being erected until 1958, and refurbished in the early 1990s).

- The earliest reference to an act of vandalism against the statue is from 1997, which is earlier than I would have thought.

One can certainly learn a lot from history. It’s a shame it hurts so many feelings 100+ years later.

[Doowlle34]

So, I stand corrected, as I find references from October 1892 that local Italian societies expressed an intention to erect a statue of Columbus in Schenley Park.

I guess the question is whether this statue can be seen as not a glorification of Columbus the man, but simply as a totem to the 66 year effort of a immigrant community to mark their success in their chosen country -- an effort that was thwarted by local leaders, and opposed by such baddies as the Ku Klux. Seems like a narrative that even modern "Leftists" could embrace.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Joe_P

Yep.

Columbus was just a means to an end. Just siting statues as history is silly. Many confederate statues were built much later on as a way for Southern whites to remind blacks of their "place."

Um, not really. They fought a war down there and lost family members to the north. Remembering those that lost their lives is pretty normal in any battle. Regardless of who won or lost there are monuments of the dead. You can pretty much take any war anywhere in the world and it is the same thing. It had NOTHING to do with your agenda "race". My proof can't really be disputed as every war won or lost have monuments for dead. Seriously. This race thingy is really nuts to the point of a mental illness.

[bike_lanes]

Originally Posted by gg

Um, not really. They fought a war down there and lost family members to the north. Remembering those that lost their lives is pretty normal in any battle. Regardless of who won or lost there are monuments of the dead. You can pretty much take any war anywhere in the world and it is the same thing. It had NOTHING to do with your agenda "race". My proof can't really be disputed as every war won or lost have monuments for dead. Seriously. This race thingy is really nuts to the point of a mental illness.

Where are the Al-Qaeda statues?

[gg]

Originally Posted by bike_lanes

Where are the Al-Qaeda statues?

LOL. I don't think a terrorist group equates to a legitimate army, but good try. Are there Black Hebrew Israelites statues? You know the ones that verbally attacked a bunch of school children waiting for that bus in DC and were reported by your news channel CNN that the kids were the problem somehow? Come on.