Denver Columbus Day Parade, Long A Source Of Tensions, Still On Despite Hoax

DENVER — A Denver parade in honor of Christopher Columbus is on – despite a phony e-mail that circulated Thursday saying the downtown celebration was canceled for lack of funds.

The Sons of Italy's Columbus Day Parade Committee in Denver was shocked to learn of the e-mail sent to the media, which was signed by Sons of Italy President Richard SaBell. The fake e-mail said protesters had "ruined" the event and tarnished the legacy of an Italian hero.

SaBell rushed to assure people the e-mail was a hoax after local media and The Associated Press started reporting Saturday's parade was off. He said he reported the phony e-mail to Denver police.

"I feel violated," said SaBell, adding he didn't know who was behind the hoax. "This whole thing is bogus. The parade was never off."

Denver police said its computer crimes unit is investigating.

Colorado has observed Columbus Day since 1907 and is credited with being first to make the day a state holiday. Columbus Day has since become a federal holiday.

SaBell said some 200 people are expected to participate in this year's parade, with thousands more likely to watch. He said the group spends up to $10,000 putting on the event each year, a tab underwritten in part by bocce tournaments.

"We do this every year. It's not going away," he said of the parade.

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The event also has a history of confrontations between organizers and activists who believe Columbus was a slave trader whose explorations touched off centuries of oppression of American Indians. Parade supporters say he was a brave explorer who opened a new world.

About 240 people accused of disrupting the parade were arrested in 2004. They were acquitted or had their cases dismissed.

In 1992, the parade was canceled after four people were acquitted of blocking the parade the year before. The Sons of Italy-New Generation revived the event in 2000. That year, 139 protesters were arrested, but the cases against them were all dismissed.

Cold, wet weather dampened turnout at last year's parade, which was stopped briefly when a group of activists tried to present organizers with a "Treaty of Transformation."

This weekend, light snow is forecast for Denver, with highs only about 36.

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On the Net:

http://columbusdayparade.org

Comments

[MikeLicht]

Today is "Native American Day" in South Dakota.

Discovered: New painting of Columbus.

See: http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/columbus-day/

[Quiana]

There shouldn't be a Columbus Day holiday in the first place! If the parades are showcases that represent the best of Italy and the best of the Italian-American community, than a murderous Italian should not be the honoree. There is documented evidence that Columbus worked Natives to death. He butchered those who failed to meet their quota of gold and murdered and enslaved many others. He initiated the worst holocaust in world history. Italians have better candidates to represent their rich and proud heritage. This controversial holiday should be replaced with Italian-American Heritage Day at the state level.

[WilliamL]

Christopher Columbus and his accidental discovery of North America is a symbolic marker for the beginning of genocidal activities of Europeans in their quest for resources, labor, and wealth. Columbus could be equated with Hitler and such a comparison would be reasonable considering the “impact” he had upon the lives of millions of indigenous people of the Americas.

Like it or not, the Nations and their members have every right to protest this celebratory parade if they so desire. Of course this does not sit well with members of the Italian community but so it goes. Some members of the Italian community might like to remind themselves of the other contributions their home country and brothers have brought to this country in the form of organized crime. They might also remind themselves of the fascist political beliefs of those in their homeland during WW II. They were on the wrong side of right and wrong.

I expect that those behind this are more of a fringe element as most understand that Columbus’s arrival may have met the end but at the same time, he was simply part of the universe, part of the process that has led us to where we are as a human race at this point, part of the process of where this race will be in the future. Most recognize, that at the end of the day, like the river, everything changes, like the river, everything returns.

[InYourWorld]

Columbus is not close to comparable with Hitler. His impact was not pretty, but he wasnt driving across the globe trying to annihilate humans. The European countries maybe, but Columbus himself did not come and start wiping out natives. Human conquest across the globe has killed and disturbed every society. If the Native Americans had been left alone for eternity they would have eventually done the same thing when they had the technology available to sail across oceans. If North America had become population dense like Europe had this would have provided incentive for Native Americans to move into other lands.

The Aztes and Mayan were hardly peacenicks.

Seems like you have a beef with Italians. Look into your family's history. I bet somewhere along the way criminals, slave owners, killers, pop up.

To me Columbus day means the beginning of our country, not a genocide. But I understand how any Native American would not agree with me. Every holiday in this country will be protested by someone. Allow them to protest.

[LMPE]

If you want to learn about Christopher Columbus, read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen.

[rockymountainhigh]

Looks like Ward Churchilll will be climbing out from underneath his rock this weekend...­.