Columbus Statue Saga Continues Rocky Voyage

News and Events15 Comments

From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:

After months of sometimes bitter public debate over whether to return the Christopher Columbus statue to Seaside Park, the city was poised to quietly do so ahead of Monday’s holiday honoring the Italian navigator.

But, according to the contractor hired for the job, at the last minute Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration canceled.

“We only had a couple more hours (of work) and it would have been up,” Jim McCarthy, manager of Mac Industrial Services of Beacon Falls, said Monday.

… “We were in the process of loading the statue on our flatbed (from storage) and I was called by public works to stop, put it back, they were going to cancel the project,” McCarthy said.

Labrador said Nadrizny called him back Thursday with the news, claiming he had made a mistake and public facilities did not have the funds to put the monument back.

What happened?

Full story here.

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15 comments

  1. There’s a history and a culture to this land. Indeginous American people were living here for tens of thousands of years before Columbus supposedly discovered America.
    Columbus shouldn’t be painted as a bold explorer to be celebrated, but rather as a war criminal who oversaw the genocide and enslavement of the Indeginous American population. One can’t overlook a painful history of colonialism, enslavement, discrimination and land grabs that followed the Italian explorer’s 1492 arrival in the Americas.
    “Learning about the history of Columbus and transforming this day into a celebration of indigenous people, the removal of his statue and a celebration of social justice … allows us to make a connection between this painful history and the ongoing marginalization, discrimination, and poverty that indigenous communities faced then and today.
    Removing a statue isn’t a slap in the face of Italians, instead it’s righting a wrong in Bridgeport and American history that has lasted for 55 years with the sculpture’s unveiling in 1965 at Seaside Park. In reminded of the quote, “Doing what’s right is never easy and seldom popular.” Mayor Ganim, Bridgeport Parks Department, Italian Community and the residents of Bridgeport, Do The Right Thing!

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    1. Comrade, let’s not confuse discovery with creating. Columbus didn’t create the “New World”. He discovered it, something that was unknown. Let’s also not confuse all of the cultures of the indigenous people of this continent. Some indigenous cultures practiced in cannibalism and ritual sacrifice and were a war, enslaving cultures.

      The American Indians has a slave system and fought and conquered land for other American Indians.

      Let’s also not forget the Colonizers were once indigenous people that were colonized themselves and warred for centuries before Columbus and after on their continent.

      Comrade, I know you said black people will never vote for a PR, and if you are truly looking to correct a wrong call for the PR heritage and PR Day to be removed that is a direct result of Cholumbus’ voyate and presence. (notwithstanding, Columbus had nothing to do with America and the plight of the indigenous people at the hands of the Spanish Crown, and it was corrected when America conquered them out of this land) Anyone truly seeking a just position you can’t condemn the act (Columbus’ voyage) yet celebrate the results. (PD heritage, PR Day, Three Kinds Day)

      However, I will give you this point comrade, Columbus’ history is tainted, but if that’d the standard, you should also be calling for the closure of Mosques. They too have a history of enslavement, and very horrible one that is accordance of Mohamad’s teaching and is far greater the Columbus’

      Councilmen Cruz, I have heard you call-out Columbus’ and his history. Are you willing to say PR Day should be canceled and Islam history regrading its envolement with enslavement of indiginous blacks in Africa . JS people.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twRR2qEP83c&feature=emb_logo

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    2. “When the power of love, overcomes the love of power, then there will be peace.”
      Two thousand years ago, Jesus was crucified for preaching love, peace and one God. History is an endless parade of horrors that man has inflicted on humanity. Complaining and condemning the actions of previous people does not help repair today’s issues of intolerance and dysfunction. Only through positive, rational debate and compromise can progress can be achieved.
      Perhaps I am naive, but I do hope that for the sake of Bridgeport and the country, people will at some point, embrace the basic fundamentals of; personal responsibility, mutual respect, family, faith and freedom.
      Change is inevitable, growth is optional. Let’s choose to be better not bitter.

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  2. I’m in agreement with Don but my problem is with the lack of leadership of Mayor Joe Ganim and his lying, how can the voters put trust in the word of Mayor Joe Ganim.

    Caruso “Blindsided” By Removal Of Columbus Statue
    July 7, 2020 LennieGrimaldi City Council, News and Events33 Comments
    In Bridgeport the cultural wars continue.

    Behind the scenes former State Rep. Christopher Caruso and ex two-term Mayor Lenny Paoletta engaged in multiple conversations with community leaders supportive of scrubbing the statue of Christopher Columbus from Seaside Park to reach some common ground.

    Caruso said progress was being made then he was “blindsided” by Mayor Joe Ganim and even City Councilman Jorge Cruz who had initially called for the statue to be taken down then reversed himself in support of a community dialogue.

    “Jorge Cruz is out there pretending he took the statue down when he agreed to back off from taking it down and have a conversation,” says Caruso. “Ganim blindsided me after agreeing to let the dialogue play out. The Italian community that has done a lot for this city through philanthropy is being disrespected.”

    Monday afternoon when Caruso believed discussions would continue the statue was removed.

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  3. Here’s the problem with Comrade Day’sview. It’s an anti-American driven controversy that is being used by feeding on people’s emotions and sentiments. That is why it was being represented as “white supremacy” When in fact Columbus’ voyage and history are acts of the ancestors of the Latino race. Columbus died 14 years after his voyage, and 100 years before any Europeans set foot on this land.

    Again, you can’t have a just or honest opinion on the subject when you are condemning the act (Columbus’ voyage and history) while having no problem with the celebration of the results. (PR Day), The celebration of PR heritage that is a direct result of Columbus’s voyage and history.

    You will not find many PR that have the position to cancel their heritage celebration (PR Day) because of Columbus and his history, for the same reason the Italians are upset. It is an attack you their heritage.

    I have no problem with Cruz’s position, but it’s half-hearted, If he was just in his convection and cause, he would also be calling for the removal of the PR Day celebration that celebrates PR heritage that is a direct result of Columbus’s voyage and history. That is fair and just. To do otherwise is just an attack on the Italian population. JS people

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  4. Has the survey or poll been completed yet?Are all the people that were originally upset that the statue was there for so many years feeling better now that it has been removed? I hope that it’s made their lives better. I haven’t noticed anything yet.

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