Monday, October 20, 1997
Protest antagonizes, not educates audience
COLUMBUS People need to be informed of true history surrounding
conquest, not attacked
In 1492, Christopher Columbus embarked on a voyage from the Old
World and stumbled upon the land we now call America. He and his
followers, through a long series of events which have become
blurred through time, changed the world forever…
Hundreds of years later, students on the UCLA campus protest the
celebration of Columbus Day. The American Indian Student
Association (AISA) and MEChA’s efforts last week to educate the
public about his crimes were a step in the right direction, but the
methods they used to deliver their message weren’t the wisest or
most productive.
Members of the organizations held a rally Monday denouncing
Columbus, attempting to show students what really went on hundreds
of years ago. But they may have been too offensive in their
approach, as they launched an attack on the white man in a way that
was more confrontational than educational.
Young school children are misinformed about the chronicle of
Columbus and the chain of events which occurred under his reign
over the land. They are not taught about the brutal injustices he
subjugated the native people to. Nor are they told of how the
people were uprooted and killed for their land. Instead, they are
taught about Columbus’ heroic voyages and discovery of America. He
has come to be known as a great explorer who helped establish a new
nation. The fact that he contributed to the dramatic drop in the
Native American population by murder doesn’t make it into the
history books; but students are taught instead that he was the
first to discover the new lands.
It’s great that student organizations want to inform people
about Columbus. Students need to know what really went on 505 years
ago.
But participants went too far when they handed out flyers to
students on Bruin Walk, reading "Who’s the illegal alien, Pilgrim?"
Chalk graffiti read, "Is Columbus your hero? He’s my killer" and
"Celebrate Columbus – millions of indigenous women raped." These
methods were snide, and similar goals could have been accomplished
without alienating others.
There are more appropriate ways of protesting the celebration of
Columbus Day than simply attacking people of European descent.
Talking to people and telling the real history of America and
Columbus is a positive and responsible action; throwing out crude
remarks is not going to accomplish as much – attacks simply create
more tension with the people who need to be reached.
The two groups should be applauded for reaching out and opening
up the lines for insightful discourse. However, if their mission
genuinely was to educate – and not just target their anger and
point fingers – they should have been less antagonistic. This way,
they would have offended fewer people, and, in turn, reached a
broader audience.
AARON TOUT/Daily Bruin
A poster displayed on Bruin Walk.