{"id":112300,"date":"2020-07-06T21:34:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T01:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=112300"},"modified":"2020-07-06T11:55:25","modified_gmt":"2020-07-06T15:55:25","slug":"guest-column-keep-columbus-study-history-build-a-better-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=112300","title":{"rendered":"GUEST COLUMN: Keep Columbus, study history, build a better America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Claudia Tenney<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

History is our collective memory \u2013 it is the sum of our experiences, whether they be triumphs or tragedies, common or extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remembering the past does not mean we must endorse it as wholly good or ill. It was lived by imperfect beings, just like we are -\u2013 frail and fallen. They achieved great things and committed terrible offenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But an arrogant few want to strike down all those who fall short of their own recently discovered but unquestionably pure virtues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Syracuse and Utica, some want to topple a statue of Christopher Columbus for \u201cmassacring\u201d 100 million Amerindians. In fact, Columbus and his crews were not responsible for the crimes of subsequent conquerors and settlers, let alone the diseases that truly ravaged the New World\u2019s inhabitants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facts seem to be no bother to the \u201chistory eaters\u201d who devour the heritage and legacy of others, as if completely meaningless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Columbus\u2019 dangerous and daring journey opened up the New World and laid the groundwork for our nation, the only one ever founded on the idea that liberty and equality are man\u2019s birthright from God. We have not always lived up to that high-minded ideal but, we continue to strive toward \u201ca more perfect Union.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French statesman Alexis de Tocqueville famously wrote, \u201cThe greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My community, which erected that monument to Columbus, is not blind to his faults, but it refuses to judge him only by his sins and erase his great feats.[1] I, too, refuse to ignore the true facts. Instead, I seek to understand, appreciate and improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Americans, we should live up to our charge \u2013 and make our nation more just and free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plight of Native Americans \u2013 who these erasers claim to speak for \u2013 is one place I have tried to make a difference in the now. Over the last decades, I have devoted substantial time and legal help advocating for a full-blooded Oneida Indian tribal leader for over a decade to secure his ancestral treaty land against eviction by corrupt casino interests.[2] Mr. Melvin Phillips seeks to honor and preserve the land and culture of his ancestors from powerful and wealthy native interests who seek to cancel their noble history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Melvin Phillips, who is disabled and lives modestly, the fate of millions of honorable but disempowered people is so often forgotten by the powerful and the supposed \u201csocial justice warriors.\u201d I ask them \u2013 before they throw paint or hack at a century-old statue with a pick-axe \u2013 why don\u2019t they build up instead of destroy? Help others who do not have power or privilege realize the promise of this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Killing figures like Columbus is simply erasing our imperfect history. Instead we should be writing the next chapter in bold colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember our country is not perfect, but we earnestly strive to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note: Claudia Tenney is the Republican and Conservative nominee for Congress for New York\u2019s 22nd District.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Claudia Tenney History is our collective memory \u2013 it is the sum of our experiences, whether they be triumphs or tragedies, common or extraordinary. Remembering the past does not mean we must endorse it as wholly good or ill. It was lived by imperfect beings, just like we are -\u2013 frail and fallen. They […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":109728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23677,23808,8],"tags":[26168,26170,26167,26164,26172,26171,26166,25516],"class_list":["post-112300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columns","category-opinion","category-top-story","tag-alexis-de-tocqueville","tag-amerindians","tag-christopher-columbus","tag-claudia-tenney","tag-melvin-philips","tag-oneida-ny-indian-tribe-tribal","tag-republican-utica-ny","tag-utica-ny-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=112300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/109728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=112300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=112300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=112300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}