 |  The ITALIAN AMERICAN ALLIANCE |
The Italian American Alliance opposes discrimination against ALL people. We promote our Italian Heritage which includes the Great Admiral Christopher Columbus and we welcome people of all races, ethnic groups, and religious communities into our great ALLIANCE family which now includes: Two Thousand Two Hundred and 49 Members___________________________________________________________ THANK YOUFirst, let me say “Thank you”. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who contacted me yesterday –concerned about my welfare –after learning that my internet account had been hacked and I was the victim of a scam. I am fine and the FBI are investigating to locate the culprit so that I can file appropriate charges. Scammers involved in fraud belong in jail. Thanks again, to so many of you who expressed concern. -I am grateful to you. Frank Mazzaglia MEANWHILE THE WAYLAND CHAPTER OF OUR ALLIANCE IS SPONSORING A RALLY IN WAYLAND ON JUNE 20,AT 11 AM AT 38 COCHITUATE ROAD IN WAYLAND, MASS. TO SHOW SUPPORT FOROUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND OUR VETERANS. The Wayland School Committee recently changed the school calendar and replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. WE CONDEMN VIOLENCE AND VANDALISM CONTACT VIRGINIAGARDNER@AOL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION____________________________________________ BOSTON MAYOR MARTY WALSH AGREES TO A VIRTUAL MEETING WITH THE ALLIANCE The Mayor’s Office has agreed to a meeting with the ALLIANCE concerning the future of the vandalized statue of the Great Admiral Christopher Columbus in the North End of Boston’s Columbus Park. The ALLIANCE group will include representatives of stakeholder who actually paid for the statue, and residents from the North End community. —————————————————————————————————-MEDFORD’S SCHOOL COMMITTEE VOTES TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE COLUMBUS SCHOOL In a surprise move, the Medford School Committee moved to change the name of the city’s Columbus School. Obviously, the ALLIANCE will fight that bad decision which was done without transparency. Here is our initial response sent directly to each of the School Committee Members in Medford. This is what we told the School Committee: THE ITALIAN AMERICAN ALLIANCE Many Americans struggle with our nation’s history, and so when the story of Christopher Columbus comes up for discussion, they usually depend upon others. After all, 1492 was a long time ago. The motion by School Committee Member Paul Russeau is an example of poor information about Christopher Columbus. Russeau’s shocking narrative of severed hands, raped women and gentle Indians enslaved and worked to death just to slake the white Europeans’ lust for gold is absolute nonsense. Unfortunately, Russeau probably even believes this –which explains his ill advised motion to change the name of the Columbus School. We have heard this twisted version of history before. It comes from Howard Zinn’s fake “People’s History of the United States”. Russeault, who has now done incalculable damage to Italian Americans in Medford, obviously doesn’t keep up with modern historical research. Just last year, Mary Grabar won rave reviews from real historians with her best-selling, “Debunking Howard Zinn – Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation Against America”. Russeau would also have profited from reading Stanford anthropologist Carol Delaney’s “Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem”. Grabar exposes Howard Zinn as a left-wing Marxist Socialist who deliberately lied. He twisted history to make his point. Grabar herself was astounded to learn of how he changed the entire meaning of whole passages by deliberately leaving out words by the use of ellipsis (…) to mislead his readers. Despite the recent accusations – Columbus never committed genocide! That is unless you choose to believe that the unintentional clash of microbes is genocide. Genocide must be intentional. It’s what the Turks did to the Armenians and what the Nazis did to the Jews. It’s not the accidental transmission of microbes. The worst slander is to accuse Columbus of institutionalizing slavery. In fact, Columbus never owned a slave, although slavery was in fashion during his lifetime. What Columbus did do was to enslave a tribe of Caribs who were cannibals. And for this, most natives were relieved. If the Medford School Committee is serious about presenting the truth, they would be wise to read Grabar and Delaney before rushing to make such a serious school name change. There’s nothing wrong with admitting a mistake. Zinn’s catechism of lies cites Hitler as no worse than the United States, and war with the Japanese as fueled by American racial prejudice. So is the slanderous characterization of Christopher Columbus. Without the Great Admiral Christopher Columbus, countless millions of people would never have discovered a land where they could find economic opportunity. Without Columbus millions of other good people might never have discovered a land where they could find refuge from the oppression in their Old Country. Yes, Christopher Columbus holds special meaning for Italian Americans. It is ironic that at a time of racial sensitivity, the school committee can be so completely insensitive to the feelings of Italian Americans. Keep the Columbus School. You have reason be proud of the school’s name. And… here’s something fromthe President of the Pirandello Lyceum An OPEN LETTERto theMedford School CommitteeJune 18, 2020 Chairperson: Mayor Breanna Lungo-KoehnMedford City Hall,Jenny R. Grahamjennygraham@medford.k12.ma.usKathy KreatzKathykreatz@ymail.comMelanie P. McLaughlinelaniemclaughlin@medford.k12.ma.usMea Quinn Mustonemeamustone@yahoo.com Paul Ruseau- Vice Chairpersonpruseau@medford.k12.ma.us Paulette Van der Kloot- Secretarypvanderkloot@gmail.com Ladies and Gentlemen, I had thought of writing a long and erudite letter to the Committee arguing the reasons why the Christopher Columbus School in Medford should keep the name of the famous Italian Admiral. However, I’m certain you have heard from others who have explained in detail how Christopher Columbus has been maligned by disreputable self-styled scholars (Howard Zinn comes to mind) , kowtowing politicians, a Revisionist Press, and let us not forget, the Mob. I don’t want to be redundant. You’ve already indicated that you would listen anyway. Apparently, you don’t realize what special meaning Christopher Columbus has to Italian-Americans, or, if you do, you really don’t much care. Which is the point of this letter. Italian-Americans, no matter how we’ve embraced America we are marginalized. Italian-Americans apparently have been laboring under the delusion that America was about God, Family and Country and that our values and traditions would be respected. Obviously, that’s not the case, at least in the eyes of the Medford School Committee. The message you have sent by erasing Christopher Columbus’ name from the school is received loud and clear. In your collective minds Italian-Americans are too quiet and too submissive to defend their heritage and so, we are an easy target. In short, we don’t matter. Now, doesn’t that have a familiar ring? Domenic G. Amara, Ph.D..PresidentPirandello LyceumBoston, MA —————————————— The Alliance expects to do more than write a letter. In the days ahead, we will confront the School Committee directly |
