What's up with the Stranger's hard on for Harrell lately?

Besides, that is a pretty fucking stupid question.

If people can't see why Italian Heritage Day needs to be on some other day (hell, they have 360-odd to go at, assuming they don't want July 4th, Dec 25th or the Mondays that are a holiday if you work for the post office), those people should not be in public office.

Fine, have Italian Heritage Day. Just have it in April. Or May. Or June. Some day it's less likely to rain, so you can eat your polenta outdoors.

Big red no. Geez. I used to give Harrell the benefit of the doubt, but no more.

Why not have Italian Heritage Day/Week/Month proclaimed on something like ... the Feast Day of San Gennaro, for which we already have a local Italian Heritage Festival in mid-to-late September? Yeah, you'd have to wait until next year - more time to get your ducks in a row.

>1 Because he's buying votes in Democratic Party events and pushing back on social justice reforms?

>2 Really? REALLY? http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/…

>> "I don't see any value in responding to that idiotic question," Harrell said

Ha, that's funny. I'll miss the fact that I can't vote for Bruce anymore It is answers like that that just make it all that easier.

Just in case anyone wasn't already super uncomfortable with Bruce Harrell after that endorsement fiasco, here's this thing.

>5, >2 Add "zinncol1.html" to the link which was edited down.

What does Pamela Banks say about this?

Seattle can call it whatever it wants, but Monday is and always will be officially Columbus day, see 5 U.S.C. 6103. "Indigenous people's day" is the progressive analog to southern states celebrating Robert E. Lee's birthday on MLK day. I'm not sure why anyone's surprised to see the Italian community push back on the hijacking of their holiday.

One, it's Cristoforo Colombo (if you want to be strictly Italiano about it).

Two, a whole MONTH? I have an Italian family but what the heck? I never thought it WAS an Italian holiday but a celebration of our country being "discovered."

Three, there seriously are only 12 months and 52 weeks and 365 days in a year. Is that room for everybody and everything?

Hey Bruce--can we also please celebrate the expulsion of the Jews and Moors from Spain, also at the behest of the same Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain who dispatched Columbus in 1492 to find a direct route to Asia so Spain could exploit the living crap out of it?

Thank you so much for reminding us what a cool dude Columbus and his royal jefes were to have kicked off centuries of rape, pillage, plunder, cultural genocide and forced conversion of indigenous peoples of the "new" world to Christianity. While we're at it we should also give a shoutout to these same Spanish monarchs for telling the Muslims and Jews who had lived in Spain for 700+ years to get the hell out of Spain, convert or die.

But why stop there? We can also celebrate "German Heritage Day" on March 12, the day Hitler marched his army across the border to annex Austria and really kick off the Thousand Year Reich.

How about celebrating "Japanese Heritage Day" on May 23, the day in 1592 when Japan first invaded Korea. That effort didn't quite pan out, but plucky little Japan kept trying until they finally annexed that sucker for real in 1910.

There are many so many wonderful achievements of imperialism to celebrate. Thanks Bruce for running your mouth instead of DOING YOUR FUCKING JOB.

And whoever out there who isn't totally brain dead, please vote for Tammy Morales, who, along with CMs Sawant, O'Brien and Licata, and fellow CM candidates Grant and Bradburd, stood up against Seattle's most notorious #SLUMLORD, Carl Haglund, this past Wednesday.

The Haida Gwaii and Tlingit peoples were also known to take and keep slaves, particularly from the Salish peoples along the Northwest coast.

He should replace Colombus with Boraccini. That's some good sheetcake for the price.

@15
I actually agree with you but it was gratuitous for Harrell to announce it on this mellifluously-phrased "Indigenous People's Day".

Yes the day is dumb. Yes his timing was dumb.

Nevertheless, as an indigenous person myself, somewhere, I am pleased to take part and will celebrate.

I think Columbus Day being an Italian heritage celebration is a bigger deal on the East Coast.

Columbus was an egotistical, monomaniac who essentially bilked the Spanish crown into financing his expedition, treated his crew like shite, was a piss-poor navigator, and who basically stumbled his way to fame.

If the Italian-American community wants a figurehead around which to celebrate their heritage, there are far better choices than Columbus, say, Amerigo Vespucci, Saint Francis of Assisi or Leonardo da Vinci, just to name three (although personally, I'd prefer Sophia Loren or Monica Bellucci).

Maybe it should be a second Thanksgiving, (but with better food, since manicotti is way, way better than turkey and mashed potatoes) where we celebrate both the Pilgrims and the Native Americans? The vast majority of us are inheritors of the culture of the Pilgrims, but many of us also are ancestors of the Native Americans who facilitated (and suffered from) their cultural dominance and expansion. Columbus, although brutal, was a brave explorer who forged the path of the vast majority of Americans into the New World. And we should also recognize, at the same time, the losses and contributions of the indigenous peoples who were displaced. This isn't, and can't be, an either/or. It must be a both/and.

@13, thank you for mentioning the other 1492 event: yet another rousting of the Jews by the Catholics.
Mehlman, you obviously don't understand that not only did Columbus not discover America (either the Vikings or the Irish did, since it wasn't far from Greenland), but there wasn't European "migration" until at least 100 years later. Some Spaniards dragged some pigs through parts of what's now America, thereby killing a lot of natives who had no immunity to any European animal or human diseases, but they didn't stay around.
And it's thought that that Columbus was actually Portuguese, not Italian. However, meatballs and sauce are definitely better than either turkey or chorizo (and gefilte fish).

@2 Are you seriously that dumb? Yes, people were atrocious horrible fucking people. That's not the point of this at all. The issue is about celebrating it. Complete degenerates like Columbus (who was also a fucking idiot. no wonder you admire him) don't deserve to be celebrated. He had impact, like a lot of other despicable people. But we don't celebrate them.

And people who defend him are fucked up ass clowns.

@14: you mean the Haida. Haida Gwaii is the island.

@24: wow. I would not call gutting people because philosophically you do not believe they are human (hey, I know Spain was the last holdout for Aristotelian thought but...jesus fucking christ) as having anything near to a noble 'pioneering spirit' worth celebrating. And the Americas did not fall so quickly as you might be lead to believe, even riddled with disease.

You should also introduce a proclamation that we won't use the name "Washington" because it honors a slave-holder. His Mount Vernon estate had over 300 slaves.... that's 3 full double-length buses of enslaved people.

I think the question is very fair. I don't see a racial hypocrisy angle, since Harrell has always portrayed himself as a strong minority voice (despite his corporate lawyer background) and this particular resolution was purely political. It's a pity he's being obtuse about it. He could just as easily make a simple apology. There's always been something corporate slimy about Harrell. I'm starting to put my figure on it. It's the ego. That was an identity politics designed calculation that was simply miscalculated in its entirety. Now he wants to quibble over a detail, when the fundamental point is completely missed.

" Harrell added that he's working with Council Member Nick Licata's office to figure out what would be appropriate." What does Nick Licata say about that?

I think it funny that without Columbus. None of you fools would be born in America to say your stupid shit how Columbus killed the Red Man.

Well, if you really feel that way. Then give your land (house) back to a local tribe. Since they "owned" it, according to Whitey. To make up for the Columbus injustice.

Say What? Not gonna do it? I though so.

The above post was from a real reservation born injun.

CHIRICAHUA BITCHES!!

Central Asians discovered the Americas, by the way.

@32, True Dat

@28, why don't you read what you wrote there. Perhaps you didn't really mean to be so self-disclosive.

For all those of white privilege, or those living in one of the 6 OTHER city council districts, you want to know why Italian Heritage Month might be a big deal to Harrell? You might want to pay some attention to Seattle's history. The Rainier Valley was called "Garlic Gulch" for decades. DECADES before African Americans were "allowed" to move out of the Central District and buy (affordable) homes in the Rainier Valley. All those now-familiar Seattle names and brands? Oberto. Boraccini. Desimone. Bassetti. Rosellini. Mastro. Merlino. Batali. DiJulio. Seattle's Italian community is very strong, and very much based in District 2. Many of the more current residents are also entrepreneurs and restaurateurs - Tutta Bella, anyone?

#2, the argument about not judging murderous sadistic killers of yore by today's standards can be easily addressed. Did Columbus propose enslaving Italians? Did he offer up adolescent nieces to Italian men for sexual favors? Did he amuse himself by feeding Italian relatives to packs of dogs? No? Well then, there WAS in fact a standard during his time, wasn't there?

@30

That would suggest that those tribes chose to accept property ownership laws. Clearly they were too savage to understand simple concept like responsibility and stewardship. Hardly fitting guardians for such important land. Perhaps in the future when they demonstrate good development and policy.

>facepalm<

I am with you that the timing and language of the proclamation are offensive. I hope it is roundly rejected. But, I am with CM Harrell about your last question. In case his response didn't clue you in, we (black people, that is) hate those kinds of questions. The are insulting and not usually (and not in this case) even applicable.

The Stranger's High Fivin' White Millenial "Advocacy Journalists" strike again. If only Sydney could have @sydney the way Ansel has @ansel. Fucking clueless crap.

#2, the issue is that white people who murder millions of indigenous are CELEBRATED AS HEROES for doing so. What he did was not out of the norm...... which is a weak excuse for celebrating him and giving him a holiday.

Seattle White Guilt Day

Everybody meet at the overpriced bakery with your spoiled dogs at 1pm. We'll be marching in solidarity with the community college students to meet up at Buca di Beppo for the anti-Columbus rally, and chat with neighbors about how much our property values have increased in the last year.

Don't forget your dreamcatchers and Hillary 2016 stickers!

This people's heritage month and these other people's celebration weeks overlap all the time. Stupid article.

@46- "As members of the white race shouldn't we take pride in the fact that our forbearers snatched a piece of prime real estate before the Chinese could get to it?"

No, we shouldn't. Only an asshole would think that was a thing to be proud of. First among thieves and murderers isn't a thing to be proud of.

Also "Guns, Germs, and Steel" overstates it's case.

@35 "All those now-familiar Seattle names and brands? Oberto. Boraccini. Desimone. Bassetti. Rosellini. Mastro. Merlino. Batali. DiJulio."

I have only heard of Oberto. I think you need to rethink what is a "familiar" Seattle name and brand.

Why not just call it First Nations Slavery Day?

@51 - you might want to get out more. Boraccini is a very popular bakery on Rainier Ave. Joe Desimone was a very popular local political figure - every notice the Joe Desimone bridge at Pike Market? The Bassetti family founded a bunch of local businesses, including Sur la Table. Rosellini = 1 governor + 1 major restauranteur. Mastro started in the Rainier Valley and now owns hundreds of acres of industrial and commercial land in SE and West Seattle, SODO, Tukwila and SeaTac. Merlino - all kinds of food products made locally. Batali = the senior Batali of Salumi in Pike Market, father of famed chef Mario. DiJulio - a political figure.

Just because you are an uneducated person doesn't mean that the tens of thousands of Italian Americans living in Seattle (and especially in D-2) are that ignorant of the importance of Italian heritage.

@53- So I'm supposed to recognize the names of several people who don't have their names on the things they produce and a guy who has a bridge at a tourist trap named after him? Oh, and the Bakery on Rainier. I remember that place now. When I lived down there I'd buy feta there.

Your list of "famous and important Italians" continues to fail to impress, even after you explain it.

I'll admit I had no idea about Seattle's Italian heritage, and I'm a born and bred local pushing 40. I get out quite a bit, but I will also admit District 2 has never been my stomping grounds.

Everybody who would want to live under the rule of the ancient Aztecs, or under the crown of a medieval king raise your hands.

Anyone? Nope?

The freer tribes had a great thing out here, no question, but the vast majority of people living in "higher" civilizations faced dire circumstances and very harsh punishments. You could be burned alive for heresy, or have your heart cut out by a priest on the temple steps for being from the a conquered village. The advent of our form of society here was a huge improvement over the conditions in Europe, even if it came at a cost to the original inhabitants here.

Columbus was no hero, to be sure, but the impulse to get away from the corrupt royal courts and church hierarchies drove waves of hardworking, honest, people to North America in order to build a more just, less brutal civilization. The funnypart is, the liberals love the revanchist idea of "reconquista" by the Mexican migrants, forgetting that they speak the very language of the conquistadors, and would revive the primitive "justice" and bloodshed of the Aztecs.

We would do well to consider the reason why we were frequently at odds with the Spanish.

It just occurred to me that if Seattle's giant, throbbing Italian community wanted to get some respect that instead of a history month they should just open more reasonably priced pizza places that sell by the slice. Pagliacci's is pretty good, but there aren't enough of them and they don't all sell slices and skirts the edge of "reasonably priced."

#56, bad behavior still does not justify bad behavior. Likewise, such backwards logic does not work on this, or any other, thread.

@56 "Columbus was no hero, to be sure, but the impulse to get away from the corrupt royal courts and church hierarchies drove waves of hardworking, honest, people to North America in order to build a more just, less brutal civilization."

That impulse had nothing to do with Columbus, so why are you bringing it up?

"The funnypart is, the liberals love the revanchist idea of "reconquista" by the Mexican migrants,"

I have never heard of this idea, but it seems like a lovely strawman. Why don't you beat on it some more?

@59- So basically what you're saying with the comedy clip is you know you're being a racist asshole without any sense of morality and a hazy understanding of history, but whatever, you feel good about yourself so fuck everyone?