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Rename Christopher Columbus Park after Tom Menino?
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Hyde Park Avenue
Should be named after him too.. Makes sense.
Sounds good
He was the first Italian American mayor of Boston. The park was obviously named to honor Italians. Sure, his family came straight to Hyde Park, but he was mayor of all of us.
They renamed Columbus Park in Dorchester/South Boston after Moakley, so this should be a no brainer. As long as the Avenue keeps the name, the spirit of Columbus is still alive in Boston (and in a part of town where people who come from places where Columbus' voyages meant a whole lot more ended up settling, too boot.)
Spirit of Columbus
The spirit of Columbus is the spirit of slavery and genocide.
However
The voyages of Columbus are still celebrated all over Latin America.
I'm not trying to canonize Columbus, but Hispanic culture owes a big debt to what he did, both good and bad. That Columbus Ave runs close to Villa Victoria, Jackson Square, and Egleston Square is as fitting as naming a waterfront park by the North End after our first Italian American Mayor.
Or perhaps you are writing this from Europe?
How About
Naming the bridge to Long Island after Tom Menino when (if?) it is rebuilt. Menino's Camp Harbor View is on that island and since he took a special interest in Boston's kids it would seem like a perfect fit. That's just a thought. It will probably be another twenty years before the bridge is rebuilt, however.
I missed the part where
I missed the part where Menino's name wasn't on every single park sign in the city -- did Walsh make getting them all repainted his #1 priority?
Yes
I believe Walsh has addressed it. It's not a priority but eventually the signs bearing Menino's name will disappear. Unfortunately, they will be replaced with signs bearing Walsh's name.
Already Tom Menino Park in Charlestown next to Spalding
There is already a Tom Menino Park in Charlestown next to Spalding Hospital.
https://roadtrippers.com/.../attract.../thomas-m-menino-park
I was coming to point out the
I was coming to point out the same thing. Walked by there a bit ago, there's a white wreath there but not much else. It's a lovely park and a kick-ass playground.
nice playground indeed.
i need to send my niece over there, how long has that been open?
Absolutely!
Name it after a notable Italian who did great things for Boston and wasn't a genocidal racist.
Government Center should be
Government Center should be called( Thomas M. Menino Center ) Next stop Thomas M Menino center .
Before they cut the ribbon at
Before they cut the ribbon at Government center they should consider renaming the Train station as well as Goverment center plaza (Thomas M Menino Center)
I get that it's trendy to
I get that it's trendy to apply today's mores of social justice to an explorer of more than 500 years ago. It will be interesting to see how we fare in 500 years.
But America's indigenous people were not a peaceful bunch prior to Columbus's arrival. Far from it.
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/2010/11/22/thanksgiving-...
Speaking of non sequiturs
So, only completely peaceful and enlightened people deserve to be free of genocide? Come on now.
I'm just pointing out that
I'm just pointing out that the whole planet was a moral shitshow 500 years ago by today's standards, singling out Columbus for his behavior is just kinda simple.
Therefore
Singling Columbus out for praise is likewise simplistic.
I lived in the North End, I cringed at Columbus Park's existence. I'll never understand Italian-Americans' insistence on clinging to him. He was working for Spain anyway.
Also, he did nothing. At best, he made a navigational error.
Not worthy of celebration. Justifying it with the old "but savages!" is... sad.
We are capable of realizing when wrongs have been committed in the short and long-term. Your moral relativism doesn't help anyone.
Justifying it with the old
Poor me. I suppose I should be better about taking principled stands that cost me nothing.
For the record, I support renaming the park, we Italian Americans are quite proud of Thomas Menino.
Not so fast
The natives that Colombus first encountered were the Western Taino.
Not until Chris showed up
Other groups were warlike, and those of the Taino who lived near them were of necessity also more warlike, but the ones Columbus first met and brutalized were the peaceful Western Taino. His own accounts of the times go on at some length about how easy it was to enslave them, and mentions giving Taino women to his men as sex slaves. Not a nice guy -- certainly not by their standards.
look if I can't take well
look if I can't take well-deserved shots at a dead genocidal rapist then what is the point in life
:)
:)
But America's indigenous
Did you read the article you linked to?
I did read it! There was some
I did read it! There was some other stuff in it too.
Yes there was. Mostly about
Yes there was. Mostly about tribes on the North American continent, which had nothing to do with Columbus.
So then ... there were some
So then ... there were some other nasty people responsible for the decimation of indigenous people on the American continents? Look, I am not trying to defend Columbus's behavior. I am saying holding him, and his legacy, responsible for something awful happening - to this day actually - across two continents is, to me, disingenuous.
I do truly appreciate (all of) your perspective(s), it's one of the reasons this site is so valuable to me.
How about holding him
How about holding him responsible for the rape and genocide that he and his crews actually committed? Would that be OK with you?
Scratchie,
Scratchie,
George Washington beat his slaves, Thomas Jefferson raped his slaves. Huge opportunity to get out ahead on those!
No? You are so pro slave abuse!
Wait - I am declaring myself
Wait - I am declaring myself a troll. Sorry.
Yes you are
Defending columbus is exactly what you are doing or you would have no reason to say what you are saying. Read about the brutality he himself inflicted on the native people and still say its disingenuous. Calling Native Americans out for violence is disingenuous.
Rename storrow drive after
Rename storrow drive after Menino. Storrow/Menino drive.
Entire South Boston Waterfront, as The Menino waterfront!!
Rename Government center Menino center !
I like this, but...
...I'm not sure "meninoing" really works. Even when it works, if you take my meaning.
Let's stop and take a breath
Seriously folks. There are so many things to think about here. We are 18 months out from the Marathon bombings and haven't even figured out an appropriate memorial for that. I'm reasonably sure the Mayor would prefer we focus on that somber task before we move on to naming things after him. This isn't a contest to see who comes up with the first idea and we are not going to name every pocket park in the city after him. My guess is that at some appropriate time Mayor Walsh will establish a committee to properly honor Mayor Menino's contributions to the city, nominations will be welcomed and I'm guessing a statue will be in the offing. All in due course. This is not due course.
And breathe...