Mayor rips parade fight

Rocky Mountain News ^ | September 29, 2005 | Charlie Brennan

[Millee]

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper sent a letter Wednesday to leaders on both sides of the Columbus Day parade conflict, expressing frustration at the annual confrontations over the historical figure's legacy.

Although Hickenlooper doesn't take sides in his two-page letter, and comes out strongly in support of free speech rights, he clearly does not sound like a fan of the parade, which has generated significant protests in past years. "Frankly, I am sick and tired of this entire costly, frustrating and potentially dangerous situation that does nothing but generate ill will," Hickenlooper wrote.

"I am happy to help celebrate Italian heritage. A parade that inspires such community anguish does not achieve that goal. Most spectators avoid the parade, which winds down streets that are either empty or lined primarily with protesters and police."

He said efforts to manage the annual controversy is "like beating one's head against the wall."

Hickenlooper's bottom- line message was one of hope - hope that this contentious issue will go away.

"I remain hopeful that the Italian community and the Native American community will someday soon find common ground on which they can celebrate both of their cultures and histories without upsetting each other and without creating volatile situations that require significant taxpayer expense to safeguard," he wrote.

"I do not think this is an unrealistic goal, but it will never happen unless people of goodwill on both sides of this issue come together to demand mutually agreeable change."

Hickenlooper voiced his support for the Denver/Lakewood Festival Italiano and the Four Directions/ All Nations March as alternative celebrations to which he'd prefer to see people devoting their passion.

George Vendegnia, who obtained the Oct. 8 parade permit on behalf of the Columbus Day Parade Committee, was not pleased with Hickenlooper's message, which he termed "b---s---" and "a joke."

Vendegnia insisted the parade is not intended as an Italian heritage celebration; it's meant to honor the man who, as he was taught in school, discovered this country.

"I don't think that he is out to preserve my or anyone else's First Amendment rights," the Arvada resident said of Hickenlooper.

"He can say in one breath that he will support our First Amendmentrights, but then in another breath, he says, 'Give it up.' "

Hickenlooper does not quite say that in the letter. But in meetings, Vendegnia said he has heard Hickenlooper say things such as, "Stop embarrassing yourselves."

The letter's other recipient, Glenn Morris - a member of the leadership council of the American Indian Movement's Colorado chapter - could not be reached for comment.

Glenn Spagnuolo, a spokesman for the Transform Columbus Day Alliance, had not yet seen the letter Wednesday.

But on Sunday, the alliance issued a statement saying it "intends this year, as it has in the past, to forcefully express its opposition to any 'celebration' of Columbus."

The protesters see Columbus as responsible for initiating a pattern of genocide against indigenous peoples that has resulted in the death or enslavement of millions.

The parade last year resulted in the arrest of about 240 protesters for disrupting the event. Eight protest leaders - including Morris - were acquitted of the charges in a January trial in Denver County Court. Charges against all remaining defendants were then dismissed.

In June, the Denver City Council passed two ordinances that could be applicable to those arrested in future protests. City officials believe the new rules would result in more successful prosecutions.

[Millee]

Colorado's darling, Ward Churchill has already announced he'll be there protesting. Denver's mayor is a wuss.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

"I am happy to help celebrate Italian heritage.

I thought Columbus was Portugese.

[YouPosting2Me]

Hickenlooper Ping (just for the name alone)

[frankjr]

The Italians should make the Indians an offer they can't refuse.

[Mr. K]

Do what I do when my kids argue- cancel the whole thing until they can figure out how to get along by themselves

[Red Badger]

I've never quite figured out why Italians want to celebrate Christopher Columbus. He was Italian, true enough, but he got lost on the way to India in borrowed Spanish ships (which he lost one on the way back), bumped into a totally unknown new world and called it India (even though he'd never been to India) and thus the people he found were "Indians"............It would make more sense to celebrate someone like Vespucci (You know, Amerigo, the guy named for America).......(heh heh).......

[dennisw]

The Sopranos Had an episode about the Italo-Indian Columbus Day rumbles. Was very funny. Plot also had to do with enticing Frankie Valli to play an Indian casino

[Laz711]

He was born Italian, then became a Portuguese citizen later in life.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

The Left protests everything American.

Should we shut down all our traditional celebrations? That's their goal. Separate us from our roots, rewrite history, then when we've completely forgotten what America is truly all about, replace it with what they say it is, which is invariably Marxist.

I say we tell them to eff off and keep doing it.

Allow those in the parade to arm themselves. If they feel threatened, they can use full force.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Thank you.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Another attempt by the screaming faces of the Left to rewrite history and recast the image of America as the great evil.

[andyk]

This is one thing I don't miss about Denver.

[rogue yam]

Do what I do when my kids argue- cancel the whole thing until they can figure out how to get along by themselves

This is the stupidest and most ignorant suggestion possible. If this becomes the standard response to leftie harrassment, then obviously you will allow the lefties to readily shut down everything decent. Think before you post. Don't post retarded garbage.

[colorado tanker]

Denver's mayor is a wuss

I agree. Why are both sides equally at fault just because a bunch of moonbat lefties decide they can launch a violent protest and shut down Denver's Columbus Day parade? I'm not much of a Columbus Day celebrant, but don't the Italians have a right to their free speech? Even if it's inconvenient for the Mayor to have to send police into the streets to stop the demonstrators from breaking the law???

Hickenlooper is a charismatic guy, but he's a typical wine (or in his case beer) and cheese liberal. He tried to take take Christmas out of the Civic Center Christmas display to appease the left, and he's trying the same thing with Columbus Day.

Our Mayor is a nice guy, balanced the budget and for a liberal is friendly to business. But he's a knee jerk liberal whose instinct is always to appease the left. He won't back the Police Department and as a result crime is up, arrests are down and DPD morale is in the toilet.

[mallardx]

The Italians should make the Indians an offer they can't refuse.

Then they should retract the offer, take it back. Wait a minute, that would be Indian-giving, wouldn't it?

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

The counter protest.

[dennisw]

I love it!!!! Thanks. Great still from that episode

[Surtur]

Here's a novel proposal, let everyone who wants to celebrate Columbus come to the parade and enjoy themselves. And everyone who doesn't want to celebrate Columbus can either stay away or have their own parade decrying Columbus. Why should one bunch of people have any say over whether another group of people celebrate a cultural icon. After all, none of us would be where we are at today if Columbus hadn't made his voyage. Maybe the road to get to this point was rougher on some of us than others, but we are all here now at this point in time, and none of us can change the past, but our actions today will define the world of tomorrow. While mistakes have been aplenty on all sides in our history, let us all hold onto that history and learn from those mistakes and build that future that will better for ALL of us. For any one group to deny another its past is wrong only increases tensions for everyone involved. In other words, think of Columbus as broccoli. Some folks like broccoli. Some folks don't. The broccoliophiles should be allowed to have their broccoli, and the broccoliophobes can just avoid it. No harm, no foul for either.