Torrey Carlton
via the Internet
In the beginning: Yow! "Book, Chapter and Verse" was a scary article, and very appropriate coming right after Columbus Day. These guys are of the same lineage as the ones who came here and caused so much horror in the name of "God"; it's always amazing to hear someone justify genocide or racism by saying God authorized it. These folks, it seems, are spiritual brothers to Bin Laden and crew. And who knows if someday soon they will take action based on their beliefs?
Neil Haverstick
Lakewood
Native Truths
Colonial daze: Regarding Stuart Steers's "Columbus Day Forecast: Stormy," in the October 10 issue, I don't understand the battle between Italians and Native Americans.
First of all, I don't understand how we judge fifteenth-century colonial mentality by 21st-century standards. Columbus did what everyone else at the time was doing -- no more and, in fact, less. That said, I wonder why Native Americans aren't down on Thanksgiving, which is a much more visible symbol of colonialism and led to many more devastating effects for native populations. The historical facts prove that English colonialism in the New World devastated the native population in ways not done by either the Spanish or the Portuguese. One has only to look at the native population of the East Coast as opposed to the Southwest to see that, although changed forever by colonialism, it was not killed in its entirety, as in New England. The Spanish get a bum rap every time when talking about colonialism.
Second, there is, so far as I know, no conclusive proof that Columbus was Italian. Many respected historians believe that Cristobal Colón was a Spanish Jew who left Spain on the final day of the edict expelling the Jews. Some historians believe that this Jewish sailor was looking for a homeland for the displaced Jews of Spain. The Italians of Denver are defending a Jewish Spaniard. The Native Americans should be angrier about the devastation caused by American colonialism in general -- some of it by Spain and Columbus, most of it by England and the United States government.
Still more confusing to me is why Hispanics get in the fight at all. It is not true that most Hispanics have native blood, and even if it were, we are the product of the merging of these two magnificent cultures. Nita Gonzales, whose heritage is at least part Spanish New Mexican, probably has Cristobal Colón as an ancestor. Those who have both Native American and colonial lines (whether Spanish or not) should celebrate our heritage, not judge our ancestors. Most of us can find unseemly characters in our pedigree; somewhere between denial and self-depracation there must be honesty.
Mexico celebrates October 12 as the Day of the Race, a day that celebrates the culture that was created when two cultures collided and created a new and beautiful culture. We cannot turn back the clock or rewrite history. The least we can do is celebrate what came of it -- with all its faults and promises.
Richard de Olivas y Cordova
Denver
Parade rest:If Columbus is the only person that the Italian community in Denver and the United States can look up to, then there should be no parade at all. Personally, I think someone more fitting could be found to honor without a lot of difficulty.
Craig Westbrook
Rochester, New York
Some bilingual education: Stuart Steers brought up some interesting points about Italian-Americans. How quickly we forget our immigrant history. When our non-English-speaking ancestors arrived in this country, were they segregated into special "sheltered English" classrooms for a year? No. Schools dealt with non-English speakers in whatever ways they could. Amendment 31 would outlaw the English-learning programs of our ancestors and any adaptations, instead demanding "sheltered English" for all. This is not only bad planning, but also very costly. Even our immigrant ancestors would agree that Amendment 31 is a bad idea.
Rebekah Martindale
Boulder
Hell House
The customer is never right: Thanks for Alan Prendergast's accurate, behind-the-scenes look at Dorian Homes ("Viva Las Villa!" October 3).
When my wife and I contracted a home to be built on Dacre Place by Dorian, we wondered why the agents working in the sales office worked so diligently to keep us far away from Lambert. We should be able to meet the man with whom we were entering into a huge contract, right? What we learned the hard way one day is that the tactic is Lambert's special form of "customer service."
Customer service Lambert style manifested itself in him screaming at my wife over the phone one day and calling her crazy and insulting her intelligence. (She's a physician.) This was the only personal interaction we ever had with him. It's amazing how all the "crazy" customers in the neighborhood bought his homes, while US Homes got all the normal customers a street below.
If you ever consider contracting with Dorian, read the contract carefully. If you are forced to back out, as we were, you could lose as much money as we did.
Kevin Gorman
Honolulu
Screw driver:Thank you for publishing "Viva Las Villa!" although it was much too kind. I worked on the Dorian Parade home; when his check bounced, I walked. Then I came to find out that he had bounced checks to almost everyone on the project. Because of Paul Lambert, my company and several other small subcontractors I know are being put out of business. Paul is not to be trusted. Out of his mouth came a constant barrage of slander about anyone and everyone who had "screwed him" on the project.
But he never mentioned that he had screwed all of them first.
Name withheld on request
