To the Editor,
Note to the Voorheesville Library staff; you didn’t close the offices on October 14 as a holiday to celebrate Indigenous People. You celebrated Columbus day; one of only 11 federal holidays proclaimed in 1937 to honor the contributions of Italian-Americans. This is “wokeness” at it’s worst: poking a stick in the eye of your Italian-American neighbor.
There are many ways to pay homage to our beloved American-Indian. We can celebrate the birthdays of Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse (we have a mountain carved out in his image), Pocahontas or even Tonto. There are more than 300 days that would not have a conflicting celebration.
In fact we celebrate the first Thanksgiving banquet held between the early settlers and the Wapanoag Tribe in thanks for a bountiful harvest. And we recognize November as Native American Heritage month. The Blacks celebrate Martin Kings birthday and Black History month and the Irish Celebrate St Patrick day. Let’s be fair and celebrate Italian-American Heritage month and Columbus day. St Thomas in their weekly bulletin noted that the office will be closed Monday to celebrate Columbus day.
Is there some affliction that a librarian or board member has to want to change or censor history? Early this year, the Bethlehem Library Trustees held an Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. Valentine Day was a fun day at school, as I remember. And it was a day to show your love with a valentine to your parents and siblings. Apparently the library board didn’t see it that way.
Many years ago, a beautiful wall mural was painted at the entrance hall of the library. It depicted the progress of the written word through history and included a picture of Moses holding stone tablets inscribed with the ten commandments. Poof, one day Moses was painted over and is gone. No explanation. Someone deemed it to be a religious icon?
Maybe not just librarians but also government officials. Mayor Kathy Sheehan gave General Philip Schuyler a dishonorable discharge and sent his statue to some hidden location. Would the Washington monument or Jefferson monument be next, if she could find a hiding place large enough? Fortunately we still have the old Schuyler high school building that we, the former students of the South End, loved. And too, we still have the Schuyler Mansion with a gouge in the banister that an indigenous person made with a tomahawk while trying to massacre the family.
Wokeness is a cancer. It’s divisive.
John LaForte, Delmar
