Christopher Columbus a historical scumbag. Reinstalling statue would send terrible message.

Christopher Columbus a scumbag

The Christopher Columbus statue reinstallation project aims to “put the statue into historical context.”

What might seem to be a neutral historical presentation to one person is a new trauma to a person whose history in this country is rooted in displacement, subjugation, and murder. And that is not limited to native people.

Looking at a memorial to a European man who kidnapped 500 indigenous people and sent them back to Europe to be owned as slaves is bone chilling to black Americans whose ancestors were brought to this country on similar ships.

If the city displays the statue, it communicates that our residents approve of what Columbus did and are grateful. We cannot escape that fact by hiding the statue among a display of other historical scumbags. A man who sold people into slavery for the crime of being indigenous is not statue worthy, plain and simple.

The city should stop spending money trying to deny the ugly history of Columbus. We cannot recontextualize European settler colonialism and the enslavement of human beings. Nor should we try. The very act of trying degrades our humanity.

Rachel Wenning, Hilltop

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Bike loop underwhelming

"Bike friendly Downtown: See $100 million pan to swap road lanes for pedestrian passages," Feb 28: It was with a bit of interest and humor that I read about the planning for the Capitol Line, the much bally-hooed bike and pedestrian path around downtown Columbus.

Wow! What an . . . underwhelming proposal.

In short, the plan looks a bit too constricted and unimaginative. Let’s look at other cities, our competition, for comparison:

• The Indianapolis Cultural Trail is over eight miles and snakes through most of their downtown;

• The Denver 5280 is over 5 miles and ties together most of that city’s urban amenities;

• The Atlanta Beltline is over 22 miles long and encircles that downtown;

• The Nashville Groove is a 26-mile system of loops that touches most of that city’s highlights.

While most of these cities are trying to expand their definition of downtown, Columbus seems stuck on a narrow vision that seems to start and stop at Gay Street.

Bike friendly Downtown: See $100 million plan to swap road lanes for pedestrian passages

Their own map shows this narrow focus, with huge swaths of gray outside of the loop. Short North? Outside the loop. Arena District? Outside the Loop. Arts District? Outside the Loop. Franklinton? Outside the Loop. German Village? Way outside the loop.

If other cities’ plans are any indication, you want to loop in all or most of these areas.

In short, this seems to be a plan that only Gay Street merchants could love.

It totally shortchanges all the great amenities surrounding the downtown core — unlike almost all of the loops in our competing cities.

If you want this to be an attraction to folks living downtown and all those areas around downtown, you want it to brush up against all of these attractions that visitors want to see when they come to Columbus.

Heck, tiny Milford, a suburb of Cincinnati, has a more ambitious loop.

One would almost think that developers don’t want a vibrant pedestrian/bike loop for fear it might attract potential customers downtown and away from their suburban developments. These other cities don’t seem to view it that way.

Try to show a bit more vision, people.

Robert Thorn, Gahanna

Positive notes struck by city high school musicians

I was recently ushering at Ohio Theater as a volunteer usher for CAPA (Columbus Association for the Performing Arts).

They were having a closed orchestral performance by five high schools from the Columbus Public Schools: Columbus Alternative, Fort Hayes, Mifflin, South and Marian Franklin.

Only 150 students and their teachers were given the chance to play for each other along with guidance from Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Associate Conductor Andres Lopera.

Seated on stage, with house lights off, they were serious about their music and instruments, respectful and very attentive.

It was a pleasure to see and hear them and proved to be a positive learning experience for everyone.

It's great to know that some truly positive education is happening in ways we don't always hear about.

Barbara Topolosky, Columbus

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Christopher Columbus a scumbag. Don't reinstall statue in Columbus, Ohio