A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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Good morning Kogs and Kossacks in Dailykosland!
Let's start the working week with a Moral Monday.
Is it possible to separate Columbus from the holiday?
When I was in elementary school, I had no idea Columbus Day was controversial.
The holiday didn't mean much to me. It was just a day off from school. But I liked school, so I was not fond of days off. My only memory is of the song we learned at "music time":
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
in fourteen hundred ninety two
for many weeks he was at sea
with sailing ships that numbered three
yo ho! yo ho! yo ho, three ships, yo ho!
The wind was cold the waves were high
no friendly stars were in the sky
Turn back, turn back, the sailors pled;
sail on, sail on, Columbus said
yo ho! yo ho! yo ho, three ships, yo ho!
And so he steered his little band until at last they sighted land
today we honor him with song, Columbus hero brave and strong
yo ho! yo ho! yo ho, three ships, yo ho!
We cheerfully sang yo ho and none of us were the wiser.
In 1967 Flip Wilson released a comedy record called "Cowboys and Colored People" including a routine about Christopher Columbus. Most of it is dated and cruel stereotyping, but the first person he finds after landing is a "fine West Indian girl" who says to him "We don't want to be discovered. You can't discover nobody if they don't want to be discovered. You better discover your ass away from here!" About the same time Dick Gregory had a political comedy routine about Columbus where he asked, "How can you 'discover' a country that is already occupied? Can I go to the parking lot right now and 'discover' your car? With you in it?" I had never thought about it that way before.
The next year I went to a progressive alternative school where we were taught countercultural perspectives on history. When we sang yo ho with such gusto in elementary school, no one told us anything about the many peoples and cultures that thrived in the Americas before Columbus. But in my hippie school I learned that Columbus was not anywhere near the first white man to come to North America, that he never landed anywhere near the US mainland, and other details of his true legacy of lies, exploitation, disease, torture, rape, slavery, and slaughter.
In 1974 I came to Boston where Columbus Day was a much bigger deal--partly because of the concentrated Italian population in the North End, and partly because it is a long weekend at the most spectacular time of year for foliage. It became one of my favorite holidays, but not because of anything to do with Columbus himself. I just liked the chance to see the leaves and pick apples, even though most of the time I had jobs that did not give October 12 as a paid holiday.
The real tipping point did not come until 1992, when protests against the Quincentennial were being held all over the place. Berkeley renamed the holiday Indigenous People's Day. The National Council of Churches issued a statement saying that "celebration is not an appropriate observation of this anniversary" and encouraging all its members to educate themselves about "the factual histories of indigenous people, the colonization of their lands and the effects today of colonization, including the loss of land, lives and cultures".
There may be people here who think my slow trajectory on this issue makes me laughably naïve, on the same scale as the guy who had to see 12 Years a Slave before he realized slavery was bad, but that's my journey. I still love the long weekend in October, even though it has been many decades since I had any respect for Columbus. Part of me wishes I could just separate him from the holiday that bears his name, and I don't know whether that is possible.
Do you mark this day in any particular way? Is it a day of protest? A day to honor First Nation peoples? Do you just ignore the day? Can enjoying the October weekend be separated from the evil done by the man it is named after?
Is it possible to separate Columbus from Columbus Day?
start up soundtrack
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
Where the Kogs Are: Index/Directory of the 130+ Localized Daily Kos Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by Sara R ♥ for Koscadia
Koscadians got together one more time to Stamp Money Out of Politics
L-R: also mom of 5, loggersbrat, Quill, pdxteacher, J Orygun, KitRMP, HRM & Arenosa
Please visit Sara R's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Koscadia by sending a Kosmail to Sara R.
by mimi ♥ for New York City
Here's a great photo recap of all the Kossacks marching in NYC at the People's Climate March on September 21, 2014.
L-R: Raines and Tool holding the banner
L-R: ?, mole jr., Mrs. Mole333, boatsie, The Poet Deploreate, WarrenS, ? mole333 and kathny
Please visit mimi's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join New York City by sending a Kosmail to kathny.
Coachella Kossacks MeetUp and How to add a link to your signature
by Susan Grigsby ♥ for Coachella Kossacks
Susan Grisby put out the call for other readers of Daily Kos near Palm Desert and now we have the beginning of organizing there.
Here's the charter group! Go Susan! Special thanks to susans for driving down from L.A. to lend support.
L-R: ruscle, ruscle+one, Susan Grisby & blue drop
Look at all that orange! Shirt, tops and a hat! Sweet.
Please visit Susan Grigsby's diary for MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Coachella Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Susan Grigsby.
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
tmservo433 organized a registering-to-vote event for Ford County, Kansas in Dodge City to reach out to Latino voters there. He partnered with League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Ford County Democratic Party. 150 people attended to listen to John Thomas (KS House District 119 Candidate), Jean Schodorf (Secretary of State Candidate), Jim Sherow (US House, KS District 1 Candidate), Mark Low (Kansas House Candidate, District 115).
"LULAC volunteers sat at their table and handled registration after registration as people came to the event to listen to how they could change their state. We knew that not only were we helping to register new and first time voters, we were helping to bring a message into a community that has been ignored - and to help them take that message back to their friends and families."
This is a great example of reaching out to disenfranchised communities and helping them vote. Because If Democratic base voters turn out, we win. Can't be said enough. More regions need to do this.
Please visit tmservo433's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tmservo433.
Meetup Success! C+J/NE Kossacks Sept 6th
by nhox42 ♥ for New England Kossacks
The New England Kossacks got together at the home brillig and mik north of Boston. Kossacks drove from all over New England to attend. Looks like a great time was had by all.
Folks in attendance were: brillig, mik, K1, K2, Simple, nhox42, Ed Tracey, GreyHawk, Kathy, TrueBlueMajority, theKgirls, Bill in Portland Maine, Common Sense Mainer, mayim, dtheo, RubDMC, AnotherMassachusettsLiberal, Debbie in ME, ialonelady, CwV, sardonyx, Noor B, Andy, James and Alex.
New England Kossacks
Please visit nhox42's diary for MORE photos! Including yummy food pr0n. Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join New England Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to nhox42.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Saturday, October 18th
DC Kossacks Potluck Picnicking on the National Mall
DC Kossacks is a regional group intended to organize meet-ups, discuss issues, strategize participation in pertinent activism, and build community for those of us who live in and around Washington DC.
TIME: NOON
LOCATION: National Mall
Take the Blue/Orange line to Smithsonian Metro Station. Exit the escalators and walk straight ahead across the first small lawn to the trees and grassy areas directly ahead. Look for a large plain orange cloth. That'll be us. It will help us recognize each other if you bring something GOS orange! • DC
ORGANIZER: Send NinthElegy a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. NinthElegy
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest entry: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Sunday, October 19th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up with navajo
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send kathny a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. ericlewis0
3. belinda ridgewood
4. kathny
5. sidnora
6. rubyr
7. joanbrooker
8. blue jersey mom
9. Nancy
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Maybees:
mconvente
mole333 and family
Son of Broccoli
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Latest diary: NYC Meetup Sunday 10/19 w Special Guest - NAVAJO
Saturday, October 25th
or
Sunday, October 26th
Salt Lake City Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: Beans & Brews
5938 S. State Street • Murray
ORGANIZER: Send jlms qkw a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. jlms qkw
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, October 25th
SFKossacks Attends Daily Kos Day at MoveOn.org's GOTV Offices
TIME: 10:00 AM
MoveOn's Voters Rising Office Location
Berkeley
2177 Bancroft Way (map)
Berkeley, CA
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. Meteor Blades
3. kimoconnor
4. skywriter
5. jotter
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Maybees:
Glen The Plumber
jpmassar
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Latest diary: Connect! Unite! Act! Daily Kos Teams With MoveOn.org's GOTV Events — Do You Cold Call Well?
Saturday, November 8th
Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
1201 First Avenue South • Seattle
ORGANIZER: Send John Crapper a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. John Crapper
2. Kitsap River
3. Charles Curtis Stanley
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Seattle Meet Up - Dog Day Activities
Saturday, December 13th
SF Kossacks Holiday Party at Daily Kos HQ
The usual Pot Luck drill - sign-up list posted soon
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Daily Kos HQ
Address given privately by kosmail • Berkeley
Near Ashby BART
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Markos
2. Will Rockafellow
3. Susan Gardner
4. Meteor Blades
5. Faith Gardner & Roxie!
6. navajo
7. side pocket
8. Mrs. side pocket
9. smileycreek
10. paradise50
11. remembrance
12. Glen The Plumber
13. TLO
14. jakedog42
15. edrie
16. dharmasyd
17. catilinus
18. boatsie
19. liberated spaces
20. citisven
21. kimoconnor
22. susans
23. maggiejean
24. 714day
25. Steven Payne
26. scaboni
27. skywriter
28. jpmassar
29. jotter
30. aha aha
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Maybees:
Thinking Fella
high uintas
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navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.