Christopher Columbus, although commonly portrayed as a brave an courageous explorer who discovered America, was actually a murderous torturing rapist and slaver who directly murdered, maimed, and raped hundreds, if not thousands, of Native Americans. Moreover, Christopher Columbus' arrival to the new world caused the death of 37 million natives due to several diseases, such as smallpox, that had never before infected a single person in America, which caused natives to have no immune protection against it. Columbus' voyage to the new world also marked the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade when the so called great voyager kidnapped members of the Taino people and brought back to Spain, which would last 300 years, with up to 15 million African men, women, and children kidnapped from their homes by violent European or European hired village raiders, who would then transport these newly bound and appropriated people to slave ports, where they would often separate families and chain hundreds of slaves together in the basements of slaver ships, who would make a long and arduous journey to America, during which many slaves would die. The ones who survived this horrifyingly abhorrent trip to the New World would be auctioned off as property, usually to do physical labor in plantations and mines. The life of a slave was one devoid of dignity and humanity and filled with fear and pain. The atrocities experienced by African slaves in America are possibly the epitome of inhumanity and cruelty, the tortuously long hours of work coupled with the beatings and lashings regularly given by overseers were only the surface of the deep and vast array of evil perpetrated upon slaves.

 The fact that a statue was erected in honor of the man whose actions caused an incomprehensible amount of pain and suffering without a single acknowledgement for his atrocious cruelty is downright insulting. At the bottom of the plinth is a plaque that reads:

AUDACES FORTUNA JUVAT
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HE DREAMED GREATLY:
HE DARED COURAGEOUSLY:
HE ACHIEVED MIGHTILY:
GUIDED BY THE HAND OF GOD:
HE GAVE US A NEW WORLD -
AMERICA
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DEDICATED OCTOBER 12, 1953 A.D.

In an age of change and revolution, how can we have pride in ourselves as a people when statues glorifying inhumane killers of Native Americans are still displayed with a complete disregard for their moral sins? It is not right, it is unacceptable, it is immoral, insensitive, and inglorious to our home. 

Philosopher George Santayana once stated "Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.", and for as long as we do not acknowledge the horrific reality of our past we cannot move on to create a more perfect world.

During this time of turmoil and division, I urge you to sign and contribute to the spread of this petition, as well as participate in other forms of protest for equality, for "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.".