From: "Glenn Morris"  
To: tcd@yahoo.com, denveraim@coloradoaim.org, senatorsuzannewilliams@gmail.com 
Subject: Tuesday TCD meeting with Sen. Suzanne Williams 
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:00:04 +0000 


Transform Columbus Day/AIM folks, 
Thanks to all of you who attended last week's TCD meeting. Senator 
Suzanne Williams has agreed to meet with us on this Tuesday night, May 
1, from 6:30-7:30 to debrief about the legislative initiative(s) this 
session. Although it is not completely formal as of today, it appears 
that Ken Gordon's proposal for an American Indian genocide resolution 
(that he came and discussed with us last week) will not be allowed to 
be introduced this session, either. Ken's resolution was the last 
possibility that any resolution would be introduced, and so, t his 
means that no repeal bill or even a resolution about Columbus Day (or 
about the indigenous genocide) will be introduced, discussed, debated, 
or voted on this session. 

On Tuesday, after Senator Williams leaves, we will discuss a press 
conference for Thursday (May 3) at the Capitol. Bring your ideas and 
your creativity on Tuesday night. Hope to see you all there. Four 
Winds (5th and Bannock) at 6:30. Please bring something to share for a 
snack or a beverage, if you are able. 

Glenn Morris 

Dear TCD/ANA/AIM folks,

As many of you know, this is the 100th anniversary of the designation of Columbus Day as a state holiday in Colorado, the birthplace of the Columbus Day holiday. Also, as many of you might know, several of us from TCD/AIM have been working with State Senator Suzanne Williams on legislation to repeal the holiday. Since November, the draft legislation for repeal has been scuttled by the Democratic leadership, including the Lt. Governor (Barbara O'Brien), and the Senate President (Joan Fitzgerald). After Sen. Williams' proposal to repeal the holiday was submarined, a resolution was drafted for both houses of the legislature to consider. The resolution recounted the crimes of Columbus, and why he does not deserve a holiday. Although a resolution is not a law, it stated that the legislature was committed to repelaing the holiday in the next legislative session, beginning in January, 2008. A few of us took this resolution to Governor Bill Ritter, and ask ed him to support it. he refused. In addition, the Democratice leadership, now including House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, have made it clear that they will not support the repeal resolution.

This past Thursday, a meeting was held with Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, Sen. Williams, Senator Peter Groff, Senator. Senator Jim Isgar (who represents the area where the Ute reservations are) and Rep. Mike Cerbo. The sense of the meeting was that calling for the repeal of Columbus Day was "too controversial," but the retention of a racist holiday to an Indian-killing slavetrader is not "too controversial." Sen. Williams was also told that advancing such a proposal (that has been adopted by ten other states, including Wyoming and South Dakota) would be "political suicide" for her. Gordon then drafted his own resolution which, although it honestly recounted some of the worst history of repression against indigenous peoples, does not call for the repeal of Columbus Day. Even Gordon's watered-down resolution looks unlikely to move forward at this late date (the legilsature adjourns in early May), which leaves us to conclude that the opportunity that we have provided to the Democrat-controlled legislature to repeal Columbus Day on its 100th birthday, has been flatly rejected.

On this Tuesday night (April 24th), from 6-7 pm at Four Winds (5th and Bannock in Denver), Sens. Williams and Gordon have said that they would attend the meeting of TCD and AIM. Sens. Groff, Fitzgerald, and Rep. Cerbo have also been invited to attend. We will also invite the Governor and Lt. Governor to attend. There, we will have the opportunity to ask them why the Democrat-controlled Senate, House and Executive branch have acted in the same way as the Republicans in retaining the racist Columbus holiday. We encourage you all to attend on Tuesday night. After the legislators leave, we will begin a discussion of how to proceed for this momentus year. We are asking all of you who have helped to construct this very powerful movement to transtorm Columbus Day to attend this meeting. This will be a very diferent gathering from the past, and it will mark a new strategic direction for TCD. We look forward to seeing you there.

Glenn Morris

PS: If anyone on this list would like copies to compare the proposed repeal statute, Suzanne Williams' draft resoultion, and Gordon't draft resolution, please email me at gtm303@gmail.com, and I will email you copies. -- Glenn