Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) got a much-needed history lesson after he attacked protesters in Minneapolis who toppled a statue of the noted explorer Christopher Columbus as part of the demonstrations that continue in connection with the killing of George Floyd by police officers, four of whom have been charged with crimes ranging from second-degree murder to manslaughter.
Seeing video of the statue being knocked down, Cruz posted this on Twitter:
American Taliban. https://t.co/rYcKpvoYhk
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 11, 2020
In response, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), shut Cruz down with this reminder:
This was organized and led by Indigenous people.
Columbus literally started a genocide against them.
What a sick thing to say about those taking down monuments to their own oppression. https://t.co/awLxvyXGDZ
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 11, 2020
Rep. Omar is absolutely correct: Columbus did indeed commit genocide among the indigenous people he found in the New World. Consider these facts which are detailed in historical documents:
- Columbus kidnapped a Carib woman and gave her to a crew member to rape
- Settlers under Columbus sold 9-and 10-year-old girls into sexual slavery
- Columbus kidnapped and enslaved more than a thousand people on Hispaniola
- Columbus forced Indians to collect gold for him or else die
Cruz also got a dragged by others on social media who wanted him to know the truth about Columbus:
A US Senator calling American citizens, who are angry of our racist past, “American Taliban,” is about as cowardly an act as refusing to defend your wife from an orange turd.
— Black Lives Matter (@HKrassenstein) June 11, 2020
Breaking News: Ted Cruz bravely sticks up for a statue; working up the courage to stick up for wife, dad, other actual human beings.
— Clown Car (@ClownCar3) June 11, 2020
American Taliban pic.twitter.com/7sYB5o3fFU
— Benny vessey (@Bennyvessey) June 11, 2020
You are calling Native Americans who we, as a nation wiped off the planet, the Taliban? You are one fucked up dude.
Oh and your wife is butt ass ugly so I guess you will endorse me for President.
— YS (@NYinLA2121) June 11, 2020
American Taliban: pic.twitter.com/dsIK81rEGk
— LibertyIsStillALady (@still_liberty) June 12, 2020
Just gonna leave these here pic.twitter.com/7Us3yWbxCN
— Barbara Marshall (@BBbmarsh) June 11, 2020
Featured Image Via Twitter