Re: “Maine bicentennial event featuring replica of Columbus’ ship canceled following pushback” (July 10):

The “Hide the History Gang” is at it again. This time, our American Indian brothers have been infected with the virus.

Instead of using the chance to teach what a hateful and really ugly man Christopher Columbus really was, they demanded that the Columbus replica vessel, Nao Santa Maria, leave our shores and missed a golden opportunity to educate the public.

At all of the vessel’s appearances in Maine, many folks would have come to marvel at how such a primitive vessel could make trans-Atlantic crossings and then, for the first time, learned what a horrific impact that event had on so many people.

What the “Hide the History Gang” fails to realize is: How can you ever blame someone for perpetuating these ugly, barbaric actions if they’ve never been taught that this behavior is wrong and why it is wrong? How can we be expected to be ashamed and not repeat our ancestors’ follies if those very follies are hidden from us?

Bill Holly
Kittery Point