Appreciate outgoing councilmembers
Thank you Watsonville Councilmembers Rebecca Garcia and Lowell Hurst for your longtime dedication to the Watsonville City Council. Please know that the Watsonville community is forever thankful for your leadership.
—Daryl Wise, Watsonville
Ancestral guilt
As an amateur genealogist, I would like to add my perspective to the recent banishment of historical individuals such as George Washington (from the Watsonville Plaza) and Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (from the letterhead of our local junior college).
I recently discovered that a direct Eggleston ancestor, living in Hartford, Conn. in the mid-1600s, kept two household slaves.
I have also done genealogical work for many Hispanic (Latinx if you prefer) friends. Where records on Ancestry.com are available back to the 1500s, all of my Spanish surnamed friends have ancestors who were conquistadores—perpetrators of the indigenous genocide in America. Most people with Spanish surnames are descendants of the European invaders of America.
Accurate historical perspective tells us that slavery and genocide were historically quite common, almost normal. After all, genocide is a major theme in the Old Testament.
As Pogo said: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
—Don Eggleston, Aptos
Hi Don
Very good article indeed and very interesting. Just out of curiosity we’re any of those conquistadores surnamed Trijillo? That would be very irionic indeed
WT
Hilarious.
You like that huh our friend doesn’t see my posts hahahaha
i also want to add my thanks to Francisco Estrada, outgoing councilman. i hope he will run for office again in the future.
yes, Don, and Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was one of the worst. as a state community college, it is our DUTY to name our institutions of learning with CARE, which did not happen in 1959. hopefully, we have learned from this egregious error.
Lowell “Do nothing” Hurst yea he did a a lot for the city like getting our first pot dispensary on hangar way for all the illegal campers to conveniently buy weed from. Did not contribute to much infrastructure improvements as evidenced in the flooding in Watsonville now. He will continue to live off the fat of the land in the best part of the city. He will be back after his term limit runs out.
I’m sure this post will be deleted as spam.