Hudson was simply man of his time

To the editor:

(re: “Some take issue with Henry Hudson statue,” Aug. 31)

I read with great interest the Aug. 31 story on the Henry Hudson memorial, and the comments made in regards to the question of propriety.

First, I live within close view of the statue, and the news of barking dogs alarmed by the statue at night seems more like a dog problem or a dog-owner problem, than a statue problem. I have never heard these supposed dogs.

Secondly, a closer examination of the sculpture of the American Indians in question shows them to be not only dignified, but also noble, despite the subservient posture of one native. They embody a confident skepticism of their wary European counterparts.

Thirdly, Henry Hudson was a man of the early 17th century. To make Hudson (and those artists and people who honored his achievements in the more recent past) responsible for the deprivations imposed upon the indigenous people of the New World is quite a stretch.

A more productive approach for those concerned with the honorable treatment of Native Americans would be to support efforts at making the lives of all surviving native families as healthy and intact as possible.

My mother smoked when she was pregnant with me, but I still have her picture on the wall.

Harry McQuinn