Columbus Day has evolved into… Native American day(but if you’re born here aren’t you?) or possibly indigenous peoples day– anything but the remembrance of an Italian sailor exploring new sea routes to Asia for the Spanish crown.
Historical scapegoats are nothing new… especially as younger generations struggle with white, European, Judeo-Christian guilt. Columbus is viewed through modern moral constructs and defined by 20th century terminology- genocide has become the all encompassing definition of humanitarian crimes, despite the fact that Columbus and men of his day had no concept of these implications.
We can all agree that Columbus was no mythical hero… or perhaps the heroic proportions often attributed to him were mythical. But we should not deny his accomplishment- his exploration did open the door to European colonization. If we choose only to view the tragic events that follow, the larger implications are overlooked- the ideals that led to the founding of America could never have flourished in monarchical Europe. North America was the ideal breeding ground for life, liberty, and property– thanks Chris…**
** For the record; Columbus believed, til his dying day, that he had in fact landed in Asia.
Funny about those who scream with apoplectic rage over the invasion of the land of the indigenous people. I have yet to know one who was willing to pull up stakes and exit the country as an example of moral superiority to the rest of us. (By the way, I’m 1/8 Iroquois and have no problem with Columbus, only armchair activists with a revolving agenda.)
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