Finally someone has come up with saying what I have said for years in a PSA spot. Why should we be celebrating or recognizing a holiday for a person who committed crimes against humanity? What Columbus did to the indigenous people can be likened to what Hitler did during WW2 and yet we don't give him a holiday. It would be absurd to do so and so with that I ask that you reconsider Columbus Day.
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WOW...are we really blaming Columbus for slavery and crimes against Native Americans? The reason this day is celebrated is because his theory, which is now fact, of the world is round and not flat, led to the discovery of new trade routes and particularly because he did find the America's as they were called then.
ReplyDeleteIf you look up many of the people celebrated in history you will see most were not saints, this does not take away from their accomplishments. Blaming Columbus for slavery and atrocities against Native Americans is like blaming Charles Manson's great grandfather for the killings Manson's cult did. We celebrate an entire month for Native Americans...should we? Some of my ancestors belonged to one of the most vicious tribes ever, the Iroquois. You see this tribe indiscriminately attack both new settlers and other tribes. They too enslaved, raped and pillaged. If we apply the principles of these video makers the answer would be no. Slavery...seriously we are going to blame Columbus. Maybe we should also blame Africans for this. Were they not the ones who rounded up the weaker tribes in Africa and sold them? So should we get rid of that month too? No, because the point of these celebrations is to celebrate the good things not the bad.
If half the people of this world put the effort they do into making something like this seem so terrible to solving real problems, we probably would have cured cancer or colonized Mars by now. Analyzing whether Columbus does or does not deserve a day based on events that occurred because he discovered the Americas is getting way past the point of why we celebrate the day.
For the people who keep comparing Columbus and Hitler...here is one to ponder. If Hitler had discovered a cure for cancer would we celebrate him?
The comparison to Hitler is due to the genocide factor. No matter how you'd like to slice it Columbus WAS responsible for the mass genocide of numerous Native American tribes as was the US Government. And if Hitler had discovered a cure for cancer after bringing about a Holocaust of massive proportions I do not think we would have sugar coated that fact and created a holiday for that man. Give him a Nobel Peace Prize maybe because even Obama got one of those for just sitting on his ass and making promises that he back peddled on even before he took office so I guess they give them out like candy these days.
ReplyDeleteIt's pure history, Christopher Columbus murdered numerous native american tribes on his search for "America" which by the way he didn't find. Add to that he was a drunk. So off that point and on to the next. Just because a person accomplishes something does not mean that they should be rewarded with a holiday especially when that accomplishment lead to the death of many people. Last I checked I don't think there is a holiday for the guy who created say the atom bomb. And think of all the things atomic energy has done for us - and then weigh that against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Don't think he's getting a holiday any time soon. So with Columbus are we saying that the ends justifies the means here?
Native American's aren't asking for a full month to be observed for them, what they are asking is that we not extoll a person who was responsible for the genocide of many of their tribes. I don't feel that that is much to ask and personally I wouldn't mind giving them a whole month this land of the Americas belong to them until it was taken from them either by deceit or outright murder.
Black history month isn't to celebrate slavery as much as it is to celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans who for the most part happen to be descendants of slaves. And like the American Indian they too deserve to celebrate their heritage and the trials that they have overcome. I don't see anyone complaining about the Jewish holidays celebrating their exodus from Egypt.
Now on the slave trade, I being of biracial decent (along with being of native american decent) do hold those tribes accountable that sold their brothers into slavery the same way I would say that the Iroquois were vicious killers. You have that in all races white, black, yellow or red. But you don't see a holiday being given to a specific tribe or culture that was guilty of MASS genocide.
So in ending as we mature in our understanding of history it is necessary to take a good look in the mirror and ask ourselves that with what we know now is celebrating a holiday for a person who is linked to the genocide of a race really the right thing to do? If we want to celebrate a holiday for the accomplishment of the discovery of the Americas we could just have a blanket celebration and celebrate ALL the sailors who searched and found the Americas. Call it Day of the Americas or Americas Day.
There were many slaves and native americans too that helped ship Captains navigate the seas and they could be included as well along with their histories. And could we include Christopher Columbus - why not he did discover new trade routes.
With that solved we can now focus on solving some real world problems like curing cancer which btw the pharmaceutical companies probably already did but would loose great amounts of money curing, and colonize both Mars and the Moon.