In America, you can always find somebody willing to bring you down. I have to say, as a Native American I really don't find Columbus day that offensive. I mean, people aren't actually celebrating it (although you might get some items on sale at the grocery store) and despite us knowing well and good that Columbus didn't discover America, we like to have stories of heroism to tell as part of our collective history, even if they aren't exactly true (ex. Jessica Lynch). Sure, the guy brought on the rape and destruction of our land and caused the extinction of millions of lives, but he probably didn't mean to. I say let's forgive him, and remember that just because America observes the holiday doesn't mean that people are actually celebrating "conquest and genocide". Some people, however, just aren't willing to forgive and forget, and therein lies the problem. Those who resent Columbus day should forgive everyone, and those who observe Columbus day should forget about it, since it's about as made-up as Halloween. That, or, like Halloween, we should transform it into a non-religious celebration that has nothing to do with anything except partying. America could do with a few more of those kinds of holidays anyway.
To that end, if enough of you support me, I will begin a "Forgive and Forget Columbus Day" movement to end both our observation of the heroics of this nobody who didn't discover America and the counter-trend toward resentment of this holiday. Perhaps we could have, in its place, a "America Discovery Day" where we could all celebrate the date our ancestors got over here (although those of us who were here first kind of forget the exact day...I mean, it has been 12,000 years.)
Monday, October 10, 2005
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6 comments:
Shut your injun mouth.
Now that is not the kind of enlightened commentary we're looking for, you greasy beaner.
Ha...I have to say I support the idea of "forgive and forget." You know it seems like the only reason it's a controversy is because somebody wants to defiantly celebrate it, somebody gets offended, then somebody gets offended as someone's offense, and then next you think you know Columbus is being burned in effigagy or is having papier mache statutes built of him. Really, though his discovery was significant, it takes some of the wind out of his supporter's sails to think that dirty Vikings got here first.
If we want to celebrate the rape and destruction of land and people, then we should celebrate Hernan Cortez Day or Cabeza de Vaca Day. They caused far more devastation in Central and South America than any other "conquerer" in North America. Columbus was just looking to get rich (and give a little to the King and Queen of Spain). I guess you could say he was a loyal supporter of his political party.
I'd agree Columbus gets a disproportionate share of the blame for being the "first" European to stumble across America. And in enslaving and murdering some Natives here and there, he really did nothing to rate with the likes of Cortez. But still, when you're first, you're going to get a little more recognition and blame from history. I'm sure somebody would try to blame the Vikings, except Natives actually suceeded in driving them off, which pretty much was the last success they had against Europeans.
Here we go again. Another year, another chance for Leftist hatemongers to bash and badmouth Columbus day. They view it as a day of infamy when those "evil Europeans" came to the New World.
It makes you wonder -- why exactly we are supposed to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month , then? The Spanish were the first to arrive, and Spanish culture wiped out much of the native culture. Our Leftist loudmouths have some strange racial (and racist) hierarchy going on. Conquistadors = okay. Pilgrims = monsters. (As an aside, this parallels the demonizing of the Puritans' religiosity as crazed extremism, while lauding Muslim's far greater piety as "their culture" which should be "respected".)
Second, none of these bigots is ready to correct the "mistake" of human migration and give up the deeds of their house to some American Indian tribes and pack up for the Old World. I guess that would spoil the fun of the ritual badmouthing, whining, demonizing, preaching and the feeling of superiority that comes every year on Columbus Day.
http://veraciraptor.blogspot.com
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