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Should the US continue to honor Columbus Day?
Results so far:
| No | 58% | 933 votes | Total: 1599 votes | |
| Yes | 42% | 666 votes |
No
by Jan Fulton
Created on: November 10, 2007 Last Updated: May 24, 2010
No, the US should no longer observe Christopher Columbus Day, because he wasn't responsible for the "finding" of America. This continent was here for centuries before Christopher was a gleam in his father's eye.
The Spanish, as well as our later English ancestors, did not have any rights to this continent. It was already inhabited by Natives who took far better care of this land, than we have in all the years we have possessed it.
While our ancestors considered the Indians as heathens, because they lived differently, and believed in another form of the Supreme Being, without the help of those "savages" none of us would be here, today. Still, our ancestors tried to destroy the American Indian, every way they could.
Even in comparing the times of Columbus to the modern day, whether under the guise of religion, or political power, man has not progressed. He is still full of war, killing, destroying everything, taking control of others' lives, stealing all that they have, making unfair judgments towards the rights of all, while he pretends he is doing this for good things in life for a choice few. Why does man think he's the only one that should have anything, and the best of everything, in this world.
This is the 21st Century and we all still act like a bunch of cavemen. God gave us an entire universe to explore, so we would never become over populated. But man prefers to keep us contained here, like a bunch of sheep waiting for slaughter, to maintain control.
Man's lessons should be positive and progressive. Man can't even progress enough to admit that woman is the equal balance of his species, and is entitled to all the rights and privileges and enjoyments this world has to offer. Since God gave those rights to all, there is no one on this earth with the authority to take them away.
While men are using the name of God, and Allah, and Jesus, as excuses for their atrocious behaviors on society, they lie to themselves and especially our naive young to give their lives to destroy innocents. These selfish big mouths say they're doing what the Supreme Being wants. It will be a wonderful day to see them put in their place, and it won't be Heaven.
The egos of these men even believe that Heaven is about them getting 40 virgins, this is not a law of Allah, but the greediness of some one-thing-on-their-minds men who can't get past the only part of the body that matters to them.
In their minds, even our Heavenly Home will be filled with their selfishness, and still we will be expected to suffer so they can have. They are in for a sad awakening when they meet the Supreme Being in battle and find out HE hates them for what they've done in HIS name.
But this is not simply for the middle eastern religions, this applies for all men of all religions. Priests, Rabbis, Preachers, all were given too much of our trust, and how were we repaid.
Politicians are the same. If they are to serve us and our country, why do they make more money than we do? Why do they get to change the laws that we have voted on and agreed to?
Businessmen and employers who all seem to forget who made their companies what they are. There is no CEO anywhere who is worth more than the employees working each job everyday. Those employees and their families are the ones entitled to the profits.
So the battles continue, as families are separated for the almighty dollar. As fathers continue to make children with no love in their hearts for the care and upbringing of those beautiful souls, expecting the mother with a lesser salary, to be the only parent.
As men are drawn away from the rules and regulations that prove him to be an honest, loyal, true man, as God meant for him to be. As more of our lives are destroyed, until we cry to our merciful God to release us from all of this tyranny. Still, man makes excuses for his behaviors, instead of having the guts to change himself and each other.
Our history continues to chronicle even more mistakes our countries have enforced on their fellow man. No, Rodney, obviously, no one can just get along. We are no different than the conquistadors who murdered and stole the gold from the Mayans, no matter how many years have passed.
I wonder if Columbus had known how the future would be, if he would have believed that all this was worth the many lives that were destroyed so more land and products could be procured. Probably so, right?
Learn more about this author, Jan Fulton.
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Yes
by Jesse Lyman
Created on: April 06, 2010
It has been said that the Vikings were the first Europeans to “discover” America and the ruins, however faint, found in Newfoundland Canada seem to bear that out. It may also be true that a Chinese explorer, named Zheng He, arrived in North America with a rather large fleet some 70 years ahead of Columbus. So with all that said, just what makes the North American adventures of Christopher Columbus so noteworthy?
The answer is not in any notion of being the first, especially now that it has been disproven by the above. No, it is in the profound impact of his landing and indeed its permanence. None of the previous visitors had any lasting effects.
The Vikings came and then left. If the story of Zheng He and his armada is true, then that potential greatness was left to rot on the docks in China along with his grand fleet.
China by that time was turning itself inward. Undoubtedly, the profoundness of Columbus’s landing is to be found in the North American and indeed global reality we live in today. That is to say, the event still lives; unlike the others.
But with that said, maybe some further reflection about Columbus Day is still in order. Indeed, would it not be more accurate, and more inclusive, to rename it something like lets say, “Discovery Day” or maybe “Event Day”?
It is very true that Columbus took quite a bold chance, and in so doing forever changed the world. Yet by stamping the day with his name, the focus ends up on Columbus the icon while the event itself, and all the spokes that radiate out from it, end up as secondary considerations.
His voyage is a remarkable story to be sure, but so are many others and they don’t have dates set aside in their honor. So it is reasonable to ask, which is actually bigger, Columbus’ voyage or Europe’s arrival?
Of equal note, a focus on the man ignores the fact that there was an indigenous population that also discovered Columbus and at least indirectly, Europe!
The day of his arrival, and thus Europe’s, is one which all of humanity should look at with extreme ambivalence. If at the time, one called the Western Hemisphere home and watched as “home” was suddenly claimed for the King and Queen of Spain, then you had just witnessed what would prove to be the start of a human calamity the likes of which would not be topped until we see the likes of Stalin and Hitler.
Additionally, it would in fact last significantly longer. So as waves of Europeans soon followed, perhaps it was not a genocide that ensued, since after taking the land, gold and resources, these “new arrivals” generally showed a remarkable indifference toward the Native Peoples.
At least as long as they stayed quiet and played ball. Certainly not so for Europe’s later Tartars, Gypsies and Jews, though in making that assertion it must be realize that a crime still took place and went unanswered for.
On the other hand of course, if one believes in the theory that all of humanity emerged out of Africa roughly around 100,000 years ago, then we are also looking at the point where this grandest of all human diaspora begins the process of reconnecting.
Add in that continuing evolution called the United States, with its ceaseless drive to improve itself and the planet-wide human condition, and the paradox becomes quite glaring.
All at once Columbus Day marks mankind at our most self-centered, materialistic and bigoted worst and yet also at our deepest, humane and dynamic best.
So is Columbus Day worthy of all the hoopla? For all the resulting mix of pain and triumph, you bet. As long as we accept, learn and grow by both.
Learn more about this author, Jesse Lyman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
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