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It is indeed true that Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon is his proper name, why does everyone have to "Americanize" it?) never actually stepped foot on any part of what is not the United States of America. It is also true that Colon did not even REALIZE he had found a "new world", but an alternate route to the resource rich East Indies. Finally, his treatment of the natives of North America was less than altruistic, to say the least, much like most of the explorers from Europe who came after him.

So, why does the United States celebrate Columbus Day? In short, it's for "the explorers from Europe who came after him". What I mean is that without Colon making his daring and historic journey which was mere days from absolute failure, none of those others would have come after. Ponce de Leon, Americo Vespucci, John Cabot, Cortez, Pizarro, Coronado. You get the idea. Obviously, at SOME point, SOMEONE would have "discovered" the "new world" and spread the news to the rest of the world, but it may have taken decades or even centuries more, and the whole history of this region, and the world as a whole, would be markedly different. Some may say better, some may say worse; that is for each person to judge.

However, most modern Americans are proud of their European heritage, and one must wonder how different the whole world would be if, say, the Muslim world had discovered this area prior to the Europeans. Or even if the English had sailed here first instead of the Spanish. Yes, technically Colon was Italian, but he had been hired and financed by the king and queen of Spain, and was therefore acting as an agent of Spain. That's why most of the islands of the Caribbean Sea, as well as the surrounding continental areas, still bear Spanish names, and why those living these still speak Spanish. So to me it is beyond question that while he never stepped foot on American soil, the contributions of Columbus to our existence are worthy of a day.

Perhaps it would help to think of it less as a day just for him, and more as a day to reflect on those explorers. If you are an American, find out who first discovered and explored the region in which you live. See if your area used to have a different name in a different language. I am from Indiana, and live near the Wabash River. My area was originally explored by the French, the "Wabash" River being the "Oabache", and my home town being known as "Terre Haute" (High Land).

Finally, a note about

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