Columbus Day
Is there another way to celebrate Columbus? We know he didn’t really discover ‘America.’ We know he, a white supposedly ‘christian’ male, was a racist (as were all the people of his time) who set the pattern for slaughtering and enslaving native peoples, not for greed or lust for power (of course not), but to civilize them and bring them to Jesus.
Why do we ignore these things about Columbus? Is it because ignoring them in him justifies ignoring them in ourselves and what our ancestors did to Native Americans, Puerto Ricans and Philipinos as we brought them civilization and democracy in the name of American exceptionalism?
Compared to most places in the world, the United States is a fine place to live, even for Blacks and women. We’re making progress in somethings, but back sliding in others. Let’s celebrate this Columbus Day, by looking clearly and honestly not only at Columbus, but at how far we’ve come and still have to go.
