Columbus Day ?
- Thread starter Haunted
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I don't understand why we celebrate this Holiday. Columbus never set foot on the North American continent. Besides, you can't "discover" a place that was always there and already inhabited.
To quote Living Colour, "History's a lie that they teach you in school...."
To quote Living Colour, "History's a lie that they teach you in school...."
I understand the reason for the holiday. His discovery (for the European continent, of a land already inhabited) changed everything. Everything. Now, whether that was good or bad depends on the side of history that one falls, but safe to say that most of us on this continent wouldn't quite be here in quite this state had that discovery not been made.
I can also understand the reasons to spurn it as a holiday, because to the indigenes (some of whom were my ancestors), it's a case of, "This is the first day of the downfall." Even growing up, I thought it was salt in the wound for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be closed on Columbus Day.
It's a conflicting thing.
I can also understand the reasons to spurn it as a holiday, because to the indigenes (some of whom were my ancestors), it's a case of, "This is the first day of the downfall." Even growing up, I thought it was salt in the wound for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be closed on Columbus Day.
It's a conflicting thing.
I hereby humbly apologize to those Indiginous Peoples who were harmed by my ancestors actions. It's not a very nice chapter in our country's history.
I don't want to turn this into a political discussion, really. What happened to the American indigenes was nothing short of criminal.
However, the acquisition of real estate by force is nothing new to humanity. The invaders did it to each other back in Europe. The indigenes did it to each other in the Americas. That's not to excuse or dismiss it. Just to place it into context. The urge of conquest is, unfortunately, in our collective human experience.
The Europeans had different technology and ethos, and they were better at it.
I prefer to call it Vikings Day. They, unlike Columbus, did make it to the East Coast.
Well, I do know it is a day for closed post offices, banks and federal offices.
Governments, local or Federal, is still acquiring land it wants through eminent domain.
Sure, with allegedly reasonable compensation therefor. It's not quite like buying Manhatten Island for 25 bucks and change. Or, for that matter, giving land away per the Homestead Act that other people already occupied.
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
No kidding!
what I mean is - I hate it when people start going at it in the Politics threads
