Columbus Day

So today was Columbus Day during English class. Most of our discussion centered around that topic and its repercussions in our times. I didn’t even know it was Columbus day till yesterday when my parents told me that my sister had school off today. I didn’t even know Columbus Day was worthy of no school. Except for us poor aTm students. I was surprised Ms.Wheeler made a big deal about the day. I have never heard anyone even analyze the day and why we celebrate it. I think it would be interesting to hear the background of Columbus Day and why we celebrate it in the first place. I don’t see why it is a holiday. Columbus doesn’t have anything to do with America.

“tomorrow our nation celebrates the life and "accompishments" of the man responsible for the mass murder, rape, and forced dislocation of many natives. he was also a heroin addict and aided in the spread of syphilis between the continents. America, what exactly are we teaching our children? Or, rather, what are we not teaching them?” I saw this quote as a facebook status after I got back from class and I feel it is in agreement with the mood of class. I know that much of the history that has been fed to me is slanted and biased on many levels but sometimes you don’t realize it until later in life. I’m pretty sure that if Christopher Columbus was alive today he would be as vilified as Paris Hilton (well hopefully he wouldn’t be a hero at the least). America looks at him as a model man because he fits America’s agenda. Ourselves.

This is just another example of how we put people on a pedestal to further ourselves. Even our heroes have secret sins that too often are covered up. Our history could truly be told like it occurred if we accepted that people are flawed beings in need of a Savior. Because then we wouldn’t have a need to cover up the Holocaust so we could feel better about ourselves. We would be free to tell the stories of all the rape and pillaging that American soldiers have done that isn’t found in our textbooks at all. If we continue to think we have to cover up our mistakes so we will look “perfect”, then it will continue to come back and bite us.

After thinking today about Columbus Day, I don’t think we have a legitimate reason to celebrate it. Unless mass genocide is the fashion. Why don’t we have a day for the Native Americans who got their land and often their lives taken? I say we rename Columbus Day “the day that Native Americans were brutally destroyed by white westerners Day”. Let’s see you take off school now. Honestly, Columbus Day must have been somebody’s excuse for taking off a day of work in October. There is no reason for it at all. As far as I know Germany doesn’t have a Holocaust Day. So sorry Mr. Columbus, I don’t think your holiday means anything.

Honestly, most of our holidays seem kinda random and pointless anyway. St. Patrick’s Day? Beer and wearing green. Halloween? Candy and costumes. Christmas? Easter is WAY more important which makes Christmas an excuse for businesses to make a profit. Even Valentine’s Day seems pointless to me. (Don’t kill me ladies I didn’t mean it!)

I would be perfectly fine with changing Columbus Day to Native American Day and having school off then. J Maybe by the time my children are in school! But I think it is definitely a good thing to evaluate the cultural traditions we have and the reasons behind them. If we did then we might reconsider our hypocritical stance on our history.