Thoughts on Columbus Day?

[Mooshi]

This totally slipped my mind and was only reminded about it thanks to complaining on Twitter. As a disclosure, I'm majority native to N.America and my mom is full-blooded. The only reason I even have some mixed Italian/Spanish blood is thanks to unquestionable acts that happened hundreds of years before I was even born. (yes, rape). For Europeans ect. who are unfamiliar, Columbus Day is a national holiday that celebrates the discovering of America. Except it was only made a national holiday 80 years ago and that he didn't actually discover America first..but what does history even matter when you get a day off out of it?

 

To me, it gets a shrug and a "why..?" I mean, we can't help what happened in the past and honestly before white settlers happened there was tribal conflict all the time. With that said, a lot of atrocities happened to the native population thanks to shady strangers. Not everyone was shady, but small pox and Spanish invasion is definitely a black stain in America's past. Personally, I find Columbus to be a tool and the holiday to be insulting to the word holiday. Days off are nice, but I'd like for the reason of celebration not be borderline genocide..but that's just me.

 

I've also learned some places are doing away with Columbus Day style of celebration and exchanging it for indigenous people day..KIND OF. At least acknowledging the native population. Perspectives are all over the place that you can read for yourself and make up your mind which way to feel about this.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/12/why-columbus-days-days-could-be-numbered/?postshare=9981444661353460

http://louderwithcrowder.com/columbusindigenous-people-day-education/

http://www.mtv.com/news/2345279/indigenous-woman-columbus-day/?xrs=_s.tw_news

 

People are trying to turn this into a conservative vs liberal hot topic, but as someone with the heritage I kinda find the whole thing to be dumb and trivializing to be quite honest. America today has such an awesome culture and tech that I definitely wouldn't want to give up--something all Americans can enjoy. To me, if anything, what should be taught about this day is the true history that an entire people were nearly wiped out, not what kids are taught of "oh, he was a man who got lost looking for spice and found America!"--nothing innocent about Columbus or the conquistadors. No one ever said history was pretty, but to gloss over things like how advanced the Aztecs and Inca ect civilizations were over is a bit unfair. That's my take anyway.

 

AT LEAST THERE IS A DAY OFF SO THAT MAKES EVERYTHING OKAY, RIGHT? 

[Mohenjo]

My school doesn't give us a day off, RIP 

[PlayStation 2]

Why don't we use Columbus Day as an excuse to stay off school/work/something not worth giving a shit about for another day?

[Tycho]

America today has such an awesome culture

...what?

[Mohenjo]

...what?

it does have a pretty nice culture in general.

[royalcrown]

Columbus did NOT discover America and Edison did not invent the light bulb. School is out now

[Mooshi]

...what?

 

Not saying it's a sophisticated one..but I will not turn down Taco Bell, free wifi or Intel/AMD chips.

[Guest Kloaked]

People are going to bitch about anything.

 

I get why people don't like to celebrate Columbus day, but we'd be way more productive if people would calm their shit, eat a pop tart and be excellent to each other.

[plsno]

I couldn't care less about it or the outrage over it. I do however find it hilarious that we're supposed celebrate the indigenous people over columbus. As if they were a peaceful bunch themselves.

[The Sociologist]

Yeah, I personally boycott the idea of Columbus Day, but everyone I talk to (with the exception of my brother and a very close friend) says that it's stupid and that I'm overthinking things. Columbus Day is like celebrating the first day of the Rwandan Genocide. 

[Real_PhillBert]

I didn't think anyone actually celebrates Columbus Day, I thought it was just another excuse for bankers to have the day off. (Considering they have the work ethic of a four year old with ADHD)

 

I never got Columbus day off school, and I certainly don't get it off of work. 

[Slash003]

We've got the day off but not because of Columbus day. It is because of teacher work day which just so happens to fall on Columbus day. The teachers are there right now. 

[Th3 Mans1ay3r]

History is pretty brutal and some of the biggest and most revered names in history came with a lot of dark "secrets" about them. Annoying when people don't get that fact and act like it's some big revelation they have to shit in your face about as if we didn't know and were still 12.

 

Also who gives a shit. Dude was a big name who happened into America, thought it was India, and brought upon shit being fucked up. Shit happens.

 

Free day off.

[Th3 Mans1ay3r]

It's a pointless holiday if you know your history.  First off, how could he discover America if America wasn't a thing until past his time?  That simply contradicts the claim.  Was he the first to colonize this place?  No, technically that was the tribes that crossed the straight.  Was he the first white guy here?  No!  That would be the Norwegian/Danish hybrid kid Lief Erikson, son of Erik the Red.  Why celebrate a guy who did nothing but assist in mass murder?

You could raise that question about a lot of big names in history but most of them don't come with me not having to go to school on said day.

[Th3 Mans1ay3r]

I'll say what many say, "History is written by the winner."  Though Walter's quote is, "History is written by the victors."

It is true. Never denied that.

[Full Metal Jacket]

Well I guess it's ok because you get a day off right?

 

It's thanksgiving here, so I get a day off anyway ;p

[techswede]

I don't see why anyone would celebrate a hack that couldn't navigate properly. And even if he could he did not have enough supplies to make it to india with his planned route...

And as mentioned already. Leif Erikson had already found "Vinland"(North america) long before that. 

[TetraSky]

Columbus day? Is that today? For us in Canada, it's thanksgiving.

 

Also, this

[nerdyrcdriver]

My university has this thing called fall break. Basically we get this Monday and Tuesday tomorrow off. But they took those days from the Thanksgiving break. As someone that lives a boring (especially if alone) 6 hour car ride away I would much rather have the longer Thanksgiving break. 12 hours of driving (round trip) is about  $100 in my car and I would get like 2 waking days at home. Plus pretty much everything on campus if closed and stuff in town closes early. I've been living off of junk food all weekend. During Thanksgiving break we have to leave campus and everything closes. If I absolutely have to leave, then I would rather have two more days at home. A 4 day weekend is pretty boring if nobody is around and everything fun to do is closed. 

 

 

Sorry if that was kind of a rant. If I was at home working it would probably be optional to work and I would probably go in and work. 

[Thunderpup]

The reason Columbus is celebrated for his "discovery" and not Erikson is because nothing really came of Erikson's discovery.  During the little ice age the Vikings stopped coming to north America and never really went back.

 

We stopped getting Columbus day off from school when I was a kid mainly, and I've always thought it was the weakest link in all of the federal holidays.

 

However putting the blame entirely on him, while not a very good human I admit, ignores the crimes committed by soooooo many others.

 

Personally I think the holiday needs to be done away with entirely and just make it a regular day. 

[QuadNine]

We should stop celebrating Columbus Day. and start celebrating LEIF ERIKSON DAY!!!

Kappa