Or…. celebrate it by thinking about Western Civilization. Reading the nautical accounts and tales at sea, remembering how progressive this was for that era. A time of discovery, exploration, etc.
Sure, there’s that nasty world-encompassing attitude of imperialism and colonization — those that see Columbus as a symbol of slavery and genocide, and his celebration likened to that of Hitler and the Holocaust, but in that reality of greed and glory (even the one fact that the Americas was settled by no one government or people, but scattered tribes and families), surely we can see how epic-shifting Columbus’ discovery was…
Did Columbus “discover” America? Yes—in every important respect. This does not mean that no human eye had been cast on America before Columbus arrived.
“It does mean that Columbus brought America to the attention of the civilized world, i.e., to the growing, scientific civilizations of Western Europe. The result, ultimately, was the United States of America. It was Columbus’ discovery for Western Europe that led to the influx of ideas and people on which this nation was founded—and on which it still rests. The opening of America brought the ideas and achievements of Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, and the thousands of thinkers, writers, and inventors who followed.” (Ayn Rand)
I’m not an extreme blue-blooded, stars-and-stripes, chest-pounding America First patriot of the highest order… but just looking at the results of this “discovery,” one can find plenty to celebrate — even the thousands and thousands of Native-Americans that settle here in peace today.
And I realize this was posted and tagged as “humor,” so pardon my ruining of an annual Columbus Day joke 🙂 Just thinking out loud about the day… I notice a lot of twitter action similar to the figure above — written and typed by civilized people on 21st century devices.
Happens all the time i.e. PUD just stopped by and told me they are turning their electricity off for my domicile owned by the bank so they can change the phase in the neighborhood. It’s better than my great grand parents had it though; when the czar told them he liked their farms and was taking them so they would need to move elsewhere. Many have made it apparent that “this world is not our home.” So, on that day it was good to be Columbus and I celebrate, though I don’t think he confiscated the pre-Columbus land-bridge people’s farms. Perhaps it sucked to be the inhabitants later on. That was hardly Columbus’s fault. Anyway, I would like to get paid to ‘not know where I am going, not know where it was I went, and do it on someone elses dime-wait a minute that sounds like the 99%ers movement…I recant.
@James: I don’t see how Columbus embodies “western civilization” in any useful way (as Gandhi is reported to have answered when he was asked what he thought of western civilization: “I think it would be a very good idea.”). What is ignored (a point my wife made the other day) is that it was not the arrival of Europeans that is the problem. Many Native Americans welcomed the settlers before European nation after European nation came to claim the “New World” frequently co-opting various tribes to assist them in their imperialism. While we may be thankful for the United States we do not have to be thankful for all that was included in her coming into being.
@Jerome: It is true that the unfolding of all that happened to the Native Americans did not come at the hand of Columbus, but he came from a imperialistic worldview, and he brought with him a worldview, that once it “landed” spelled doom for Native Americans. In other words, there is too much ying-yang in what resulted from Columbus’ travels for it to be given a federal holiday in my opinion.
I refuse to use the word “discovery” in any meaningful way. It assumes too much while ignoring even more. It is language that is blind to the plight of Native Americans to this day (which your statement about them “living in peace” betrays further denial of the negative impact that European imperialism has had on many, many Native Americans who as a culture still suffer greatly).
So the mistake I think you are making is shrugging your shoulders at the evil. It sounds very “the end justifies the means” which is true of God alone who has the wisdom to allow evil from which he can bring good. Yes, I love sitting in sunny San Diego, CA, typing on a computer designed by Americans. But that is not incompatible with saying how things unfolded, and the worldview the Columbus brought to North America, well, sucks.
the archives near Emmaus 
Or…. celebrate it by thinking about Western Civilization. Reading the nautical accounts and tales at sea, remembering how progressive this was for that era. A time of discovery, exploration, etc.
Sure, there’s that nasty world-encompassing attitude of imperialism and colonization — those that see Columbus as a symbol of slavery and genocide, and his celebration likened to that of Hitler and the Holocaust, but in that reality of greed and glory (even the one fact that the Americas was settled by no one government or people, but scattered tribes and families), surely we can see how epic-shifting Columbus’ discovery was…
Did Columbus “discover” America? Yes—in every important respect. This does not mean that no human eye had been cast on America before Columbus arrived.
“It does mean that Columbus brought America to the attention of the civilized world, i.e., to the growing, scientific civilizations of Western Europe. The result, ultimately, was the United States of America. It was Columbus’ discovery for Western Europe that led to the influx of ideas and people on which this nation was founded—and on which it still rests. The opening of America brought the ideas and achievements of Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, and the thousands of thinkers, writers, and inventors who followed.” (Ayn Rand)
I’m not an extreme blue-blooded, stars-and-stripes, chest-pounding America First patriot of the highest order… but just looking at the results of this “discovery,” one can find plenty to celebrate — even the thousands and thousands of Native-Americans that settle here in peace today.
And I realize this was posted and tagged as “humor,” so pardon my ruining of an annual Columbus Day joke 🙂 Just thinking out loud about the day… I notice a lot of twitter action similar to the figure above — written and typed by civilized people on 21st century devices.
Happens all the time i.e. PUD just stopped by and told me they are turning their electricity off for my domicile owned by the bank so they can change the phase in the neighborhood. It’s better than my great grand parents had it though; when the czar told them he liked their farms and was taking them so they would need to move elsewhere. Many have made it apparent that “this world is not our home.” So, on that day it was good to be Columbus and I celebrate, though I don’t think he confiscated the pre-Columbus land-bridge people’s farms. Perhaps it sucked to be the inhabitants later on. That was hardly Columbus’s fault. Anyway, I would like to get paid to ‘not know where I am going, not know where it was I went, and do it on someone elses dime-wait a minute that sounds like the 99%ers movement…I recant.
@James: I don’t see how Columbus embodies “western civilization” in any useful way (as Gandhi is reported to have answered when he was asked what he thought of western civilization: “I think it would be a very good idea.”). What is ignored (a point my wife made the other day) is that it was not the arrival of Europeans that is the problem. Many Native Americans welcomed the settlers before European nation after European nation came to claim the “New World” frequently co-opting various tribes to assist them in their imperialism. While we may be thankful for the United States we do not have to be thankful for all that was included in her coming into being.
@Jerome: It is true that the unfolding of all that happened to the Native Americans did not come at the hand of Columbus, but he came from a imperialistic worldview, and he brought with him a worldview, that once it “landed” spelled doom for Native Americans. In other words, there is too much ying-yang in what resulted from Columbus’ travels for it to be given a federal holiday in my opinion.
I refuse to use the word “discovery” in any meaningful way. It assumes too much while ignoring even more. It is language that is blind to the plight of Native Americans to this day (which your statement about them “living in peace” betrays further denial of the negative impact that European imperialism has had on many, many Native Americans who as a culture still suffer greatly).
So the mistake I think you are making is shrugging your shoulders at the evil. It sounds very “the end justifies the means” which is true of God alone who has the wisdom to allow evil from which he can bring good. Yes, I love sitting in sunny San Diego, CA, typing on a computer designed by Americans. But that is not incompatible with saying how things unfolded, and the worldview the Columbus brought to North America, well, sucks.