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TOPIC: Columbus Day …
Posted: 10/13/2014, 5:00 a.m. EDT
So today is Chris Columbus's special day. This Italian has gotten
a bad reputation over the years and has become the poster boy for all of
the injustices that are claimed to have been caused by the European
settlers to the indigenous population (Native Americans - noting that
you can't call them "Redskins" anymore).
There are people who accuse Chris of exploiting and bringing injustice.
Most anthropologists believe that the so called indigenous population
had, themselves, migrated to North America during the early expansion of
mankind from its initial origins. One has to only wonder as to how
each wave of these ancient migrants subjugated those who came before
them. The point is that from a global and historical perspective
the entire world’s population is marked by a series of migrations over
the ages thus making it impossible to truly say that any group is
indigenous.
There are also people who argue that since other explorers had visited
the North American continent long before Columbus that his epic journey
did not amount to a discovery and should not be recognized. If we
were to adopt such a narrow definition of “discovery” we would have to
discount all of the discoveries that have been made over the centuries
of things that already existed but were yet unknown such as “new” forms
of life, “new” natural elements, SkippyTreats, or the host of other
things that exist in the world and still need to be discovered by the
probing minds and efforts of those who dare to look.
To blame poor Chris for all the woes chanted by the protestors is a
simplistic reaction from people who choose not to understand the
dynamics of history.
The Skipster says Happy Columbus Day.
(mostly plagiarized)
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