Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!
Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels
No, I won't say 'Happy Columbus Day' anymore. Here's why:
Columbus didn't 'discover' America, he stumbled across it. If you go to a strange town and walk into someone's back yard, did you discover it, or merely come across it? So no kudos to a man who stepped onto a foreign shore and claimed it when he had no right.
Columbus' visit has brought about the death of millions, from the Native Americans living here then, and through our country's history. Nothing to celebrate.
While the same accusation could be tagged to Spain, France, Britain, the Netherlands, and Portugal (among other nations) colonizing what is now known as the American Southwest and California, and holds true for Central and South America, Canada, Africa, and various islands, no invasion should be celebrated.
While the Native Peoples frequently had their own wars, mass killings, and slavery, that's no reason to celebrate the European version.
It may be unpopular, but I have no problem with taking down statues of Columbus or Confederate generals. And since no human is perfect, and all have a darker side, how about no statues to any individual? That would be the most equitable solution, in my humble opinion. Put the statues in a museum, although how many statues of Columbus, Robert L. Lee, etc. do we need?
And that's my thought on this day....
Char
