Happy Columbo Day! But did he really discover America?

Ralphy1

Ralphy1

Well-known Member
There are many who say that he did not, and there is a long list of contenders for who was first. For most of us it really doesn't matter that much, and we go with Columbus as we learned in school in the past. AND, any excuse to have a three day weekend will do! Cheers!
 

Yeah, the long weekend is great. Of course, all weekends have been long for me for quite a while but I remember the nice break from work.
For me, the whole idea of which Europeans got to North America first is purely academic - but interesting! I enjoy learning about the different theories.
And some novel I read recently pointed out that a city in the Southwest, complete with Spanish governor's mansion, was already pretty old at the time that the pilgrims sat down for their first Thanksgiving dinner.
 
I'm kind of surprised that Native Americans haven't demanded a change in name for this holiday.

"....Once again, it's time to celebrate Columbus Day. Yet, the stunning truth is: IfChristopher Columbus were alive today, he would be put on trial for crimes against humanity. Columbus' reign of terror, as documented by noted historians, was so bloody, his legacy so unspeakably cruel, that Columbus makes a modern villain like Saddam Hussein look like a pale codfish...." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-kasum/columbus-day-a-bad-idea_b_742708.html
And if you read the above link, he was truly remarkable for his brutality and sadism. Babies fed to dogs for food, cutting off the hands of slow workers, selling girls into sexual slavery......

Change the name please, honour his victims and not the butcher.
 
Are you trying to ruin my childhood image of this wonderful explorer that Miss Truly provide for her students in the fourth grade?
 
So your history books do paint a lovely rosy picture of this animal? I was just reading through a litany of his atrocities and he makes Hitler sound like Mary Poppins! And black folks in America should be demanding a replacement holiday too because after he got finished with the native's, he turned his sights on black slaves. Why is this beast so revered? He didn't even actually discover America as folk lore suggests. The whole thing is a lie.
 
Ralphy1 said:
Are you trying to ruin my childhood image of this wonderful explorer that Miss Truly provide for her students in the fourth grade?
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Yes, he was always kind to children and animals, washed his hands before meals and always said please, and thank you.:DThe trouble is, what he did [or didn't do, I have no idea to be honest] was a long way in the past. The past is another country, they do things differently there, [to steal a phrase.]I suppose if enought people feel strongly enough about it, it could bring a change of name, but I doubt that will happen.
 
Good thing Miss Truly isn't around to hear this revisionist history...
 
I've heard horrible things about the REAL Columbus.. I don't think he's all that revered here.. or even given much thought.. It's a post office holiday.. kids get off school I think..not sure... Other than that no big deal. Didn't we get our name from Amerigo Vespucci?
 
QuickSilver said:
..... Other than that no big deal. Didn't we get our name from Amerigo Vespucci?
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Name your country after some Italian merchant, who cares. But did you read about Columbus? Do you have no qualms about celebrating a lie about a man who as I said before, as bad as Hitler or maybe even worse than? And you might choose to call it a post office holiday, but the fact of the matter is, he is still remembered and his exploits (discovery of America) are apparently taught and without mention of the horrible atrocities he perpetrated.

Maybe Germany should start celebrating Hitler Day if historical bad acts are of no importance. Or Cambodia can have a Pol Pot Day, Russia can have Stalin's Gulag Weekend, the Catholic Church can have Inquisition Week......
 
Debby said:
Name your country after some Italian merchant, who cares. But did you read about Columbus? Do you have no qualms about celebrating a lie about a man who as I said before, as bad as Hitler or maybe even worse than? And you might choose to call it a post office holiday, but the fact of the matter is, he is still remembered and his exploits (discovery of America) are apparently taught and without mention of the horrible atrocities he perpetrated.

Maybe Germany should start celebrating Hitler Day if historical bad acts are of no importance. Or Cambodia can have a Pol Pot Day, Russia can have Stalin's Gulag Weekend, the Catholic Church can have Inquisition Week......
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I personally don't celebrate columbus day....and I don't write school curriculum. It's a non issue for me..I have other things to get upset about..
 
what are you going to call it? Polynesian day. Its about land claims and property rights, nothing else
 
I think it was Leif Ericson who discovered America LONG before old Chris has been given the credit for.

Thanks for all the info re: Columbus. I didn't know all that. Gonna study up on that.

Also it was Columbus who gave the Native Americans the name "Indian".
 
QuickSilver said:
I've heard horrible things about the REAL Columbus.. I don't think he's all that revered here.. or even given much thought.. It's a post office holiday.. kids get off school I think..not sure... Other than that no big deal. Didn't we get our name from Amerigo Vespucci?
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THERE ,fix it for ya(g)
I've heard horrible things about the REAL Jesus.. I don't think he's all that revered here.. or even given much thought..
 
Hagrid said:
Yeah, the long weekend is great. Of course, all weekends have been long for me for quite a while but I remember the nice break from work.
For me, the whole idea of which Europeans got to North America first is purely academic - but interesting! I enjoy learning about the different theories.
And some novel I read recently pointed out that a city in the Southwest, complete with Spanish governor's mansion, was already pretty old at the time that the pilgrims sat down for their first Thanksgiving dinner.
Click to expand...

Exactly. If not Columbus someone else. And he allegedly "discovered" America. He didn't invent it. I do understand some of consternation and see the ignorance associated with the man & holiday. I've seen some communities actually legislate name changes from the original name of area or street named after local tribes in favor of Columbus and others. Too me that shows arrogance and ignorance.
 
Davey Jones said:
THERE ,fix it for ya(g)
I've heard horrible things about the REAL Jesus.. I don't think he's all that revered here.. or even given much thought..
Click to expand...


Would you care to explain your post? Or are you just TRYING to be clever.. If so... you are failing miserabley.. But it's not surprising... when a Republican can't think of anything else... they question someones religious beliefs... par for the course.
 
WhatInThe said:
Exactly. If not Columbus someone else. And he allegedly "discovered" America. He didn't invent it. I do understand some of consternation and see the ignorance associated with the man & holiday. I've seen some communities actually legislate name changes from the original name of area or street named after local tribes in favor of Columbus and others. Too me that shows arrogance and ignorance.
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I haven't thought about columbus since grade school, and that was because we had a 3 day weekend..
 
I no longer care what people think of the man, I only think of it as a day of sales and it just used to be a day off for me. It's really semantics, what the holiday really represents is who paved the way to claim, resettle and conquered the americas to make it the home that is the USofA. But in the mean time as far as people that reached the shores prior to or first discovered the already occupied regions see below for what some others have to say.

Here ya go.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1...ca-discovery-history-education-documentary_tv

http://www.whiteoutpress.com/timeless/who-really-discovered-america/
 
QuickSilver said:
Good grief........... :yawning: You are sounding like a one hit wonder Debby...
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At least I'm consistent right? I think where I'm running into trouble here is that I just can't bring myself to venerate or look up to or even emotionally accept horrific violence.

Columbus was a scum bag and shouldn't have anything named after him. If anything, he should be obliterated from the history book as 'the discoverer of America' and those same books should tell the truth of what he was. Honesty and integrity calls for that instead of 'defence' or rationalization. Or maybe for the sake of consistency, you can have a John Wayne Gacey Day, or hold Jeffrey Dahmer Sale Days......
 

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