AprilT
Well-known Member
- Location
- A galaxy far far away
QS, Thanks for the wishes to stay safe. I'm back from OZ. After being caught in that vortex all I have left is:dunno:
Happy Columbo Day! But did he really discover America?
- Thread starter Ralphy1
- Start date
Michael.
Senior Member
- Location
- UK (Surrey)
A few pictures popped up while I was checking something...
(Not many countries left with a pure native population)
.
(Not many countries left with a pure native population)
.
Davey Jones
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
All I know about Columbus is that its in Ohio and thats good enough for me.
Debby
Well-known Member
- Location
- East coast of Canada
Those are great links and nice to see the focus shifted away from 'That guy' and to a culture that 'discovered' the land before him. Thanks for sharing the links April.
Underock1
Senior Member
- Location
- Suburban NJ
Debating who discovered America is like debating who discovered sex. The vikings? The Spanish? The Chinese? Pacific islanders? Some prehistoric stone age hunters from Asia? Why not the Brontosaurus? They all did. Now if we're talking who was first, we are probably going to have to go with some primordial slime of some kind.
QuickSilver
SF VIP
- Location
- Midwest
I don't think this was an actual debate over who REALLY discovered America.. but more of a pointing out that America has a holiday for a despicable man... and how dare we..
Debby
Well-known Member
- Location
- East coast of Canada
You know, you might be right. Celebrating this guy is a total disrespect to all thousands of indigenous people that he butchered yet he is celebrated and Hitler is reviled. So your question at the end of your statement is a good one. The day should be renamed and there should be absolutely no 'warm-fuzzies' attached to any mention of his name (not even "oh yay, another day off from work!"). And if the history books actually taught the truth there wouldn't be because people would realize how awful he was.
QuickSilver
SF VIP
- Location
- Midwest
Give it a friggin' rest Debby... :beatdeadhorse:
Underock1
Senior Member
- Location
- Suburban NJ
The title of the thread asks "did he discover America?" My answer is yes. So did everyone else, including me.
I think the intent of the holiday originally was to celebrate the act of discovery itself, more than the man.
No doubt about it, the European colonization of America was a disaster for the native populations, with all of its well known horrors. Its also inescapable, that if it had not happened, the United States would not have happened either. There are mixed feelings about that, depending on your background. Lets assume it had not happened. Does anyone think that the native Americans would have been left in peace to hunt Buffalo?
The Russians and Chinese are just a short hop away over the Bering strait.
I have read quite a bit about Columbus and he was certainly not someone I would be inviting over for dinner. That given; historical acts should never be judged by the standards of the present. With some exceptions, people basically do what their particular circumstances and current culture dictate to them. Lets all be happy that we don't live in the fourteen hundreds and enjoy whatever the end result may have given us.