Columbus Day Under Fire (to be replaced by "Indigenous Day")

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | March 3, 2007 | Journal Staff

[Jeff Head]

IMHO, it had nothing to do with who discovered it first...it was about who, upon finding out about it, was able to get their culture firmly rooted here. Columbus' arrival and the subsequent European and then ultimate American governmental system that developed have provided the greatest prosperity, the highest standard of living, the most liberty, and ultimately the most peace and freeing of people's the world has ever known...without building an empire to do it.

The very condition and environment that allows these people to protest is precisely a result of the chain of eventss that got started with such voyages as Columbus.

[tranzorZ]

In defense of Columbus, he is the guy that got the word going to the rest of Europe. He might not get the title of first guy, but he does deserve recognition.

Oh, and what is the latest on China getting here before Columbus? I remember a guy writing a book on how that subject a few years back.

[Jeff Head]

Well, it was not so easy. In the Eastern part of the continent, there was two hundred years of struggle and bloody, bitter warfare. The western Indian wars were relatively short...if you do not count Texas and the Commanche or New Mexico and Arizona and the Apache where the wars went right on from Spanish to Mexican to Texan (in Texas) and to American for a couple of hundred years too.

Although it was not easy, I will grant you that given the technological and social differences, it was inevitable.

[ronnie raygun]

They pick at the foundation of this great land hour by hour, day by day, week by week, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln's birthday to presidents day, and now Columbus day to indigenous day. This senator Harrison is dispicable. We are loosing the American identity! These feckless representatives,turncoat,UnAmerican socialists who we vote into office propose silly bills pandering to thier constituancy to bolster thier selfish political base. To insure that they cannot do a life time of damage I say TERM LIMITS!!!!

[CedarDave]

"...their contributions, accomplishments, history and culture." Which were.............................?

Well they were very much more successful in eliminating illegal aliens in New Mexico. From 1680 to 1692 the "Pueblo Revolt" succeeded in forcing all Spaniards from Mexico back south to El Paso.

[Jeff Head]

hehehe...exactly. If not for the bbarbarian Europeans [/sarcasm], then these idiots would have no legislature to complain to and would still be living in tents and wearing animal skins and worrying too much about their next meal, surviving disease, and fighting enemy tribes to be worried about such matters anyway.

[altura]

We don't even NEED scrappleface.

[TLI]

The Indigenous had the Americas for 10,000 years and were still living in tents and wearing animal skins. In 500 years the newcomers replaced them and developed technology that allows us to sit in our heated and lit homes watching reality TV.

And be the premeire Republic on this planet that attemptes to bring freedom to the other areas of said planet that are still sloshing around in the 14th century. But hey, we should not let that get in the way of a bunch of morons that want to leach off our taxpayer funded safety nets for our less fortunate Citizens and otheres that chant we Americans are "the great satan."

Yea,

Right...

[tranzorZ]

Very, very, very, well said. I think if you really want to put down Columbus as the bringer of evil conquest and bloodshed; you have to be intellectually hones and say you hate American culture and our collection of different people from around the world.

[lilylangtree]

Bullsh*t!

[Condor 63]

We still celebrate Confederate Memorial Day (Fourth Monday in April) in Alabama.

Some folks don't like it.

I think they should go jump in a lake.

[muawiyah]

Screw Lief Erickson, the Sa'ami were here before the Norse, and certainly before the Asiatics who crossed over on the Bering landbridge.

[Gop1040]

"Screw Columbus, he stole the title from Lief Ericson....."

I believe the discovery part has to do with discovering the new world (America) for the Europeans for shorter trade routes to the Orient. He was a little off on his calculations, but he did have a goal he did sail into the great unknown at great risk. The flat earth concept was popular back so in many ways it was heroic.

[shove_it]

Fongu! Spoken by a Viking who made something of it after Columbus arrived.

[beelzepug]

OK, that'll work. Please excuse my disrespect.

[CedarDave]

It was sarcasm...

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

I figured someone would shoot down my sarcastic theory! sheesh! :o)

[conservativeharleyguy]

CedarDave, that would be from New Mexico back south to El Paso. And boy did those Spaniards come back in a foul mood! There were not too many of those pesky Pueblo uprisings after they got through.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Yup. Like Henry Ford, who neither invented the auto nor mass production, Columbus got there "firstest with the mostest" so to speak.

[StACase]

The liberals killed "Columbus Day" in 1992. It's still dead, get over it. Fight some other battle.