Christopher Columbus Statue Defaced

[dtowncitylover]

No, he didn't do those things. He wasn't exterminating people or enslaving people or conquering lands. He was an explorer.



There is nothing to "forgive" and Columbus has nothing specifically to do with the formation of the U.S. There was mostly empty land only occupied by a few scattered tribes, and those tribes were horribly mistreated, but that has zero to do with Columbus and everything to do with weak societies being cast aside by stronger ones throughout human history. The Natives were not "good" in any sense relative to others; they killed and abused and were incredibly ignorant just like everyone else back then. They were weak however and that's why their tribal societies crumbled.



Columbus Day is not just celebrated in the U.S. but in much of the Americas. It's a recognized day in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, etc. He "discovered" the Americas in the sense that his explorations prompted the eventual formation of these nations.



This is neither here nor there. Columbus did exactly what any leader would have done back then when faced with a lethal adversary. He isn't going to passively accept being slaughtered, as was the norm for explorers/settlers unable to defend themselves [[see Roanoke).

Alright dude, have fun continuing honoring this explorer [[he wasn't even looking for a new land just a new route to India and always believed what he "found" was part of Asia and again had nothing to do with the United States) as the rest of the country starts to honor, a long over due honor, our native peoples who have gotten the short end of the stick for the past 500 years.

Also don't think this day isn't without controversy in other American countries. The Bahamas replaced it, Venezuela changed it, Costa Rica changed it, and actually Brazil doesn't honor it. And in many of the countries it has more to do with Latin American identity and empowerment than to honor Columbus.