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Jewish World Review Oct. 10, 2005 / 7 Tishrei, 5766 Exploring Christopher Columbus By Tom Purcell
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
"Dad, why does America celebrate Columbus day?"
"Well, Billy, in 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from Europe to America and founded the very first settlement in the new world. His arrival marks the beginning of America as we know it."
"But didn't he discover America by accident, dad?"
"Columbus believed the earth was a small sphere. He thought he could reach the Far East by setting off on a westward course. Though he stumbled upon what is now the Bahamas by accident, he was still a great explorer and a great man, Billy."
"A great man, dad, or a racist oppressor?"
"Pardon me, son?"
"When Columbus came to America, he brought with him the greed of the white European males who subsequently colonized America for the dough. These men eventually fought and killed the Indigenous Peoples and took their land and their gold."
"Well, Billy, an unfortunate part of human history involves countries invading their neighbors to take control. This has happened in many parts of the world, including Europe, which has a long history of war. Some Indigenous Peoples were also prone to war and fighting to expand their control well before Europeans arrived."
"Well, Columbus is also responsible for many germs and diseases that Europeans brought to America, causing untold suffering and death among the people who were here before us."
"Have you been drinking too much caffeine lately, Billy?"
"America's history of environmental destruction can also be laid at Columbus's feet, dad. As soon as the Europeans colonized America's pristine lands, they began cutting down the trees and plowing up the fields. Can you say soil erosion, dad?"
"Son, did I ever tell you that you take after your mother's side?"
"And what about slavery? It was the Europeans who created a flourishing slave trade in America. They did it to develop the land cheaply, so they could make giant profits. Columbus even made slaves out of some of the Indigenous Peoples who attacked him and his men."
"Son, do you remember where your mother hid the bourbon?"
"I'll tell you another thing, dad. The only reason we even celebrate Columbus Day is because he was Italian, and the day is also a celebration of Italian heritage. When FDR made Columbus Day official in 1934, he did it not just because Columbus discovered the New World, but because he wanted to curry the votes of millions of Italian immigrants."
"Boy, Billy, you're awfully cynical for an eight year old. Look, there are a lot of ways to look at what Christopher Columbus symbolizes. You can focus on the negative attributes, and there are some, or you can focus on the positive."
"Positive, dad?"
"Columbus represents the spirit of exploration, the spirit of pushing forward into the great unknown to find greater and better things. This has always been the spirit of America, the land of innovation and new ideas."
"What kind of new ideas, dad?"
"How about freedom and self-government, Billy? After Columbus opened a gateway to the new world, other European countries established colonies here, too. Eventually, some amazing historical figures evolved in North America."
"You mean America's founding fathers, dad?"
"That's right, Billy. Many people take it for granted now, but they risked everything for their belief that all men are created equal and that G-d has blessed everyone with inalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
"Really, dad?"
"Absolutely, son. These ideas proved to be extremely successful, and they are STILL spreading and changing the world for the better. In fact, people are so free to speak their minds in America that some use American holidays, such as Columbus Day, to criticize everything they hate about their country. Now, do you have any other questions about our country's history?"
"Sure, dad. Was Benjamin Franklin really a predatory male chauvinist womanizer?"
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© 2005, Tom Purcell |
Mitch Albom | |||||||||||
