In honor of Columbus Day?

It shouldn't amaze me, and yet, I'm still slightly disappointed that Columbus day still exists and that this murderer is still glorified today.  Let's start with the first truth, he did not discover America.  Of course we all know this, the Native Americans were here.  But did you know that African civilizations had previously "discovered" it also?  Do some research into ancient civilizations of Mexico, namely the Olmecs.  It's fascinating.

Second truth, Columbus and the so-called explorers came to pillage the land irregardless of the civilizations living here peacefully.  Their guns and germs sacked an entire continent of humans.  I think sometimes in our minds, we gloss it over by ignoring that it wasn't a small tribe here and there.  It was an ENTIRE continent, two, actually.  That's insane when you think about it.

And now what remains are small packs of plantations in the hills.  How kind of us to grant them that little bit of land where the few that remain can exist peacefully.  And yet, depression, alcoholism, and meth addiction are now strong-holds in their communities.  Hardly our fault right?  See, we have this false belief that people should just get over history, take whatever bone is thrown at them, and conform to the new norm.  As if the soul of a people could be mended and made to forget.  But how could they when monsters like Columbus are still celebrated?

There is nothing I can do to change history, but there is something that I can do to honor those that are on the silent side of it.  I can research and teach my children the truth.  It's gory and sad to them but it serves our children no purpose to gloss everything over and beautify the world and human nature more than it is.  
I refuse to let my children be naive, especially when they will be faced with the real world a lot sooner than I would like.  It is our responsibility as parents to prepare our kids for what's out there and arm them with the truth, not just to sugar coat it with fairies and princesses.

I leave you with a quote...

“As soon as I arrived in the Indies, in the first island which I found, I took some of the natives by force, in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts…They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no arms and their spears are made of cane….They would make fine servants….With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

~Christopher Columbus
Captains Log, 1492