Show t Remember Our Freedom Wasn't Free Marilyn G. G Sanders EVERY October 12 for the last years people in the United States Spain Italy and Canada have celebrated Columbus Day Its It's a aday aday aday day where people go to parades shoot off fireworks fireworks fire fire- works and have parties all in honor of Christo Christo- Christopher Christopher pher Columbus who discovered the new world worldon on the same date in 1492 President Benjamin Harrison Hanison made this day daya a legal holiday in 1892 although back then it was called Discovery Day Later the holiday took Columbus' Columbus name All but 10 states celer cele- cele le- le i T- T brate orate it as a legal holiday Most of us grew up with Columbus painted in history as a great explorer and romantic hero sailing off into uncharted waters in search of the new world Sadly over the last few years history has had to rewrite itself and Columbus hasn't come off as the noble visionary in the history books While scholars dont don't want to reinvent Columbus Columbus Columbus Co Co- lumbus as a villain the facts are am surfacing ing and his reputation has taken a beating For centuries most believed Columbus a map maker by trade track went off in search of the new world while in fact he probably went off to look for riches to help Spain recover from yeas years of costly war In some of his hie journals gold is mentioned more move than times while nothing is mentioned of the exploitation of the native people he encountered or the destruction of the theland theland theland land through extensive mining Historians believe that about 60 ro million Indians Indians Indians In In- were killed in hi North America South America and the Caribbean as a result of Columbus' Columbus exploration of these lands One tribe the who were living on the island is island island is- is land of when Columbus arrived were literally extinct 50 years later ei Causes auses of death to the native population of these lands ranged from diseases such as the measles and small pox introduced by the Europeans to slavery and apparent geno geno- cide tide While you may find yourself asking what wb t all of this has bas to do with you and why can cant can't t you just enjoy the day off work or school without all the controversy the answer is go ahead and enjoy the day off simply because its it's a day off but lets let's not overlook what happened happened happened hap hap- to entire races of people in the name of exploration and Christianity While historians dont don't believe that Columbus Columbus Columbus Co Co- Co- Co lumbus set out to destroy the Indians they do believe he was motivated by greed and a lust for power Columbus believed he was civilizing these people and bringing them em God when in fact he was bringing them disca disease disease dis dis- dis- dis ease ca slavery and for some their ruin When most of us think of our country we are proud of who we are and where we come from even if it seems our past is not as untarnished as we previously thought Its It's alright to be proud as long as we re remember remember remember re- re member that our freedom and independence independence independence dence didn didn't t come without a high price Perhaps that's what we should remember on October 12 |