This essay was written to shed light on the truth of the matter in an attempt to move the discussion forward and end the celebration of a person who is without a doubt guilty of murder, rape, slavery, genocide, and the theft of land…For us to live together respectfully and peacefully, we must tell the truth of history, no matter how violent or bloody that history may be.”
It is time for us as Americans to accept the fact that the great discovery of the Americas was not a peaceful one, and that Columbus is not a hero, nowhere close. It is evident the amount of damage he and his crew caused to the unexpecting Native Americans- rape, murder, and diseases. It no longer acceptable to idolize him, give him a day in our calendars, or tell our children he is a superhero who they should strive to be
Freeland, Mark and Tink Tinker. “Thief, Slave Trader, Murderer: Christopher Columbus and Caribbean Population Decline.” Wicazo Sa Review, vol. 23, no. 1, Spring2008, pp. 25-50.
E.L