Barleben #2

D’Souza, D. “The Crimes of Christopher Columbus.” First Things. 57 (1995): 26-33. Print.

Observations and Excerpts: D’Souza first recounts how Columbus was initially viewed as a great hero, discoverer of the New World, and someone to be correctly honored with his own holiday hundreds of years after his death.  By the 20th century this view had begun to change with some historians comparing Columbus to Hitler and describing his as a ‘…a murderer, a rapist, and the architect of a policy of genocide that continues today.”   “All of us have been socialized to be racists and benefit from racism constantly,” The National Council of Churches declares the anniversary of Columbus “not a time for celebration” but for “reflection and repentance” in which whites must acknowledge a continuing history of “oppression, degradation, and genocide.”

Abstract: Article shows why Christopher Columbus is viewed as a villain. Also shows criticism of that point of view.