Columbus apologists obsess over past

Here are some responses to Brown University's decision to end its Columbus Day celebration. These people are as predictable as the people who excuse Indian mascots. It's as if they've never thought of the issues--as if they're incapable of intelligent thought.

Rhode Island react to Brown’s elimination of Columbus Day

The latest stupid response is this one:History happened the way that it did. Get over it and live in this century. Stop bitching about things which occurred in the past because that what was allowed in the post. At this rate we'll have no Holidays left. We'll have nothing to honor the intrepid explorers that took the brave steps necessary to start a voyage of discovery that ended up in our country being formed. GET OVER IT. Its time to stop codling the kids with silver spoons in their mouths at that school who never really can relate to real life issues of Rhode Islanders. Take about lack of sensitivity to local traditions.How stupid is this? The guy says stop bitching about the past while he bitches about the past. His only argument is that we should stop criticizing Columbus because he was so great.

These Columbus apologists are obsessed with protecting their mythology of white superiority and privilege. I say it's time to give up your fixation on excusing the genocidal actions of your European ancestors, buddy. Stop trying to deny the truth and GET OVER IT.

I also love the way he blames some silver-spoon elitists for ending the celebration. What does Columbus Day have to do with the real-life issues of Rhode Islanders? How does ending the celebration shortchange these people's lives or issues?

How is it that nutjobs who obsess over celebrating a 500-year-old event are realists? But activists who want people to understand and respect today's Indians are starry-eyed daydreamers? Seems to me it's the other way around.

Rob's reply

You can see my response near the top. I've reprinted it here. It's pretty obvious which points I was responding to:The Aztecs and Incas were two of thousands of Indian cultures in the Americas. Many of the others were peaceful.

How does some unrelated violence justify Columbus's killing or enslaving Caribbean Indians? Have two wrongs suddenly started making a right?

Is this the best you people have? Because I'm not seeing a lot of deep thinking here.

Go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2009/04/brown-columbus-day.html for more trashing of those who excuse Columbus's crimes.