Columbus day is an inappropriate holiday

Columbus day, a federal holiday tracing back to 1937, is this Monday.
Why is it still a holiday?

Ignoring the fact that Columbus mistreated the locals of a new land, the history is often misrepresented by elementary school teacher’s nation-wide. He didn’t even “discover” America.

Columbus may have sparked the European invasion of already existing civilizations on pre-discovered land but he didn’t land in today’s United States. He actually landed somewhere in the present day Caribbean islands initially and later he visited present day Cuba.

Another reason we shouldn’t be celebrating him is simple, he doesn’t deserve it.
Paying homage to a man who stumbled upon an unknown land and exploited its indigenous people is disrespectful to natives of any continent.

In the thirties all the way up to the seventies it’s clear why this type of holiday would be celebrated without question, but in our modern times you would think that common sense would point out the obvious problem with its federal status.

If Hitler were an American would we still have his name on our Mt. Hood Community College planner pages?

Many groups have moved to abolish this holiday to no avail. Instead of trying to erase it, because if it disappears then no one will ever know the injustice of its existence to begin with, we should transform it into something that can begin to heal the hard feelings that still exist among Native communities towards Europeans and European descendents.

Minorities everywhere hear that they should just get over the ill deeds of the past because dwelling on these things just bring negativity. I’ve heard many times that

I’ve heard time and time again that Native Americans are complaining about the hardships of long gone ancestors and they should let it go because they’re no longer affected.

Present day Natives are still dealing with the aftershock of the mistreatment embedded in their family trees.

So instead of telling members of a “previously” oppressed race to just get over it, why not extend a helping hand and offer a solution that will help heal the bitterness that still looms in many households.

To fix a problem one must first admit there is a problem. Anyone from Alcohol Anonymous can testify that denial is the hardest stage to move through.

Admitting this holiday is a problem will allow the general public to move forward.

But, instead of erasing the existence of this day, we as a nation can show we acknowledge Columbus Day was a mistake to begin with by transforming it into something positive.

This would show the people affected by this historical tyrant the respect they deserve.

This idea has been around some time and hasn’t yet been actualized, but that doesn’t keep people from turning Columbus Day into a family day to educate and remember the victims of this land.

So until a movement can gain enough momentum to officially change the name of this federal holiday, please dedicate Monday, and all remaining Columbus Days, to paying homage to people who fell at the blade of a greedy invader, rather than praise the man holding the sword.