School districts in the United States acknowledge and celebrate religious holidays, along with holidays to commemorate exceptional individuals. It's unsettling that Columbus should be one of these men, standing among the ranks of non-violent civil rights leaders and some of our best presidents. This glorification of Columbus stems from his old age. While the works of Martin Luther King Jr. and the latter US presidents are well discussed and stand clearly before our modern eyes, Columbus' deeds are more of a loose conception, one that has been neglected. Columbus was no hero. This historical elision allows us to believe that Columbus was no murderer or cultural annihilator. Why is he celebrated? Because he was the "first" to land? This has proven to be questionable and would be his only act worthy of merit, though replaceable. Columbus was the same as every other ruthless Spanish explorer, murdering, raping and exploiting to meet his own quotas. If there is a Columbus Day, why not have a Pizarro Day or a four-day weekend for Cortes? It's only fair. Though if someone was reasonable, and sought not to reward terrorism and genocide, they would rename Columbus day as Arawak Memorial Day, or better yet, Native American History Month in honor of the exploitation of all the Natives in North America that Columbus opened the door to.
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