I was clicking through Face book today and stumbled on a post that was labeled "Reconsider Columbus Day". Honestly, when I think about Columbus Day, I think of a cheesy bank holiday and yes, briefly remember that Columbus discovered this continent for the Europeans. I don’t take the time to sit and think about who Columbus was and what he did other then the small blurb from history class that a discovery was made.
With that said, I was curious as to why someone would want to reconsider having that day so I clicked the link to the video. On the video there were people talking about how Columbus did horrible things to the Indians and started slavery, and that we should honor a man for doing things like that. One thing I found interesting is that the on the video all but one of the speakers were African American or Native American. Now it really doesn’t bother me if we were to lose Columbus Day or change the name, whatever, I am not that vested into it. What does bother me is how we have become as a society. The video wants to change the day to some Native American day to pay for the injustices the Native American faced. I am fine with that if they agree to pay back all the money that has been handed to them over the years for that same purpose.
I used to live right next to a reservation and Native Americans definitely take advantage and in most cases have the upper hand in dealing with the rest of us Americans. I have been in dealings with them where we were required to provide elaborate services for them and we did so knowing that there would be little to no compensation because according to them “we” didn’t deserve it. “We” had taken the land that was theirs from them and we owe them for living on their land. If I remember right there was a war and “we” won.
I will admit, through our policies after wars we are the best country to get into a war with. We will go in, kick your ass, and then give everything and more back to you. Take the Mexican, American war, in a few more years the Mexicans will get back that territory as well. I think at this point we should give everything back. Let’s stop paying the reservations, stop paying welfare to immigrants and start anew. Eliminate our broken government and bring in true equality. Do sort of a re-boot. We need to get rid of Affermitave Action and Diversity, they are a form of cloaked racism from minorities. The more we give to another group the more we take away from the other group.
I wish we could accept responsibility for our actions and live with the decisions made by our fathers and stop trying to change the past but enrich the future for EVERYONE, not just our kind. Until then we will never truly progress.
