Avoiding Rushmore, Hating On Columbus

WE WERE HEADED FOR Yellowstone, three other dudes and I, in a big gas guzzlin' SUV, in the summer of eithty seven. Since I was the only member under six six, its size came in handy. On the highway a sign said "Mt. Rushmore: 10 miles, this exit". That's when the big argument began. The driver, the SUV owner's son, refused to take the exit. His reasoning was that we had not planned to stop at Mt. rushmore, it wasn't in the plans, and also, that the place in an abomination, a momument to white supremacy, a horrid desecration of sacred land, an imposition of human conquerers upon God's perfect nature. The other two dudes, big, strong, and dominant personalities, wanted badly to take the exit and see Rushmore, because it is famous, and impressive, and this might be their only chance. I wanted to see it too, although I fully agreed, and still agree with the stubborn SUV driver, because, although I think it an abomination, it is, after all, there, and my righteous indignation aint gonna make it go away. The arguent lasted for hours, long after we had passed the exit, long after we had left South Dakota and entered Wyoming. It became increasingly fruitless and infuriating, listening to it. I didn't participate in the argument, because I was smart enough to know that the driver wasn't about to change his mind, and I knew I could live without ever seeing the four headed monster. (History has proven me right.) That was nearly thirty five years ago, and the indicent has become legend in our group, the stuff of bitterweet laughable memory. Nobody's point of view had changed, as far as I know. I think we should have gone to Rushmore, because I believe in democracy, and, like I said, we weren't about to facilitate the removal of the monstrosity by avoiding seeing it, and, after all, it is there, and probably will be, for the next few million years. Over the past thirty five years I am guessing that much of the American population has come to agree with the SUV driver, that Rushmore is an abomination, albeit good sculpture, a tribute to white supremacy and European conquest, a defilement of God's work. Much the same has happened to Christopher Columbus, and because of that, today is "Indigenous People's Day", in at least fourteen states, and not, as it was for many decades, "Columbus Day". And that, as they say, is a good thing. I made it all the way through high school in the early seventies still accepting the hagiographic fiction that Columbus was a good guy, a hero, and so forth. It was only during and after college, with the increasing momentum of political and historical correctness and better history instructors, that the truth made its way into my consciousness. Howard Zinn helped me the most. "A People's History of the United States", I believe the title is. Whatever it is preciesly, read the book, it contains much verified truth, dispelling traditional hagiogarphy. He quotes Collumbus, from his exploration journal. Its something like: " We dropped anchor, and went ashore. We were immediately greeted by naked natives, adorned only with body paint and golden trinkets. They were instantly friendly, and would have given us anything we asked. They were peaceful, sweet, and welcoming. They are going to make wonderful servants". He actually wrote that. As Casey Stengal said: "You could look it up". The priest Cloumbus brought on the voyage was utterly astounded at the savage brutality of Christopher Columbus, who ended up killing and maiming millions of natives for failing to bring their gold to him on time. On the way across, Columbus promised a tidy sum of money to whoever spotted land first. When somebody spotted it, Columubs said: "Oh, I saw that last night. I guess the reward belongs to me"... There may have never been a greater asshole in human history than Columbus, and thank the powers that be that we have finally begun to accept the truth about a lot of things including Christopher Columbus, and are steadily removing his holiday and replacing it with an appropriate one. Happy "Indigenous People's Day!