Celebrating Conveniently Strange Holidays

YESTERDAY AT THE SENIOR CENTER a an older gentleman asked me "what holiday is this"? Since all American holidays are on Monday, and all have the same low level of enthusiasm, it was a perfectly understandable question. "Columbus Day", I smiled. "He landed on this day in 1492 for the purpose of adding another three day weekend to our conveniently made over sanitized calendar." Naturally I couldn't stop there. I explained that the purpose of Columbus himself was to get rich and famous, and to that end was looking for gold, silver, and slaves, not freedom, democracy, or opportunity for the masses to secure the blessings of a better life with religious freedom, liberty, and economic prosperity through hard work and fair play. Far out in the Atlantic, Columbus promised a fortune to the first man who spotted land. When one of his sailors put in a claim, Columbus dismissed it with the announcement that he himself had seen the approaching shoreline at dusk the previous evening. One particular paragraph in his journal sums up his whole approach to the enterprise. Roughly, it says something to the effect that: "we dropped anchor , walked up on to the beach, and were immediately greeted by the natives. They were practically naked, wearing only jewelry, and were physically impressive and healthy in appearance. They were instantly friendly, offered us greetings, and anything else we might want. They carried no weapons, and expressed a willingness to give us whatever they had, whatever we might need or want. Their gentle, cheerful demeanor was striking. They are going to make excellent slaves." Christopher Columbus evidently didn't give a second thought to the bizarre and bitter irony of this, which existed on so many different levels. These natives were decidedly non European, and non christian, so whatever could be done to exploit them was merely a matter of course, normal behavior, with no further moral implications. A priest who sailed on the voyage and witnesses everything later wrote in his own journal of the shocking slaughter of the pleasant "Indians", of how they were deceived, captured, slaughtered, and turned into beasts of burden, and millions of them were butchered, one limb at a time. An entire civilization, wiped out. America, off to a morally shameful start, which was perpetuated unrelentingly for centuries, and which we celebrate today. But at least we get our three day weekend in October, even those of us who no longer know or care why........MAY THE PEOPLE IN POLAND KNOW AMERICA BETTER SOMEDAY! THANKS!