Why America Should Abolish Columbus Day?

Why America Should Abolish Columbus Day
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Why America Should Abolish Columbus Day
Christopher Columbus from Genoa, Italy, believed that extensive Atlantic exploration would spread Christianity and expand European trade. In 1485, Columbus approached Spanish, Venetian, Genoese, English, and Portuguese monarchs asking for funding and ships to explore the westward route (Corbett et al., 2012). The inauguration of Columbus Day occurred in 1907 in Denver. However, Russell Means, a Native American activist, led a protest of the American Indian Movement in 1989, where individuals involved poured fake blood on Columbus statue in Denver, while Italian Americans filled the streets protesting (Lane, 2015). The paper focuses on whether Columbus Day should be abolished in the United States of America (USA) and if it would help Native Americans address issues and inequities within their communities.
The USA should abolish Columbus Day to raise public consciousness about Native Americans. In reality, Columbus Day should be replaced by Indigenous People Day to recognize the suffering of Native Americans. Some people consider Columbus Day to celebrate a cruel slave trader who facilitated genocide and slavery. In other words, Columbus reminds individuals about the violent colonization of the USA, and that is why he should not be celebrated since, for some people celebrating him reflects their pain of losing their loved ones in mass killing and the oppression they encountered in slavery. Columbus Day has mixed reactions from Americans since it mirrors the history of oppression, discrimination, and racism (The Times Editorial Board, 2016). Besides, Columbus facilitated the colonization process, which devastated Native Americans. However, abolishing Columbus Day should be accompanied by the creation of honest statements and meaningful policies, such as returning sacred sites or compensating tribes that lost their lands. Moreover, the government should help Native Americans protect their sacred sites to avoid investors from starting infrastructural projects.
Currently, over twenty-seven states and numerous communities have abolished Columbus Day. Although President Franklin Roosevelt wanted to recognize the achievements of Columbus by proclaiming Columbus Day in 1934, it reminds Native Americans of the suffering and pain caused by this prominent explorer. Some indigenous people call Columbus an invader, murderer, tyrant, rapist, and slave trader (Cut, 2015). That means when a portion of Americans celebrate Columbus Day due to the person's good deeds and capitalistic mind; others remember the pain and problems caused by this person. Columbus initiated acts of genocide, eroded the human rights of indigenous Americans, and discovered routes for the slave trade (The Denver Post, 2007). Despite Columbus being an explorer who is believed to have discovered America and various routes in the ocean, it is not a good idea to have Columbus Day since the individual oppressed and tormented Native Americans.
Abolishing Columbus Day might help Native Americans to address issues and inequities within their communities. For over 500 years, indigeno...