Columbus Day

Today, October 12, 2009, is the 517th year anniversary of Christopher Columbus' (Italian CRISTOFORO COLOMBO; Spanish CRISTOVAL *****) landing on Guanahani in the Bahamas. Here is the entry regarding Columbus' discovering the new world as found at Americaslibrary.gov, Christopher Columbus Saw Land! October 12, 1492 Early in the morning on October 12, 1492, a sailor looked out to the horizon from the bow of his sailing ship, the Pinta, and saw land. After 10 long weeks at sea, from the port of Palos, Spain, Columbus and his crews saw the New World. The following day, 90 crew members from Columbus's three-ship fleet set foot on the island of Guanahani in the Bahamas and planted the flag of their sponsors, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Columbus continued his exploration, discovering other lands. So it is rumored by some that Columbus' sole purpose for sailing west was to find an easier way to bring back good from India and Asian countries. But according to shalomjerusalem.com Columbus opened his journal of his first voyage with the following: "In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas, Most Christian, high, Excellent and Powerful Princes, King and Queen of Spain and of the Islands of the Sea, our Sovereigns, this present year 1492, after your Highnesses had terminated the war with the Moors reigning in Europe, the same having been brought to an end in the great city of Granada, where on the second day of January, this present year, I saw the royal banners of your Highnesses planted by force of arms upon the towers of the Alhambra, which is the fortress of that city, and saw the Moorish king come out at the gate of the city and kiss the hands of your Highnesses, and of the Prince my Sovereign; and in the present month, in consequence of the information which I had given your Highnesses respecting the countries of India and of a Prince, called Great Can, which in our language signifies King of Kings, how at many times he, and his predecessors had sent to Rome soliciting instructors who might teach him our holy faith, and the holy Father had never granted his request, whereby great numbers of people were lost, believing in idolatry and doctrines of perdition. "Your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians, and princes who love and promote the holy Christian faith, and are enemies of the doctrine of Mahomet, and of all idolatry and heresy, determined to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the above-mentioned countries of India, to see the said princes, people, and territories, and to learn their disposition and the proper method of converting them to our holy faith; and furthermore directed that I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone..." After reaching land, which he thought were islands off the east coast of Asia (or India), Columbus saw many natives, whom he called Indians. He spoke often of his desire to convert them to Christianity. There are numerous Journal entries listed and in each entry he spoke of his desire and efforts to promote Christianity to these "Indians". Check out the link here. According to Eagleforum.org Columbus was not looking to prove that the world was round. It was a known fact: The lie that Columbus didn't know the earth was round when he set sail from Spain to the New World is absolutely ridiculous. All educated people had known that since ancient Greece; they just didn't know how big the world is. Columbus certainly didn't set sail believing that he was going to drop off the edge of the earth into outer space. Columbus was one of the most amazing sailors and leaders in all history.

[Steve]

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It is kind of weird we celebrate Columbus Day. From Wikipedia - Between 1921 and 2002, Venezuela had celebrated Día de la Raza along with many other Latin American nations. The original holiday was officially established in 1921 under President Juan Vicente Gómez. In 2002, under president Hugo Chávez, the name was changed to Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) to commemorate the Indigenous peoples' resistance to European settlement. On October 12, 2004 a mob of pro-government activists toppled the statue of Columbus in Caracas and sprayed allusive graffiti over its pedestal. The pro-Chávez, left-wing website Aporrea wrote: "Just like the statue of Saddam in Baghdad, that of Columbus the tyrant also fell this October 12, 2004 in Caracas." It's all a matter of perspective, I guess. Some saw Columbus as this big adventurer who discovered new land. While those who were already here saw him as a tyrant.

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Originally Posted by Steve

It is kind of weird we celebrate Columbus Day.

From Wikipedia - Between 1921 and 2002, Venezuela had celebrated Día de la Raza along with many other Latin American nations. The original holiday was officially established in 1921 under President Juan Vicente Gómez. In 2002, under president Hugo Chávez, the name was changed to Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) to commemorate the Indigenous peoples' resistance to European settlement. On October 12, 2004 a mob of pro-government activists toppled the statue of Columbus in Caracas and sprayed allusive graffiti over its pedestal. The pro-Chávez, left-wing website Aporrea wrote: "Just like the statue of Saddam in Baghdad, that of Columbus the tyrant also fell this October 12, 2004 in Caracas."

It's all a matter of perspective, I guess. Some saw Columbus as this big adventurer who discovered new land. While those who were already here saw him as a tyrant.

Not sure that I understand this part of your comment.