Against Columbus Day

  In my group we decided against Columbus Day. I absolutely agree with this decision. Even though we get a day off of school, we look wrong as a country. My group decided to come up with another holiday. This way we will look better as a country and also get a day off.

  If were to celebrate the Native Americans, well then we would be truly celebrating the group of people who discovered The United States. Their ancestors walked for thousands of years to get to America just to have Columbus come and take credit as if nothing happened. This is what Columbus Day symbolizes and that is why my group and I decided that we should drop Columbus Day and replace it with Native American Day. On this day we will celebrate and give recognition to the Native Americans the same way we have to Columbus.

Christopher Columbus

Portrait of Christopher Columbus

   My opinion of Christopher Columbus has changed radically over the years. I've always been taught the good that Columbus has done for us. However, I've come to discover that his whole story wasn't entirely told. That is why I believe that the way we celebrate Columbus day should be changed. Most students and workers would disagree with the this idea simply because they get a day off. A few years ago I would have been the same way. Now that I have the proper education on the subject, that has changed.

  Christopher Columbus was an Italian man who worked for the Spaniards. What teachers tell us growing up is that he was the heroic man who discovered America. This is somewhat true. Columbus and his men set out on a journey to India, no one knew about The Americas at the time. Christopher ran across America and that is when it all began. Christopher and his men were murderers and brought many diseases to America. He was not the heroic man that everyone believed he was.

  This is why i believe we should celebrate Columbus day differently from now on. We shouldn't completely cut off the day, because he did do good for America, but we should also have consideration for the Native Americans who were here first. They are truly the ones that discovered America. Not Christopher Columbus.