Happy Columbus Day

Yes, that's right. I'm acknowledging what today is. And frankly, I think Columbus has gotten a very bad rap.

As I told my high school history teacher (which was probably when he knew I'd be a handful), it's idealistic to think that if Columbus had never discovered America someone else wouldn't have. Furthermore, he had no control over what would happen after it happened. The years when Europeans treated natives horribly wasn't his fault. He was only responible for what he did, which I know wasn't always the best.

And, for the record, no one was responsible for the diseases that killed thousands of the Native Americans. Very seldom is disease the responsibility of any one person. It was tragic. I'm not denying that. But to blame it on someone who had nothing to do with it isn't fair.

And there was something in the second paragraph that you might have missed. Yes, Columbus discovered America.

See, if I find a new author, I'll tell everyone I discovered this great new writer. He might have 20 books out, but I just discovered him because I didn't know about him before. Columbus may not have been the first to find America, but he discovered it for a whole continent of people who didn't know about it before.

So there you have it. My anti-PC rant about Columbus day. And, since the day is almost over, hope it was a happy one.