Opinion of replacing Columbus Day with Native American Day

[TDAS04]

South Dakota has done so.

Support. 

[barfbag]

No don't do it. Things don't need to change.

[bedstuy]

South Dakota has like 3 Italian people and a decent Native American population so it's no surprise. 

But, in my opinion, either keep it Columbus Day or get rid of the holiday entirely.  Replacing it with Native American day seems to place the blame for American mistreatment of Native Americans on the feet of Christopher Columbus.  And then, why don't we have a day for every race of people?  It just gets silly at a certain point.

[TDAS04]

No don't do it. Things don't need to change.

This thread is pretty out of touch with South Dakota.

Who is out of touch with South Dakota now?

South Dakota has like 3 Italian people and a decent Native American population so it's no surprise.  

But, in my opinion, either keep it Columbus Day or get rid of the holiday entirely.  Replacing it with Native American day seems to place the blame for American mistreatment of Native Americans on the feet of Christopher Columbus.  And then, why don't we have a day for every race of people?  It just gets silly at a certain point.

Columbus Day makes little sense considering that not only was he not the first person set to foot in the Americas, he was not even the first European; the Vikings were.

Anyway, Martin Luther King Day (which I support) honors the fight for African American rights.  The Native Americans were the first Americans.  They are the ones who have a the strongest case against "illegal aliens".  To this day, they are still persecuted.  On the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, poverty is horrendous, and the life expectancy is similar to that of an African country.  In the wealthy US, that is downright shameful.  

Also, Congress must apologize for their destruction.  Congress has apologized for slavery, for Japanese internment, and for the overthrow of the Hawaiian queen.  It must apologize for the worst atrocity in US history, which is of course, what was done against the Native Americans.

Surely, the original people of our "free land, the greatest nation on Earth" are entitled to our respect.

[bedstuy]

South Dakota has like 3 Italian people and a decent Native American population so it's no surprise.  

But, in my opinion, either keep it Columbus Day or get rid of the holiday entirely.  Replacing it with Native American day seems to place the blame for American mistreatment of Native Americans on the feet of Christopher Columbus.  And then, why don't we have a day for every race of people?  It just gets silly at a certain point.

Columbus Day makes little sense considering that not only was he not the first person set to foot in the Americas, he was not even the first European; the Vikings were.

Anyway, Martin Luther King Day (which I support) honors the fight for African American rights.  The Native Americans were the first Americans.  They are the ones who have a the strongest case against "illegal aliens".  To this day, they are still persecuted.  On the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, poverty is horrendous, and the life expectancy is similar to that of an African country.  In the wealthy US, that is downright shameful.  

Also, Congress must apologize for their destruction.  Congress has apologized for slavery, for Japanese internment, and for the overthrow of the Hawaiian queen.  It must apologize for the worst atrocity in US history, which is of course, what was done against the Native Americans.

Surely, the original people of our "free land, the greatest nation on Earth" are entitled to our respect.

The condition of Native Americans in this country is horrendous.  And, the policies of the US government were genocidal towards Native Americans at various points in our history.  That's true. 

I just don't see the neat connection between that history and Christopher Columbus.  Nor do I see how giving people a holiday necessarily advances the condition of Native Americans.  If we were to create a holiday for Native Americans, I would support choosing a date that has significance to Native Americans, rather than taking Columbus's day.   

[barfbag]

The Native Americans are the ones pushing us out of our homes and onto the streets with their casinos being built. Our casino losses become their profits and they use them to tear down our homes and put us on the streets. If anything, the Native Americans should name a day after us. If only the Native Americans knew what it was like to be forced off of their property by hostile takeovers.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

The Native Americans are the ones pushing us out of our homes and onto the streets with their casinos being built. Our casino losses become their profits and they use them to tear down our homes and put us on the streets. If anything, the Native Americans should name a day after us. If only the Native Americans knew what it was like to be forced off of their property by hostile takeovers.

[dead0man]

support

Columbus is the most overrated man in history.  He was freaking WRONG.  Everybody knew the Earth was round, he just thought it was much smaller than everybody else and he was wrong and they were right.  And now he's a freaking hero?  Idiots.  On the other hand, the only people that seem to still think he was a hero are:idiots, Italians, grade school teachers and grade school kids...oh and the US Federal Govt.  Do you really want to be in that group?

[dead0man]

On the other hand....

To this day, they are still persecuted.  On the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, poverty is horrendous, and the life expectancy is similar to that of an African country.  In the wealthy US, that is downright shameful.

The condition of Native Americans in this country is horrendous.

It's not a prison.  What do you suppose the US should do about it?  For the record, my step daughters are "members" of that reservation though they've never stepped foot on it.  We will be taking advantage of the free college money, most don't.

[tpfkaw]

Most Indians who live outside reservations are every bit as affluent and successful as their white neighbors.  It's actually pretty much the best real-world example of the "culture of dependency" rhetoric.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Support (normal)

[The Simpsons Cinematic Universe]

Meh. As long as we get a day off.

[Pessimistic Antineutrino]

Meh. As long as we get a day off.

Essentially this.

No need to replace Columbus Day with Native American day. There's no distinct parallel between a day celebrating Columbus's arrival with a race of people. Either get rid of Columbus Day, or add Native American Day. No replacing is necessary.

[Frodo]

Better to remove the holiday altogether and not have any take its place. 

[PJ]

Why can't we have both?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

No don't do it. Things don't need to change.

This, although I don't understand why we couldn't have both.

[Mechaman]

Don't really care, as long as I get the day off.

Although I must say I somewhat agree with this observation:

And then, why don't we have a day for every race of people?  It just gets silly at a certain point.

There are a lot of other oppressed people in American history who don't get federally recognized holidays.  You guys think St. Paddy's Day is federally recognized?  Or Oktoberfest?  How about Pulaski Day?  Cinco de Mayo? etc etc etc etc.

Seriously.

Note: Not saying that I really care either way about cultural holidays getting federal recognition, just stating that it's kind of a well non-issue.  If the argument is for more of these holidays, however, I'm not opposed to it.  I really don't like working.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Shouldn't we have Vespucci Day? Columbus was reasonably a moron. Also, Leif Erickson Day.

[Mechaman]

No don't do it. Things don't need to change.

This thread is pretty out of touch with South Dakota.

Who is out of touch with South Dakota now?

South Dakota has like 3 Italian people and a decent Native American population so it's no surprise.  

But, in my opinion, either keep it Columbus Day or get rid of the holiday entirely.  Replacing it with Native American day seems to place the blame for American mistreatment of Native Americans on the feet of Christopher Columbus.  And then, why don't we have a day for every race of people?  It just gets silly at a certain point.

Columbus Day makes little sense considering that not only was he not the first person set to foot in the Americas, he was not even the first European; the Vikings were.

Anyway, Martin Luther King Day (which I support) honors the fight for African American rights.  The Native Americans were the first Americans.  They are the ones who have a the strongest case against "illegal aliens".  To this day, they are still persecuted.  On the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, poverty is horrendous, and the life expectancy is similar to that of an African country.  In the wealthy US, that is downright shameful.  

Also, Congress must apologize for their destruction.  Congress has apologized for slavery, for Japanese internment, and for the overthrow of the Hawaiian queen.  It must apologize for the worst atrocity in US history, which is of course, what was done against the Native Americans.

Surely, the original people of our "free land, the greatest nation on Earth" are entitled to our respect.

From what I can recall, the US Government has never apologized for it's draft policies during the Civil War, has never apologized for the treatment of the native population of the Philippines after McKinley took it over, never apologized for inaction during the flooding of the Mississippi in the 1920's (the most untalked about natural calamity in American history that was that era's Katrina), has only given a very minimum apology for the behavior of abusive military in the Vietnam War (to which their initial reaction was disgusting), and has come nowhere near (though Fox News pundits claim differently) to apologizing to the world for the World Policeman status that the US now has.

So yes, the US Government doesn't have exactly that great of a record of "apologizing".

[Goldwater]

Shouldn't we have Vespucci Day? Columbus was reasonably a moron. Also, Leif Erickson Day.

[DemPGH]

No, no, no. How about Explorer's Day? That would encompass them all, including Armstrong and Aldrin. And they should all be honored - they are not honored enough in our culture.

Considering the culture that Columbus came out of, what he did was nothing short of astonishing.

There is a great but forgotten movie by Ridley Scott about him from 1992 called 1492: Conquest of Paradise. Beautiful movie and a moving epic. Sadly, in America it has yet to receive a DVD release.

[TDAS04]

Leif Erikson Day makes no less sense than Columbus Day, but why is celebrating any of these explorers more important than respecting the first Americans?

From what I can recall, the US Government has never apologized for it's draft policies during the Civil War, has never apologized for the treatment of the native population of the Philippines after McKinley took it over, never apologized for inaction during the flooding of the Mississippi in the 1920's (the most untalked about natural calamity in American history that was that era's Katrina), has only given a very minimum apology for the behavior of abusive military in the Vietnam War (to which their initial reaction was disgusting), and has come nowhere near (though Fox News pundits claim differently) to apologizing to the world for the World Policeman status that the US now has.

So yes, the US Government doesn't have exactly that great of a record of "apologizing".

Sure, the US Government has done plenty of bad things, but the destruction of and continuing persecution of the Native American population tops them all.

[Marnetmar]

Absolutely support.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

How about simply ending the holiday?  We have too many of them as it is.

[angus]

Columbus is the most overrated man in history. 

Oh, yeah?  When was the last time you talked a queen into giving you fifty million dollars?  Sure, Ferdinand was gay so he probably wasn't giving Isabella the high, hard one.  You might have been able to talk her into the sack, cowboy, but don't even start to think you're as slick as Chris.

Native American Day?  Sure, that just rolls off the tongue.  Give me a break.  We may be stuck with one of the most cacophonic and illogical languages in the world as a matter of history, but let's not go out of our way to make it worse.  I'll stick with Columbus Day.