Columbus has become a controversial figure.
Since he has been long dead the change has to do with our society not his.
He was clearly an exploiter interested in getting rich and able to convince the Spanish monarchs to finance an expedition with the promise of great profit. It was never an altruistic voyage, but it also wasn't designed as an evil one.
Once he stumbled upon what we now call America, his actions were both ruthless and exploitative. He was there to make money any way he could.
What we celebrated him for was the bravery he displayed in making the voyage, which exposed him to significant danger. That hasn't changed.
He is now under attack for exploiting the natives who he infected, enslaved and treated ruthlessly.
While his behavior was not unusual for his time it was clearly brutal and hardly Christian.
The bravery he exhibited is real and his voyage led to the exploitation of the Americas.
Most of the exploitation was actually done by others following him.
Recognize human nature and celebrate the best of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment