Christopher Columbus vs. Leif Ericson

  Here's the way it went when I was in Grade school!
  "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."
  We were taught that old Christopher "discovered
America!"
   Even then, in Grade school, I wondered what the
Indians.....excuse me....."Native Americans"...thought
about his "discovery."
    I knew whatever he actually did was big because
they named a city in Ohio after him and gave us a day
off from school on October 12th.
    Some people say time helps people forget. But,
somehow, we seem to know more about Christopher
now then we used to know!
     He didn't believe the world was flat!
     He wasn't the first person to "find" America.
     And we are now told we was born on August 26th
(Not October 12th) of 1451!
      I guess the exact date doesn't matter because we
started observing "his birthday" on the Monday
closest to October 12th instead of on the date itself!
      Poor Chris seems to be getting somewhat of a bad
rap these days!
       I found hand made signs near his statue in
Pittston with label him as "America's First Terrorist"
and his holiday as "A celebration of Genocide!"
       There was also a HAND mounted as though it
was reaching out of the monument!
       There was a big bouquet of flowers too. I don't
think it was left by the folks who drew the signs.
        Whatever else you think Christopher Columbus
not only visited the American continent four times,
he TOLD people about it!
         If Leif Ericson did show up first he didn't
say anything about it. Did you ever notice there's no
Ericson, Ohio? Although, admittedly,Norsemen in
Ohio do celebrate Leif Ericson Day on October 9th.
          I wonder if that's the Tuesday closest to his
actual birthday?
         Anyway Europeans headed this way because they
heard about Columbus and knew there was
opportunity here.
          Native Americans don't think much of him. But
they now run all the Casinos! (And they're all open on
Columbus Day!)
           I don't know exactly what they're teaching the
kids about Columbus these days. But if they're still
getting a day off for his birthday, whatever the date,
I'll bet they love the guy! I always did!
           Hope you enjoyed the "holiday" and that all
your NEWS is good!