Arguments For and Against Columbus Day

Celebrating Destruction

Should people in Latin America stop celebrating Columbus Day because of the damage he made in America? They say Columbus and his troops traveled all around America stealing gold, animals, land and even people (Vizenor 5). Columbus and his company wanted everything natives had. The conquest brought malicious people to America such as Hernan Cortez which played an important role because he killed the king of America, Moctezuma, took the land and started slavery on natives (Brinkerhoff 276). They say Spanish people came in fear company of many viruses and diseases such as chickenpox killing many natives and dispersing these viruses all around America (Watts 9). According to Bartolome de las Casas a fray that traveled to America, Columbus was committing genocide, raping and killing innocent natives (Orique 1). People disagree with the celebration day of a person which stole culture, language, and rights of native people (Bubar 5). The relationship with natives was not good from the beginning. Columbus saw natives just like slaves. He just wanted to steal their own land. Columbus’ arrival was not a conquest it was an invasion (Chapin 1). People should stop celebrating and showing Columbus as a hero. It all starts from schools where teachers and books are creating a fake reality to children about Christopher Columbus (Desai 3). People argue that it is wrong to celebrate Christopher Columbus actions because it led to centuries of suffering for native people (Bubar 5). Columbus destroyed cultures, towns, and languages. He was selfish and made innocent people suffer. They say that because of Columbus the world lost the culture. (Vizenor 5).

On the other side, people argue that they should not stop celebrating a hero. Christopher Columbus is part of the history with his great discovery of Latin America; he brought hope and civilization to Latin America. In the other side, people concurred saying that we should celebrate Columbus because he brought hope to the nation of Spain and helped with the civilization of natives (Bubar 5). Columbus tried to help natives by bringing new species, medicines, a new language, and even Christianity, the change was necessary to have a big empire today such as Latin America (Licini 2).  Columbus tried to help his country contributing new opportunities in America as a new start. Spanish and Italian people are very proud of this journey also because Columbus helped natives thank him people in Latin America speak different languages (Petto 1). He created new cultures. Christianity came with Columbus, he brought new customs, a new language, it was innovation that was necessary to succeed (Bubar 5). Natives progressed with the arrived of Columbus as a society; they learned to socialize with each other using education. They were barbarous people and needed to learn how to act as properly (Licini 2). Columbus suffered the same fear the viruses. He lost many of his travelers, therefore many families suffered the loss of these people in Spain, and they gave their lives for their country and even for Latin America (Watts 10). Columbus tried to help his country by contributing new opportunities in Latin America as an in a new start. Spanish and Italian people are very proud of this journey also because Columbus helped natives thank him people in America speak different languages (Petto 1). Even though people in favor of celebrating Columbus Day have strong and clear points however Columbus destroyed and humiliated the ancestors of Latin America and that is not a motive to the celebration (Emotional Appeal), therefore, people should stop celebrating Columbus Day. Should people in Latin America stop celebrating Columbus Day? Some people think Columbus Day should be celebrating it and they have solid and well-defined arguments, still, Columbus destroyed many cultures, and made innocent people suffer the consequences of his avarice; that is why people should stop celebrating Columbus Day.

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 Latin American people should stop celebrating Columbus Day because he destroyed many cultures. Columbus has a reputation of a hero, but he was the villain. Columbus was malicious and egoist. He did not care about natives and their safety. He was focused on his nation, it did not matter what happened to all natives and different cultures. Christopher Columbus never had empathy for natives. He thought natives were not humans and was correct to destroy them. “Many tribes had to give up their languages, cultures, and ways of life” (Bubar 5). In this quote, the author Bubar evidences that Columbus destroyed cultures and their customs. Natives had to suffer the loss of their roots without any other option. The ancestors of Latin America were exiled of their land and cultures without any compassion. It wasn’t a conquest; what Columbus did is called an invasion.

People in Latin America should cancel the celebration of Columbus Day because the conquest only beneficiated Spanish and Italian communities. Columbus stole gold, medicinal, plants, animals, land, and even people to take them to Spain and Italy nonetheless Latin America never received something in exchange. He stole to beneficiate these two countries, but Latin America lost almost everything because of Columbus envy and avarice. “Explorers like Columbus took Italy and Spain across the threshold to a new era in religion, government, and economics” (Petto 1) This quote explains how Italy and Spain were the only two countries beneficiated by Columbus’ conquest. Latin American suffered over the happiness of Italy and Spain. Italy and Spain grew in religion, government and economics thank Latin America natural resources.

Columbus damaged the life of innocent people and made Natives suffer the loss of their home. Natives in Latin America lost everything in only a couple of months. Columbus and his troops stole the land of innocent families. Columbus made horrific acts such as raping and violating human rights.  “Natives disintegrated and disappeared and were never able to reconstitute themselves” (Chapin 2). In this quote author, Chapin makes clear points by telling the audience how Christopher Columbus damaged innocent people who never recovered from the conquest. Columbus destroyed cultures and people. Natives were never able to recover of such a horrific act. Thank Columbus the world lost the ancestor of Latin America and all their knowledge. A conquest is not a justification for making people suffer till death.

 There is proof that Columbus was committing genocide against native people. Genocide is the act of killing a large group of people, especially those of an ethnic group or nation. Rejecting genocide: A legacy of racism and genocide began with Columbus and continued with those who came after him (Emotional Appeal). He claimed the land and waters that indigenous people already farmed, fished and hunted. Then the genocide began. Columbus was committing genocide against Natives. Immediately upon arrival, Columbus noted that the natives he encountered were kind and giving and he planned to use that kindness against them. What resulted was genocide, rape, mutilations and a variety of other atrocities. What gave him the right to destroy innocent people? Columbus had no feelings, he did not care about what natives were feeling because he had no compassion for them. “Bartolome de las Casas denounced Columbus of genocide and violations of human rights” (Orique 1). Bartolome de las Casas was a fray traveling along with Columbus he had evidence and denounced Columbus of genocide. Spanish people such as Bartolome de las Casas saw the violence of Columbus towards natives. Bartolome de las Casas was part of Columbus troops and even he disagreed with the treatment he was giving to innocent people. Columbus was committing genocide and that is a crime.

Columbus is still spreading the voice of racism that is why people should stop his celebration day. Columbus saw natives as providers and not as humans. He created the hate to other communities because he hated natives. Columbus was torturing natives for many years and many people followed that example. Spanish people started treating natives like animals or worse.  He was founding his new Spain full of racism. There is nothing good on building a new world over the shadows of death and suffering. There is proof in the article wrote by Bartolome de las Casas where he specifies that Columbus thought natives were a mix of monkeys and humans (Orique 2). “Columbus Day a celebration of racism, imperialism and ensuing genocide” (Hitchmough 4). Columbus was spreading the voice of racism over natives because they were different to Spanish society and the posterior quote emphasize it. The voice of racism is still governing till this day. The world is full of ignorant people thinking ass Columbus did. Christopher Columbus Day is a celebration for racism because people are celebrating the triumph of destroying innocent communities.

People should stop celebrating Columbus because he started slavery in Latin America. Talking about Columbus everything comes all along with racism; one example is slavery. After sailing to the new world, Columbus did not really seem to care very much about establishing trade routes or interacting with foreign cultures. Instead, he saw some of the natives wearing gold jewelry and made it his life mission to kill and enslave as many of them as possible to steal as much of it as possible. On his return trips to the Americas, Columbus forced the natives to continually bring him gold. When someone brought him gold, he gave the person a little pendant to wear around his or her neck, which exempted that person from needing to bring him more gold at least for a little while. The freedom granted by that pendant would eventually expire and, if a native did not bring Columbus more gold, he would cut off a hand and make the native wore it around his or her neck. Columbus private natives of their freedom and their human rights. He wanted to create a new world in Latin America and he saw natives as tools, not as humans. He forced them to work till death without compassion. “He subjugated, the enslaved the indigenous people to satisfy his hunger for gold” (Desai 180). Columbus was racist and saw natives lower; he thought natives were made to work till dead because of his avarice. He did not respect the age of natives or their gender, he forced them all to work for him with no pay or rights. Thank Columbus slavery spread all over Latin America for hundreds of years.

Columbus opened the doors of Latin America to people like Hernan Cortez; He betrayed Moctezuma the king of the Latin American ancestors even though Moctezuma tried to help him. Columbus did not go to Latin America looking for friendship with natives; he went to destroy big empires. Columbus wanted to become the king of Latin America. “Cortez and the Spanish murdered the Mexica leader (Moctezuma) whom they had been holding hostage” (Brinkerhoff 4). Columbus and Cortez betrayed Moctezuma the king of Natives in Mexico which opened in a friendly way the doors of Mexico to Cortez. Spanish conquistadors were impostors and came to Latin America to kill and steal with malicious thinking about themselves only.

Columbus brought many viruses and diseases that killed many natives and spreader it all around Latin America. The conquest brought evil people and viruses to Latin America, destroying and killing many people. Fortunately, the evil people from the conquest died because no one is going to live forever but the viruses are still alive. Those diseases are still killing innocent people all over Latin America. “When the Spaniards laid anchor in the Caribbean they brought with them a cargo of virulent and utterly foreign pathogens: smallpox, measles, chicken pox, typhus, typhoid, influenza, whooping cough, bubonic plague, malaria, yellow fever, and others.” (Brinkerhoff 2). This quote has some examples of different viruses brought by Spanish conquistadors because of these viruses many innocent natives were dead without any help. There is no need to celebrate death and hate.

Some people argue that Latin America should not cancel Christopher Columbus Day. People are defending Columbus because he helped with innovation, bringing new opportunities to different countries and even to natives (Licini 2, Vizenor 5, Watts 10) “His accomplishment led to mass migration to the New World by so many diverse cultures, giving them the hope to start new lives in Latin America” (Bubar 2). In this quote the author is explaining why people should not stop celebrating Columbus Day; he says that Columbus helped the nation to create new relationships between different countries and cultures, but they are wrong because Latin America was damaged forever with the conquest. Columbus was a murder and the cause of many disasters in Latin America such as viruses, slavery, rape, destruction of land, extinction of cultures, racism, and the death of hundreds of innocent native communities. Natives suffered because of the avarice of Columbus they were treated with violence and there should not be any excuse for making people suffer. Columbus killed innocent people, spread it racism, stole gold and cultures, brought many diseases and let it spread all over Latin America, and was the cause of the never recover Latin America. The ancestor of Latin America deserve respect and to be honored. They suffered from no compassion for hundreds of years. The only way people can honor these innocent natives is to cancel Columbus Day. People in Latin America do not need to celebrate the day of the death of their ancestors. Columbus Day is a day to celebrate genocide, death, rape, egoism, racism, and destruction. Latino people should cancel Columbus Day, and commemorate all the ancestors, honor the lives of those that died first for Latin America.

Works Cited

• Andrew Petto. “Columbus Day Only a Holiday for Those Who Benefited from His ‘discovery’.” Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA). EBSCOhost, proxy.jjc.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?Direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W70373425907&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 16 Oct. 2018
• Bubar, Joe, and Bryan Brown. “The Columbus Day Debate. (Cover Story).” Scholastic News – Edition 5/6, vol. 86, no. 4, Oct. 2017, p. EBSCOhost,proxy.jjc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=125748890&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
• Brinkerhoff, Thomas J. “Reexamining the Lore of the ‘Archetypal Conquistador’:  Hernán Cortés and the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire, 1519-1521.” History Teacher, vol. 49, no. 2, Feb. 2016, pp. 169–187. EBSCOhost, proxy.jjc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=113536402&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
• Chapin, Mac. “The Meaning of Columbus Day.” World Watch, vol.21, no. 6, Nov. 2008, p. 8. EBSCOhost,proxy.jjc.edu/login?url+http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=34948663&site=ehost-live&scope=site
• Desai, Christina. “The Columbus Myth: Power and Ideology in Picturebooks About Christopher Columbus. “Children’s Literature in Education, vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2014, pp.179-196. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10583-014-9216-0.
• Hitchmough, Sam. “’It’s Not Your Country Any More’. Contested National Narratives and the Columbus Day Parade Protests in Denver.” European Journal of American Culture, vol.32, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 263-283. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1386/ejac.32.3.263pass:[ ]1.
• Licini, Patrizia. “Christopher Columbus, 500 Years Later.” Cartography & Geoinformation, vol. 5, no. 5, June 2006, pp. 122–128. EBSCOhost, proxy.jjc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=27495607&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
• Orique, David Thomas. “The Life, Labor, and Legacy of Bartolomé de Las Casas.”  Peace Review, vol. 26, no. 3, July 2014, pp. 325–333. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/10402659.2014.937988.
• Vizenor, Gerald. “Christopher Columbus: Lost Havens in the Ruins of Representation.” American Indian Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 4, Fall 1992, p. 521. EBSCOhost,proxy.jjc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=f5h&AN=9305145094&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
• Watts, Pauline Moffitt. American Historical Review, vol. 90, no. 1, Feb. 1985, p. 73. EBSCOhost, proxy.jjc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=5632863&site=ehost-live&scope=site.