Columbus criticism askew

Regarding the renaming of Columbus Day, there are two important issues that I have not seen discussed. One involves the concept of presentism: the uncritical adherence to present-day attitudes, especially the tendency to interpret past events in terms of modern values and concepts (Oxford).

In their day, men like Columbus were honored for their leadership and conquest. That is how it was. A topical chronological and regional analogy would be the enslavement and cannibalism of losing tribal members by their Taino conquerors. Interpreted using today’s cultural value system, that behavior is atrocious, but that is how it was.

Second is the implication that Columbus and his men intentionally infected indigenous people with pathogenic bacteria. There was very limited knowledge of disease, much less contagion. It was almost 200 years before Von Leeuwenhoek identified single-celled organisms. Imagine if, in 500 years, beings from another planet landed on the moon and were infected by pathogens left behind by astronauts. Should we then condemn our heroes of the early space age?

Let’s celebrate indigenous peoples. The calendar is wide open. To eliminate Columbus Day at the expense of history is contrary to the bumper sticker philosophies “Celebrate Diversity” and “Coexist” and runs the risk of seeming hypocritical.

Anthony Giardino

Spokane