OPINION: The Problem With Columbus Day
For most HHS students, this upcoming Columbus Day is just another day off; it’s a nice 4 day weekend when you can relax and catch up on old work. While almost no one will complain about a day off, the name of the holiday is considered incredibly offensive by many, especially in Native American groups. It is not hard to see why. While few people sit down on Columbus Day and express their love of the Spanish Empire, having a holiday named after a figure like Christopher Columbus sends a certain message: one of tacit support for what he did. While he is a very important historical figure, it is not hard to see why it rubs some people the wrong way when there is a holiday celebrating someone who literally raped and pillaged his way through the Caribbean and opened the door for the European invasion of the Americas. If people find it unacceptable to have statues of Robert E. Lee in public places, then it should be equally unacceptable to honour a mass murderer whose actions led to the oppression of Native Americans for generations, an issue which goes on to this day. For that reason, I think we should seriously consider changing the name of Columbus Day to something less offensive.
