Screw Columbus Day

Today two things came to my attention:
1 Tomorrow is Columbus Day
2 My brother has school off because of it

It is unbelievably disgusting that Columbus Day is considered a holiday, let alone the fact that people are given a day off because of it.  You know how growing up you were told that Christopher Columbus found America/The New World and made friends with the "Indians"?  Well I got some bad news for you that may break your heart.  Contrary to popular belief (how the hell that became, I'm still unsure)  Columbus never found America nor did he ever step foot on what is known today as American soil.  He found Cuba, and didn't reach South America until his third voyage.  If that weren't bad enough, the mother fucker thought he found India, hence how he referred to the natives as "Indians".

Christopher Columbus is a glorified murderer celebrated by the American people under false pretenses.
The native population gave Columbus a warm reception.  Columbus wasn't really interested in much a friendship with them however, especially after examining the abundance of gold available.  It wasn't long before enslavement of the native population was underway.  Natives were to collect as much gold as they could and in return Columbus would not cut off their hands.  It was quite a sickening affair and it opened the door to Spanish Conquistadors whom are well known for the destruction of great civilizations such as the Aztecs, Inca, Mayans, and Olmec.  The numbers that were torture, rape, and enslaved were made obsolete however, to the fatalities due to disease.  Smallpox and measles are believed to have been the cause of death to as much as 90% of the native population.  Millions upon millions of people died due to European intervention of the native population.  Columbus was just another profiteer whom wasn't above slaughtering anyone who might stand in his way of riches and fame.

What Columbus did was genocide, no doubt about it.  The fact that we made a national holiday out of it is downright offensive.  For all intents and purposes, we are celebrating genocide.  What I'm curious about is why Hernando Cortez doesn't get a day? Is the holocaust too soon?  Are we suppose to celebrate the Irish Potato Famine?  It's complete bullshit that we actually consider honoring this guy!

What makes things even worse is that he wasn't even the first to discovered the "new world".  Leiv Eiriksson, son of Erik the Red, made the much more prominent discovery of landing in Canada roughly 500 years prior to Columbus' lust for destruction.  He actually found this new land, didn't claim it was somewhere it wasn't, and didn't commit genocide.  However, somewhere along the line civilization decided that I'd be better to celebrate the destruction of a native populous rather than viking. (Can I just mention that he could kick Columbus' ass)  Leiv Eiriksson Day is recognized on October 9th, and you better believe I will be celebrating.  Something actually worth celebrating but no one gets time off work, public schools are back in session. Kind of says something about our culture doesn't it?

And if I don't get the chance later....
Happy Leiv Eiriksson Day!