Anniversary of Columbus’ Discovery

Rodriguez asks us not to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ great adventure, which he prefers to call “genocide.”

Forget for the moment that Spain’s attitude towards the indigenous peoples of America was no different than it was toward non-Christians at home, and in the same year that Columbus sailed into the unknown the Jews were driven out of Spain, forced to leave all of their property behind them, and that the horrors of the Inquisition were in full control of the lives of the people of Spain.

No, Mr. Rodriguez, we are not going to celebrate genocide, but rather the accomplishment of one rather courageous individual, whose adventure still stands as the greatest voyage of mankind, including Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. In truth, a parallel would have Armstrong pleading with the President--over a period of eight years--for use of a castoff spaceship and the company of a few criminals and debtors to go with him on a voyage that he would plan and carry out alone.

Columbus’ serendipity--a new world instead of China and Japan--brought lesser men after him, and when he punished a few Spanish gentlemen for murdering Indians he was himself removed from power and returned to Spain in chains.

JERE STUART FRENCH

Claremont