columbus sha-mungus

did u celebrate columbus "discovering" america this week? he obviously discovered it. but was he the first to discover it? that's the question.

let's say he was the first european to discover america. might be a bit more accurate. since lots of people already lived there.

and what about the vikings? didn't they discover it before columbus did? oh yeah, but they didn't leave an indelible impression through conquest.

so maybe it would be more accurate to say that columbus was the first european to discover america in a way that led to the subsequent forcible takeover and conquest of the people already living there. doesn't sound so glamorous, does it?

and did he really discover it? was he looking for new lands? no. it was an accident. a mistake. he was looking for india and sailed the completely wrong direction and bumped into america. "look what i discovered!" (when he finally figured out it wasn't india after all.) so maybe it would be the most accurate to say that columbus was the first european to accidentally bump into america in such a way that it led to the subsequent forcible takeover of the continent from the people already living there. not glamorous at all, is it?

i would be ok with it all if i could just get my employer to give me a paid day off to celebrate it! no such luck...

PS if you have any interest in the history of trans atlantic crossings prior to columbus, go here.