Columbus Day = crapp

[39mto39g]

What a load of crapp, Our school systems are still teaching that Columbus discovered America.
When he landed on a central American Island, He called it Salvador.
He also had to move the people that were there already just to plant the flag.
He didn't discover anything, His crews explored a lot and developed a traid route but discover--- not.

Ron

[revwardoc]

Our school system is like a Father Guido Sarducci 5-Minute University joke; all you have to know is "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue!", and you graduate! Here in the People's Republic of MA, schools concentrate on teaching the contents of the MCAS test, upon which they base funding and such. That means that courses, like history, take a backseat. I've been trying for several years to get schools to invite my wife and I to lecture on medical practices of the Rev War Era only to be told that they don't have the time to "waste" on devoting one class to that subject. My fear is that American history will be totally eliminated since it's not purely politically correct.

[Jerry D]

Doc ain't that the Truth! Nothing matters in schools nowadays then teaching the FCAT/MCAS whatever your individual states acheivement test is called today
It would be great for reenactors from all the American Battles and Wars to comeinto the schools and present living history examples. From the 4th grade up they would eat it up and listen to everything we had to teach them that the History books don't include anymore. BTW politically correct history is like pablum/Baby food bland and tasteless. Keep my History interesting and factual

[Andy]

Our country is all about free trade, capitalism. Look at what Columbus did. He got gold, the potato and corn. He gave the natives the clap and small pox. Now that's a deal!

As far as discovery - that word can be used in many ways. In high school, "I discovered a girl named Jan who put out on the first date." It seemed to be a wonderful discovery. No doubt I wasn't the first guy to meat her, but I sure took great pleasure in planting the flag.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[1CAVCCO15MED]

To be the so called greatest explorer of all time he sure was deceived. He died never knowing he had been to America. He thought he had been to Asia.

[39mto39g]

ah- Columbus never made it to America. Dominican Republic/ Cuba/ most of the islands in the caribian but No America, Not even close.

Andy, are you drunk?

Ron

[Keith_Hixson]

Columbus coming to the Caribbean open the way to European migration to the Americas. He dispelled the myth of the flat world. How much longer would it have been if Columbus hadn't come to the Caribbean is anyone's guess. But, he certainly is a significant person in History. Of course the Norse and the Native Americans really discovered the Americas before Columbus. But, his discovery did start the European migration. He deserves some notoriety in history. Let's not "throw out the baby with the bath water."

Keith

[revwardoc]

Keith,

It was actually the Greeks, around 500 BC, who first proposed the theory that the earth was round by observing that ships, when approaching a harbor, were first noted by their mast tops, then gradually the rest of the ship. It was also the Greeks who created the grid of latitude and longitude. However much of this knowledge was lost when the library of Alexandria was destroyed by fire. It wasn't until about 1250 AD that the early theories were "re-discovered". Columbus wasn't out to prove the world was round (that was well known by 1492). He was trying to find a shorter trade route to India and Asia.

[DMZ-LT]

Didn't one of his guys have sex with a sweet potato and start syphilis ? I am confused , that might have been my Uncle Bill

[39mto39g]

He was an explorer and a thief. He explored the Americas (not America) and stole stuff to bring back. He did establish a trade route and the Migration started shortly after, But discover America is what our schools are teaching and it just ain't so.
The Palio indians were the oldest recorded people in the Americas, They were in Central America 12,000 years ago. The decendents of the Pueblo indians in New Mexico and Arizona. The Chinies were in Central America 10,000 years ago, (boat ballist was found off the west coast that came from a quary in China. Hell, the Vikings had two towns in the Main area around 1250 or so.
Columbus discovered America in 1492. Don't think so. and our schools need to stop teaching that he did.

Ron