Antidote to Columbus Day

Tired of celebrating Columbus Day? Not really sure why the hell you should celebrate it (other than getting a day off work)?

Why not celebrate Bartolomé de las Casas and Antonio de Montesinos instead?

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n 1511 de Montesinos preached an impassioned sermon criticizing the practices of the Spanish colonial encomienda system, and decrying the abuse of the Taíno people on Hispaniola.

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Las Casas was deeply moved by the mistreatment of the natives, which
included brutal torture, enslavement, and massacres. In 1513, Las Casas
served as a chaplain during the conquest of Cuba. He witnessed the
wholesale slaughter of the native people by Spanish soldiers. Without
provocation thousands of Tainos were slaughtered by soldiers including
men, women and children, "I saw here cruelty on a scale no living being
has ever seen or expects to see."

Learning about these guys at a young age, especially about Las Casas, forever destroyed for me the myth that Columbus or anyone else of that era should be judged kindly since he was 'a product of his age', as if that's ever a valid excuse for evil behavior.

Seriously, what de Montesinos and Las Casas did was truly heroic; they stood up for what they believed was right, what they believed true Christian values were, and they were willing to keep standing up for those beliefs in the face of persecution and criticism.

...We should have a national holiday for them, if you ask me.

Agreed whole heartedly from my work desk, as I don't even get this worthless excuse of a holiday off. >:C

Yes, but Columbus still deserves to keep the holiday. Of all of them, he's wearing the funniest hat. Observe:

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I highly doubt that either de Montesinos or Las Casas have such a hat in their possession. Kindly rescind your argument.

Malganis wrote:

Tired of celebrating Columbus Day?

No.

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Not really sure why the hell you should celebrate it (other than getting a day off work)?

No.

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Why not celebrate Bartolomé de las Casas and Antonio de Montesinos instead?

Can't be bothered.

But I told you... in South Dakota we have Native American Day instead. What is this "Columbus Day" you speak of?