We Can Still Say “Columbus Day” (I think)

Just don’t say it too loud if you want to keep the peace.

Rasmussen has the figures on where the American voter stands regarding the observance of Columbus Day:

Intrepid explorer who discovered America or merciless oppressor of the native peoples who already lived here? Some historians paint a darker picture of Christopher Columbus these days…

• nearly a quarter (24%) of adults now don’t think America should honor him with a national holiday.
  
• 58% disagree and say Columbus should be honored with a holiday.
  
• 17% are undecided what’s not to decide? Wafflers!.
  
• 69% of Republicans favor continuance of Columbus Day,
  
• compared to 52% of Democrats and,
  
• 54% of adults not affiliated with either party.Democrats are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to think Columbus should not be honored [no surprise there].
  
• 61% of whites say Columbus deserves a holiday,
  
• 50% of African-Americans [agree], and
  
• 51% of those in other racial categories.

Now you know where you stand in comparison to everyone else.

I found an old cartoon about Columbus. It was part of the Mel-o-Toon series of simplified history for very young:


The comment section on this You Tube selection isn’t long but that deficit is remedied by the rigor of the vitriol on display. One person claims that the sailors gesturing to Columbus at 3:00 minutes are doing a Nazi salute. Shades of Charles Johnson!

Rasmussen has a surprising category of those who like Columbus:
- - - - - - - - -

…younger Americans are more supportive of the famous Italian explorer than their elders.

• 72% of both men and women under 40 believe Columbus should be honored with a holiday;
  
• 57% of men over 40 and 53% of women over 40 agree.

But, hey, we forgot someone on October 9th:

Leif Erikson Day is an American observance occurring on October 9. It honors Leif Ericson (Leif Eiríksson), who brought the first Europeans known to have set foot in North America. In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to create the observance through an annual proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson and each President since have done so. Presidents have used the proclamation to praise the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally and the spirit of discovery.

Poor Erikson. October 9th is the day we all learned of President Obama’s Nobel Prize. Now ol’ Leif has been eclipsed yet again, first by Columbus and now by Obama.

By the way, it says "each President" since Johnson has made a proclamation on October 9th for Erikson. I don't remember seeing it in the news; does anyone know if this dead white male from Northern Europe was given his usual accolade by the new guy?