Columbus, A Man of His Time

On October 12th, every year, distinct intellectuals as well as pundits surface to ridicule the remembrance of Christopher Columbus, the Genoese helmsman and explorer. There were indeed numerous instances for which Christoffa Corombo, as he was recognized as in his home-town of Genoa, could be disparaged for. He never reached China. He acrimoniously miscalculated the configuration of the Earth, and other fiascoes can be included.

Obviously, these are not the aberrations for which what the contemporary pundits admonish Columbus. Columbus had been indeed an imperialist as well he facilitated genocide. He could have easily been labeled as a tyrant! Or ergo, they argue. Matthew Yglesias, renowned editor and writer who also holds a BA in Philosophy from Harvard University, seems to not care one way or the other, but states in his blog, Reconsidering Columbus Day (Or Not) found at http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2010/10/reconsidering-columbus-day-or-not/ that “unlike in some countries he’s visited recently, it’s perfectly possible to probe an American about his political views without being treated to a lengthy ax-grinding historical narrative.”

Matthew’s stance is indeed concrete, he respects Columbus’ bravery however does not dismiss his immoralities nor the immoralities of his era. Columbus’ bravery nor his downfalls do anything whatsoever to rationalize Vietnam or Hiroshima or any other infractions or offenses of our time.

What is crazy and candidly preposterous is that numerous journalists, similar to the ones who constructed the Reconsider Columbus Day clip, elect to disregard tabulated context. Columbus existed not as a man of our era so to adjudicate him by today's prototypes is outrageous.

What Columbus had been, was a man of his period. His perspective had not been explicitly dissimilar from that of many 15th century helmsmen, businessmen and commanders. Enslavement was an antiquated conventionality, consented by the Bible. Of course, Columbus would see the Native Americans as possible slaves. In addition, Columbus had been an imperialist. He had been aided by Spain. What else could he be? Columbus’ treatment of the Native Americans had not been substantially worse than the treatment of Europeans by fellow Europeans of that era. Columbus navigated the waters in 1492. The Spanish Inquisition, which began its existence in 1478, was heightened following the royal legislates also established in 1492. Abundant scribes chastise Columbus’ murdering of Native Americans in Santo Domingo while overlooking the auto de fes at Seville. A past without context is candidly eccentricity.

Columbus existed as what he was, a navigator and helmsman of the 15th century. We should accept from history the lessons of courageousness as well as corrosiveness. To idolize the former is not to affirm the latter.