Columbus Day: Day of accomplishments and reflection

Today we awake to snow on the ground and the observance of Columbus Day. While the U.S. Post office is closed, very little other observations will be made. It was President Roosevelt that proclaimed October 12^th as Columbus Day back in 1937 but it was not until 1971 when President Nixon established the second Monday of October as a national holiday. I recall as a child doing a lot of activities leading up to Columbus Day and then having the day off. I asked my kids over the weekend if anything was discussed during social studies class, unfortunately neither of my two oldest children said they were learning anything about Christopher Columbus or Columbus Day.

Why has Columbus Day fallen off the public school calendar? Is it because of the controversy that surrounds the 1492 voyage? While attending the University of North Dakota I took a class on Christopher Columbus where we read two books, names escape me, which painted two very different perspectives. One of the books discussed the savagery and brutal reign that Columbus implemented in the Caribbean. While conquest and exploration was the era within which Christopher Columbus lived so was it the era of slavery. Perhaps it is the stain of slavery that prevents our children from learning the roots that ushered many of our ancestor's arrival.

History of the United States is not without its own stains. Today is a day that we can celebrate our past, recognize the achievements of Christopher Columbus, and, more importantly, acknowledge that while Columbus expanded the globe he did exploit the "riches" of the new land. Public schools, politicians, parents, and others can use this day as a teachable moment of inspiring our youth to explore their world while instilling the concepts of respect for those they come into contact with. We must, as a society, understand the era that encompasses Columbus and learn from it. Let's all take a moment today and reflect on the historic voyage and discuss the successes of Columbus while learning from the darker elements of his conquest.

Liberals should be ashamed

After a smear campaign by the Left, the crown will not switch hands in California. Yesterday Donald Trump vindicated Miss California Carrie Prejean by announcing that Ms. Prejean will retain her crown. The Left did their best attempt to discredit Ms. Prejean because she answered Perez Hilton’s question not to their liking. Ms. Prejean predicated her response by stating that she did not mean to offend anyone while she elaborated on her personnel take on the issue of marriage.

Instead of recognizing, accepting, and understanding her belief that marriage is to be between a man and a woman, the Left moved on to produce swimsuit pictorials in hopes to disgrace Ms. Prejean and pageant officials. Thankfully the shameful propaganda spewed by the Left did not work. I find it a bit ironic that the Left demands open-mindedness on the topic of marriage but if anyone voices their opposition they are ignorant and intolerant. Who is really being intolerant?

President Barak Obama while campaigning for the Presidency agrees with Carrie Prejean on marriage. Why is the Left not trying to smear him? Did they think that Ms. Prejean was an easier target because she is a beauty queen? How appalling!!

Where are the Gay and Lesbian community and National Organization of Women? If I was a part of either organization, I’d be embarrassed by the pathetic attempt to discredit Ms. Prejean just because she has a view different than ours. How are we, as a society, to move forward so everyone is able to enjoy the freedoms and pursue liberty free of government constraint if someone, i.e. Ms. Prejean, cannot voice her opinion?