Question of the Week #1

[Angela Cunningham]

Should we celebrate Columbus Day in the United States? Consider both sides of the issue before making a decision, and be sure to explain your reasoning in detail.

Sources to get you started:
A Brief History of Columbus Day - Time Magazine
Is Columbus Day Sailing Off the Calendar? - Wall Street Journal

[dekeo]

Yes, I think we should celebrate columbus day bacause, if it wasn't for Columbus it probablly would have taken us longer to realize that there was a wholer other side to the earth. If it wasn't for him people on the other side would not have been able to communicate and learn about eachother.

[ermat]

I agree, After all Columbus actuall told others about America instead of keeping it for his own land.
And we should honor him by continuing to keep Columbus Day a holiday.

[milac]

I agree with you completely. Christopher Columbus didn't find America like he planned. He actually went to Asia. I guess it is still a good thing that he went all the way to Asia but his goal was for America. Since he didn't achieve his original goal, then we shouldn't celebrate a day for him. It would basically be stealing the Vikings' "work" because they actually discovered it first.
Here is a website about Christopher Columbus if anyone wants to know more about him...

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/christopher-columbus.htm" target="_blank">

[krgla]

I don't really think that we should, because it's not like a big holiday, I don't mind getting out of school for it, but I don't celebrate, and I don't know anyone else that does either. Like a few other people said he killed most of the Native americans and made them work so much that they couldn't even hardly move. Also, the Native americans were there first, he wasn't the first to discover America, so I don't care too much about celebrating Colmbus day.

[deelk]

I think that we should celebrate Columbus Day in the United States. On the other hand, i dont think that we should get out of school for this holiday. This should be an opportuntiy for students to learn abould the importance of Columbus and what he did for this country. Some people may argue that Columbus didn't discover the United States and that his voyages brought diseases to the new world, but his discoveries did lead to the exploration of America. Without the Columbus voyages into the new world, we wouldn't be where we are today.

[brmas]

Yes we should celebrate Columbus Day. This is because even though Columbus did not find a shorter route to Asia he did discover America. Yes, there was Indians already living in America but Columbus is the one that actually told people that it was there. It should also be celebrated because he was a great explorer that took on a big responsibility to try and find a shorter route to Asia, and even though he did not find what he was looking for his discovery help the people of his time and ours.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-christopher-columbus.html

[tibiv]

I would not celebrate Columbus day! this is because columbus day isnt very important because eventually somone would have found the new land.....also he didnt even know where he was and he died before he could find out where he was! He may have been the founder that allowed everyone in Europe to find out about the new land but he wasnt the original finder.

[pahal]

Yes, I think we should celebrate Columbus Day. He is the one who discovered America because no one (the Indians) had left America to go tell anyone. Columbus sailed back to Spain and shared the news with everyone. After that, people started packing their things and moved to the New World.