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Should We Celebrate Columbus Day

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The word "holiday" literally translates to "holy day", because mainly holidays are celebrated for religious purposes, but most American holidays are not religious. Many holiday's are just traditions from America's rich ethnic history. Some holidays are also celebrated for certain important people in American history, people like Christopher Columbus. In 1905, Colorado became the first state to observe a Columbus Day, and over the next few decades other states followed. In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt announced every October 12 as Columbus Day. Since 1971, it has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. Columbus was believed …show more content…
It was a shock to me to, over the years, learn that the guy I've always heard discovered America, didn't even set foot in the US. This guy even killed many of the natives who were the first in North America. This is why I believe Columbus Day should not be celebrated. We should not be promoting slavery, and the selfishness, that Columbus portrayed. I understand the courage and determination it took for him to go on this voyage, but he did not have the power to treat the natives like he did. From what I understand he did not even discover America, in our case the US, which is what we have been celebrating for, so why continue to celebrate. In conclusion, in my opinion I believe Christopher Columbus Day should not be celebrated. He enslaved, tortured and slaughtered many innocent people. We celebrated this holiday because he was the first European to discover America, but this isn't even true. So my question is why are we still celebrating it, and teaching young kids in school that he discovered America. Holidays are celebrated for religious purposes, and based on ethics of America. To me Columbus Day is just an excuse to close some buildings and schools, and still celebrated because it is some what a

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