Letter: Why Columbus Day should be celebrated

Monday, Oct. 8, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

Nevada is one of a few states that does not honor or celebrate Columbus Day and the discovery of America in 1492.

It is much easier to be politically correct and condemn the discovery of America by Columbus than to celebrate the positive contributions of European cultural advancements on the American continents. European explorers, colonists and settlers are portrayed by history revisionists as greedy, evil, cruel and sadistic conquerors against Native American inhabitants; the native tribes are always portrayed as peaceful, gregarious, gentle, kind and without human vices.

Revisionists of American history have greatly distorted the truth and fail to acknowledge native tribes had hostile local enemies and engaged in bitter warfare against each. Every tribe had its own way of dealing with captured enemies. Slavery, torture and cruel punishments were as common among native tribes as the practices of the European explorers and colonists. Revisionists regard human sacrifices in the Aztec and Inca civilizations as mere cultural aberrations.

While Columbus Day is no longer celebrated in state schools, they continue to recognize selected ethnic diversities. Cultural contributions of our European ancestors are largely overlooked in the new age of politically correct revisionists. Cultural and historical contributions of Europeans are continually discredited as negative, harmful intrusions forced upon Native Americans.

I view the abandonment of a positive view of Columbus Day and related history in our schools as a great disservice to our children and a significant distortion of factual history.

Virgil A. Sestini, Las Vegas

The writer is a retired Clark County School District teacher.