tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post4555645585607490318..comments2024-03-11T03:36:53.787-07:00Comments on TravelnWrite: Celebrating Christopher Columbus on His Day!Jackie and Joel Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-61281692658359956022014-11-09T23:19:13.088-08:002014-11-09T23:19:13.088-08:00Beautiful place...Beautiful place...Muza-chanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09397251511678040458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-86603385915552049862014-10-15T07:10:11.160-07:002014-10-15T07:10:11.160-07:00Hi Pat, Thanks much for stopping by and glad you e...Hi Pat, Thanks much for stopping by and glad you enjoyed the post and its photos. It is interesting how - as you describe - he's gone from good to bad in the eyes of many and the validity of the disagreement surrounding his actions. Hope to see you back again soon~Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-13980504166295442682014-10-14T22:15:27.784-07:002014-10-14T22:15:27.784-07:00It is interesting how in my lifetime Columbus has ...It is interesting how in my lifetime Columbus has changed from hero to villain in popular opinion. I can see validity on both sides of the argument. <br /><br />Your photos of the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean are mesmerizing!Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoritihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08922525910685129822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-7196483042518212752014-10-14T09:53:25.221-07:002014-10-14T09:53:25.221-07:00Thanks for presenting a different perspective, Ano...Thanks for presenting a different perspective, Anonymous. A fellow blogger made me aware of an excellent piece about Columbus day written by a college professor, Jose Alejandro Amores, you might find it of interest and its title begins, "We are all Columbus. . ." http://thecommentarybyamoros.blogspot.com/search?q=celebrate <br /><br />As an aside, I would hope that in the future you feel comfortable in identifying yourself when writing comments here - it is okay to have a different opinion. Often times the automatic blogger spam detector will block those from "Anonymous" sources.Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-43630963422543699392014-10-14T06:33:52.355-07:002014-10-14T06:33:52.355-07:00Eileen, thanks for the visit - always appreciated....Eileen, thanks for the visit - always appreciated. And yes, if the Indigenous People wanted a day to be recognized, I would think they would have wanted any day BUT Columbus Day. . .but they wanted it and they got it - in Seattle anyway!Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-52150588248008677372014-10-14T06:31:49.254-07:002014-10-14T06:31:49.254-07:00Glenda, thanks for stopping by - hope you'll b...Glenda, thanks for stopping by - hope you'll be back again soon.Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-38350002239810056452014-10-14T06:31:15.136-07:002014-10-14T06:31:15.136-07:00Thanks Rajesh for visiting today!Thanks Rajesh for visiting today!Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-1009664636562315662014-10-13T19:41:37.283-07:002014-10-13T19:41:37.283-07:00Actually Columbus never set foot on our land - he ...Actually Columbus never set foot on our land - he landed on islands and never even knew where he was - but he began immediately to kill and/or enslave or torture the natives in that land. One day a year to honor the Indigenous people would be a nice way to say we appreciate them and detest what a horrid man Columbus was. It is sad that it is still taught in some schools - white men re-writing history to make it sound like he was a good man. I'm proud that my grandson's school is not giving students the day off for Columbus Day - we should all be so enlightened. Anyone who is against Indigenous People's day only has to look inside at their hateful bigotry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-85759468544924889852014-10-13T16:51:56.712-07:002014-10-13T16:51:56.712-07:00I agree with Judith above, I think another day cou...I agree with Judith above, I think another day could have been chosen to honor the indigenous people.. Great post, thanks for sharing... Have a happy week!eileeninmdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00070309645796725309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-47169043275967398622014-10-13T15:24:56.336-07:002014-10-13T15:24:56.336-07:00Great photos - thanks for sharing.
Enjoy your even...Great photos - thanks for sharing.<br />Enjoy your evening.Glenda/MidSouthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10729065523048603563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-23159597455697430152014-10-13T11:34:30.473-07:002014-10-13T11:34:30.473-07:00Very interesting place. Beautiful shots.Very interesting place. Beautiful shots.Rajeshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10325697671806865458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-78933579415048725752014-10-13T06:55:50.306-07:002014-10-13T06:55:50.306-07:00Yes, Judith, another day could have been picked bu...Yes, Judith, another day could have been picked but then the Seattle City Council wouldn't have diminished Columbus's contributions which is what I think their intent was. They were so focused on all that was bad, they couldn't see the good -- which makes me question their ability to look at present-day issues affecting this Northwest city -- I do hope they are able to look beyond a single point of view. By the way, it is Monday - so Happy Thanksgiving to all my neighbors to the North!!!Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-57487620918060087682014-10-13T06:52:58.400-07:002014-10-13T06:52:58.400-07:00I so agree with your PC observation! Glad you enj...I so agree with your PC observation! Glad you enjoyed the photos and thanks so much for the visit and the comments! Hope to see you back again~Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-77060980804998368232014-10-13T06:51:09.730-07:002014-10-13T06:51:09.730-07:00Lorrie, I am with you on the travel experiences th...Lorrie, I am with you on the travel experiences that bring history so close. . .the more we do travel and learn about history from many perspectives, the more we appreciate the early day explorers. I told Joel that from now on I will vote only for candidates who've traveled and can bring a global perspective to local government - no matter how local the government or who the person might be. Thanks much for taking the time to comment. I agree that we've swung the pendulum on Political Correctness. . .Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-56642817222714146182014-10-13T06:48:22.362-07:002014-10-13T06:48:22.362-07:00Yes, Cindy, I do think the intent of the Seattle C...Yes, Cindy, I do think the intent of the Seattle City Council was not in trying to share the day, but to eliminate Columbus from any sort of recognition -- which in itself shows how short-sighted and insular their vision is. . .seems to me I simply ignore days that honor people I don't care for because their past actions have made it difficult for me to celebrate them -- that might have been another, far less controversial approach to Columbus Day. . .and as Marcia above suggests, why belittle the importance of Indigenous People's Day with making them share it with the man they obviously so despise. . .Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-61646303604420131722014-10-13T06:44:38.622-07:002014-10-13T06:44:38.622-07:00Beth, Thanks for stopping by and taking time to co...Beth, Thanks for stopping by and taking time to comment. I'll have to look for Susan Branch's book - sounds like one I would like! 'Have a great week!' to you as well~Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-18107539281594027862014-10-13T06:43:07.786-07:002014-10-13T06:43:07.786-07:00Marcia, thank you for such a thoughtful response! ...Marcia, thank you for such a thoughtful response! Your observation that perhaps another day could honor Indigenous People was suggested by the Italian-American community and the Seattle City Council and the Native American community that sponsored the name change resolution had deaf ears -- the Native Americans who supported the resolution simply wanted it on the second Monday of October. (In fact that group, the Native Americans, held a march yesterday through downtown Seattle to support the signing of the resolution by the Mayor today.) On a side note, timing is everything - there was a Seahawks game going on so glad I didn't get stuck in football/protest march traffic). As I learned after writing this post, we do have a Native Americans Day (the Friday after Thanksgiving) and it has gotten little or no attention from any community around here as far as I can tell -- pretty much like Columbus Day.<br />Columbus, Cook, Magellan, deGama, and even Henry the Navigator who set off the chain of explorations, not to mention the Nordic explorers and the Phoenicians had the courage to explore the unknown and in their time were rewarded for their acts (even the bad by today's standards). I wonder how history will show our generation and its acts - hopefully we've learned from past wrongs, but with actions like the City Council's that has now offended the Italian-Americans, another proud ethnic group in this area, I wonder just how much we have learned. Again thanks for your time in writing such a thoughtful piece!Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-75342873246711355092014-10-13T06:05:25.171-07:002014-10-13T06:05:25.171-07:00An enlightening post Pat. Good heavens, surely ano...An enlightening post Pat. Good heavens, surely another day could have been chosen to honour the indigenous people.<br />Thank you for linking to Mosaic Monday.Judith @ Lavender Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16361061491506137380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-91056258768208019232014-10-13T06:02:46.206-07:002014-10-13T06:02:46.206-07:00PC has become ridiculous, to put it mildly. Love t...PC has become ridiculous, to put it mildly. Love the shots, especially the one of the ship replica. Beautiful!Cranberry Morninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10758563068581561194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-60695380321434368242014-10-12T21:44:37.719-07:002014-10-12T21:44:37.719-07:00Everything has to be so politically correct these ...Everything has to be so politically correct these days. Let's recognize that no one is perfect and that Columbus was a product of his time and culture just as we are today. I applaud the explorers who braved unknown territory to discover what lay beyond the known world. <br />Several years ago we visited El Alhambra and stood in the room where Columbus made his pitch to Ferdinand and Isabella. Experiences such as those bring history close.Lorriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03653026442945027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-31081687298067051532014-10-12T19:54:40.345-07:002014-10-12T19:54:40.345-07:00Thank you for the History. It is a shame for sure,...Thank you for the History. It is a shame for sure, each to their own but in naming this any other day would be to try and forget what happened. Like most other situations we didn't live in the time, we are not responsible, however such discoveries were made and areas taken over in this way. Not that I want to put a pan in the fire, but in Canada we do the same thing. Father's Day is also named National Gay Pride Day, I believe it is the full week and in some parts almost always the time of Father's Day This could go on forever, better get while the going is goodCindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11713987235401898999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-16880413279650206782014-10-12T14:35:37.268-07:002014-10-12T14:35:37.268-07:00Thanks for the bit of history. Your cruises across...Thanks for the bit of history. Your cruises across the Atlantic sound awesome. I read Susan Branch's book about her trip aboard a cruise ship going from the U.S. to England. It was a fascinating read. Have a great week!Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09792341123595520130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-22945935436882500832014-10-12T13:39:59.836-07:002014-10-12T13:39:59.836-07:00Interesting that you should write about this, Jack...Interesting that you should write about this, Jackie. Just a day or so (or was it earlier today?) I heard someone on television saying that the holiday wasn't celebrated nationwide, that some states use the day to commemorate America's indigenous peoples. Until then, I had no idea that there was something called Indigenous Peoples’ Day.<br />You know, if I were a member of the indigenous community, I would be very offended. There are 300+ days in the year; wouldn't it be more meaningful, more respectful that another day be set aside? America’s indigenous people deserve better than that. I find it downright insulting and very short sighted. I hate this pitting of one against the other. Why does it have to be either or, like there isn’t enough room for everyone? And if it’s a holiday in name only, why not have a separate day?<br />Yes, because of Columbus, an entire sequence of events unfolded (including the decimation of indigenous peoples, the forced migration and subsequent enslavement of millions of Africans, the conversion of the economies to sugar/cotton/gold-based and the shift in the balance of economic power between the New/Old Worlds, the rise of piracy, filibustering, etc., etc.) that he, with all his vision, would never in a million years foresee. But none of this can minimize the magnitude of his accomplishments. We can recognize both Columbus and the Indigenous Peoples without sacrificing one for the other.<br />Thanks for sharing this post, Jackie. I can see why you have a bee in your bonnet.<br />For the record, we don't celebrate Columbus Day in Jamaica either.<br /> Marciahttp://insidejourneys.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-52569465179848278322014-10-12T08:41:32.349-07:002014-10-12T08:41:32.349-07:00Poppy, you made such a good point about the person...Poppy, you made such a good point about the personalities and behaviors of those long-ago explorers. . .they had to be like that if they planned to conquer and rule. Hadn't thought of it that way. . . Happy weekend to you! Hugs, JackieJackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011248318265372337.post-80333458773497525412014-10-12T08:39:46.654-07:002014-10-12T08:39:46.654-07:00Oh Mary, you should try an ocean crossing cruise s...Oh Mary, you should try an ocean crossing cruise sometime - I suspect you would love it! There is so much to do on board that the days pass so quickly that I am usually wishing there were a few more 'sea days' left before we reach land. It does give you pause as you pass that last tip of land for awhile though!Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.com