"Indigenous Peoples" Mad At Dead Italian Explorer

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! Guess what?

According to an article on www.reuters.com by Keith Coffman, a handful of American Indians decided to display their outrage at a century-old peaceful demonstration in Denver by getting themselves arrested for disrupting it. Their apparent spokesman, an "Indian Activist" named Russell Means, claims that Christopher Columbus is personally responsible for a legacy of genocide, slavery, occupation, and death. Oh, yeah, and he's the bogeyman. Those are pretty serious charges, one has to admit, but I understand Columbus is guilty of a few other things, as well. For example, he is directly responsible for the spread of Christianity, capitalism, and for opening up the globe for exploration! Egad! Why hasn't someone dug him up and tossed his dusty bones in jail? On a side note, I noticed that the Ottawa Tribal Office here in my little corner of Oklahoma will be closed for Columbus day, and of course they'll all be in church this morning, but I'm pretty sure I heard their Casino will be open for business tomorrow. Still, I'm sure they're just as outraged at the destruction of their homeland as Mr. Mean. I'm sure they're all mad as hell that the discovery of the Americas by evil Europeans led to the rise of the most powerful, influential, democratic, and economically vibrant nation in the world in which the people are guaranteed the right to protest. Who could doubt the hatred they have in their hearts for Christopher Columbus as they leave the Baptist Church parking lot in their new gas-guzzling, polluting Hummers to get a buffalo burger at that little diner on Main Street that's run by "the white man." No doubt the many Indian casinos around the area are designed to give us a better understanding of their culture and the profits will be used to build sturdier wigwams and save the endangered..um...pidgeon. I'm sure they see no irony in hating Columbus at the same time they go on the line to price their next trip to Italy. Oh, well. Despite all of the "bad" that was done by Columbus, I'm still a grateful American, so until some boob changes Columbus, Ohio to Indigenouspeoplestown, Ohio, I'm still going to celebrate. How about you?