Many credit Columbus for being the first to discover America (cough, Leif Erikson), and many also credit Columbus for being the first person to think the world was round. But, all of those smart toga guys in Ancient Greece had known the Earth was round for well over 1000 years before him. In fact, they taught it in their schools. So, why wasn't this universal knowledge by 1492? What knowledge might people still ignore 1000 years from now that you can't believe isn't widely understood today?

This holiday was recently "celebrated" in this country, recognizing the date on which Christopher Columbus discovered "America". Someone in my office brought in cookies that day. And someone else responded with a witty comment of how he didn't believe in eating cookies on "Indigenous People's Day". When I say witty, I mean that one other person encouraged this comment and began ridiculing Columbus, while the rest of us awkwardly managed silence. I don't contend that we should overlook any acts of violence occurred through colonization. But, to be consistent with a Columbus hatred, we must also detest every land discovery ever made and label it as intrusion onto other's property, whether these others include people, animals or wildlife. And I'm ok with that opinion. At least it's consistent.