Discontinue the Celebration of Columbus Day in America

Topic: To discontinue the celebration of “Columbus Day

General Purpose: To persuade

Specific Purpose: To enlighten the unaware of the malicious acts committed by Christopher Columbus in hopes of putting an end to the celebration of Columbus Day.

Thesis Statement: Celebrating “Columbus Day” is a horrendous tradition commemorating an evil man who is not worthy of such a prestigious honor, canceling the holiday in the remaining 33 active states would be a step in the right direction

Organizational Pattern:

Sadam Hussein is widely known for orchestrating a genocidal massacre amongst the innocent people living in the nation of Iraq. Liberating Iraq from Hussein was a partial reason that the United States of America invaded that nation in means of war. Similar to Hussein, Christopher Columbus was responsible for the genocide of an entire race of people after he discovered America. There will never be a day celebrating Hussein in Iraq, nor will there be in any nation.

Columbus was given credit for "discovering" America, however it is a well-known fact that those lands were already populated and had been for thousands of years.

We hear in AMERICA, are obliviously celebrating a man who was not even given the most prominent award for his discovery, having it named after him.

The United States spends two entire days giving thanks to two individual men for their contributions and life accomplishments, Christopher Columbus and Martin Luther King Jr.

Body

Christopher Columbus has a considerably similar background to that of Saddam Hussein; only Columbus may have committed more harmful actions.

Similar to Hussein, Christopher Columbus was responsible for the genocide of an entire race of people after he discovered America. There will never be a day celebrating Hussein in Iraq, nor will there be in any nation.

Saddam Hussein was charged with the murder of 148 innocent people, torture of women and children and the illegal arrest of 399 other people. Christopher Columbus was responsible for becoming the first ever slave trader of “The New World”, along with the death of millions of Native Americans.

"They... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned.... They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features.... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane.... They would make fine servants.... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want."-Christopher Columbus

In some thought, Columbus can also be compared to Adolph Hitler. Both encouraged bigotry and violent acts against people they considered substandard. American Indian activist Russell Means claims that, "Columbus makes Hitler look like a juvenile delinquent." At the time of his discovery, the indigenous nation was believed to be about 8 million people.

Columbus was given credit for "discovering" America, however it is a well-known fact that those lands were already populated and had been for thousands of years.

The inhabitants who discovered those lands should be accredited, which would rightfully be Native Americans

The names of several US states, cities, mascots and towns bear Native American names of individuals and groups who once occupied those regions, such as Oklahoma, Cheyenne, Nantucket, Milwaukee, Tallahassee, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, and our own state of Illinois.

These groups were clearly the rightful founders of the United States, so much so that they were given the honor of having individual