Columbus Day 2015 falls on October 12. Should this nation continue to honor Christopher Columbus with a federal holiday?

2015-10-04T15:33:51-04:00

There is some debate about which non-American "discovered" America. The indigenous people were here long before anybody arrived from Europe after all. :-)
However, Christopher Columbus played s significant role in many ways. Since he thought he had found India, the indigenous people were called Indians which is name that has collectively been maintained for the indigenous people of North, South and Central America.
We used to have holidays honoring President George Washington's birthday and President Abraham Lincoln's birthday. Those holidays were removed and replaced by the generic President's Day with the introduction of Martin Luther King Day.
As it stands there are two Federal Holidays named after specific people - Martin Luther King Day and Columbus Day.
Should we maintain Columbus Day, replace it or remove it as Federal Holiday?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Bink Romanick CPT L S CPT Private RallyPoint Member SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC James Sczymanski TSgt Hunter Logan SSgt Private RallyPoint Member SGT Private RallyPoint Member SGT Forrest Stewart SGT Randal Groover PO3 Steven Sherrill SrA Edward Vong SrA Christopher Wright, SPC Private RallyPoint Member

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 4 at 2015 3:36 PM

2015-10-04T15:36:26-04:00

I believe that Christopher Columbus's contribution to the "discovery" of the America's is important enough to keep the holiday as it is while recognizing that the indigenous people were here first and that other European explorers or African or Asian explorers may have preceded him. :-)

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 4 at 2015 3:39 PM

2015-10-04T15:39:28-04:00

I see no problem with celebrating Columbus Day, no more than St Patrick's Day. Both are significant to specific ethnic segments of the population (Italians/Irish). However, I see no reason why Columbus Day should be a federal holiday any more than St Patrick's Day. It's status as a federal holiday attributes more significance than it deserves. After all Columbus didn't discover America which is the impression many have, an impression reinforced by its status.

Response by PO3 Michael Cardinale made Oct 4 at 2015 5:48 PM

2015-10-04T17:48:39-04:00

I would not keep it as Columbus Day but would instead use it for a Founders Day, use the day to celebrate all the people responsible for creating our Country.

Response by PO2 Peter Klein made Oct 4 at 2015 5:57 PM

2015-10-04T17:57:56-04:00

Who cares, just keep teh holiday.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Oct 4 at 2015 6:09 PM

2015-10-04T18:09:37-04:00

LTC Stephen F., I'm not altogether certain it matters when it pertains to Federal holidays. The Federal government allows so many paid holidays, and some are named after folks and events. In the civilian world (many companies), there are paid holidays and then the company allows so many personal days (paid days off in addition to vacation). If you wished to take off on a "named" day that was not a paid holiday, you simply took a personal day.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Oct 4 at 2015 6:38 PM

2015-10-04T18:38:53-04:00

Technically speaking President's Day is still Washington's Birthday. No law has ever been passed changing its official name. The Uniform Holiday's Act merely shifted the days, but didn't actually rename them.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-82/pdf/STATUTE-82-Pg250-3.pdf

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Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 4 at 2015 6:49 PM

2015-10-04T18:49:08-04:00

He still completed an amazing feat by sailing over the Atlantic in a time where navigation was not easy. Also in his eyes and in Europe he "discovered" the Americas. So I think it should stay a holiday. Also who doesn't like holidays! Just sayin

Response by CH (MAJ) Thomas Conner made Oct 4 at 2015 7:11 PM

2015-10-04T19:11:58-04:00

My birthday is Oct 17, as a child I used to believe Columbus Day was celebrating my birthday! I was happy thinking everyone had a day out of school because of me!

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Oct 4 at 2015 9:53 PM

2015-10-04T21:53:05-04:00

LTC Stephen F. Does everything we have learned to respect need to dissected and subject to a critical examination? Is anything sacrosanct in today's world?

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Oct 4 at 2015 10:50 PM

2015-10-04T22:50:27-04:00

I get tired to death with PC crap.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Oct 5 at 2015 12:07 AM

2015-10-05T00:07:11-04:00

LTC Stephen F. I have a larger issue with them combining Lincoln's and Washington's birthday into 'President's day', than I do with Columbus day. They did that while at the same time leaving MLK day alone. MLK's contributions cannot be denied, but, really, can Lincoln's? Washington's?

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Oct 5 at 2015 9:01 AM

2015-10-05T09:01:09-04:00

Though Columbus wasn't the first to discover the US, he played a significant role for us. Why not keep the name and holiday. After all, we get a day off.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 5 at 2015 12:35 PM

2015-10-05T12:35:35-04:00

I think we have too many holidays ... not that I don't enjoy them ...

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Oct 6 at 2015 9:23 AM

2015-10-06T09:23:45-04:00

Columbus day is a terrible thing. It celebrates a piss poor navigator, who thought he was in a different location for six months, and raped and pillaged the locals when he realized what he had. Furthermore, Scandinavian explorers had been to Vinland 600 years before Columbus, and they knew when they got over here that they were in a new land.

Beyond that, I work in a FINRA/SEC governed environment. We have 8 paid holidays a year. We work on both Columbus Day and Veteran's Day. I think that there are too many Federal Holidays. I agree that there are some national days of celebration that should be noted, but beyond those few days, paid vacation days are there for a reason.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Oct 6 at 2015 1:24 PM

2015-10-06T13:24:10-04:00

LTC Stephen F. Too many holidays as it is! Plus he didn't really discover America according to my history lessons!

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2015 12:22 PM

2015-10-07T12:22:05-04:00

Yes

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2015 9:35 AM

2015-10-08T09:35:19-04:00

No one is taking my stinkin day off in October. If you dont like having the day off, keep your mouth shut and offer to work on that day for others... Geeze.. :)

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Oct 8 at 2015 11:02 AM

2015-10-08T11:02:46-04:00

no, his brutality underminded anything else he did and its not like he was the first european in the americas.