Monday, September 26, 2011

Indians to sentence Columbus for Genocide

Read the following news article:

REUTERS
TEGUCIGALPA, OCT 12, 1998: Honduran Indians will sentence Christopher Columbus for genocide and crimes against Indigenous Americans today, 506 years after his "discovery" of the continent.
The Indians began a mock trial of Columbus in July on charges of genocide and robbery resulting from the 1492 beginnings of the colonisation of the Americas.

Sentencing will take place today, which is Columbus Day, said Salvador Zuniga, director of the Council of Popular Organisations and Indigenous People.


NOW...in 5-7 sentences respond to this article as if you think it is completely preposterous.  Try and use some of the information that you have read in your response.  (make sure you know what "Genocide" means.)

8 comments:

  1. If Columbus did not kill all the Indians and find America we might not be here today. The American future depended on Columbus discovering the new world. The deeper people look into the past the more we see what a impact he had. He might have killed the natives but if was for the sake of America. Columbus should not be accused of genocide because he was a brave man that took many rises for our country. It is not that Columbus was a good man but he did not know what he was doing at the time. He thought he was being a hero for killing the non Christians ( the Indigenous people).

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  2. Columbus did not find the East Indies; however, he made a very important discovery, finding the new world. He opened up trade across the seas and brought money back to Spain and made Spain a significant factor in the new world. Because of Columbus Spain became an important economic power. His findings initiated the arrival of other explorers looking for gold and other riches. His contribution of finding the new world plaid an important role; however, he did annihilate thousand of Indians. But without that, the world would not be were it is today.

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  3. It is absurd that Columbus is being sentenced for genocide. Yes, he did kill thousands of Indians, but would our country be so successful and strong if he didn't? Probably not. People who do cruel things does not make them bad people. Columbus founded the New World. Some times people don't think about the sacrifices Columbus had to make. He had pressure to send back the gold and treasures he found to the Spanish king who helped him build his ships for his expedition. He had plenty of worries to think about. Today, we should think of Columbus as a hero instead of a villain and evil person of our past. Our country might not be standing here if he didn't go on his expedition. He is one of the greatest and first explorers and discovers that will be remembered in history forever.

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  4. A world cannot move forward without sacrifice. The Honduran Indians just happened to be a culture that would have slowed down the progress of the world. Christopher Columbus was just doing what any other good man would have done put in the same position. He discovered the New World, found men and women to do our labor, and gold for the Spanish. Not only this, but the whole world was at war, and this was no exception. Columbus brought a new direction to our world, new promise, more land, and a new society. Because of him we exist today, and we will continue to thank him every day on Columbus day.

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  5. Christopher Columbes did what he had to do to create change in the world. If Columbus had not killed all of those indigenous people we would not be as advanced and civilized as we are today. If Columbus had not found the new land then, the Nativ americans would have grown and become a larger city and they would be harder to attack and take over the land. He did it for the good of his country not what would be the nicest to all of the Indians. If you look at the situation from his point of view, Columbus was supposed to be in Asia. He was pressured into making decisions for survival and to try to find gold and other resources that he could bring back to his land and sell. This was the right choice at the time, maybe not today, but at the time this was how the Spanish were to survive and gain power and become a strong force in the world.

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  6. This world that we live in today, could not have been here if Columbus had not conquered the Americas. Though his actions were cruel, the Europeans would not have came here or settled in this beautiful land had he not done so. The prominent continent, where hundred of millions of people live, would not be civilized or as advanced as the other continents. Genocide is an element that is needed for human progress. Instead of sentencing Columbus for genocide, we should honor him and perhaps make a huge statue or maybe even name another country after him like Columbia. He made this world a much better leisurely place to live.

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  7. Christopher Columbus should not be accused of genocide. This is because without Columbus this place would not be what it is today. Columbus found us a new land to live in. He also gave gold and money to the Spanish for his labor. Columbus made a beautiful place for us to grow by having the right intentions.

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  8. Progress is made by sacrifice, and that is exactly what Christopher Columbus did. Many people think that what he did was cruel and wrong, im not saying then slaughtering hundreds of people is the right thing to do, but if he had not then we would not be here today. He may have had the wrong intention in the beginning, but in the end we are all so thankful that he risked his life to fight for our, at that time, pre mature country. On columbus day we should think about that day that he saw America for the first time, and the day he claimed it for the europeans, we should honor him every time we take a breath. It is wrong to try to punish him, he did one of the best things our world has ever seen. Instead of punishing him, we should give thanks to him.

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