Before Columbus set sail, America was populated by 40 million native people who had their own language, culture and customs. Columbus stole their gold and resources, took them as slaves to be sold in Europe and used them as slave labor to work on plantations set up on their own land. 500 years later, only a small fraction of the original population is alive. In Columbus’ lifetime, some tribes had already been totally wiped out.

Maybe we should find better reasons to declare national holidays.