THG Asks: Is Columbus Day a Legit Holiday?

Welcome to THG Asks, where two of our experts debate topical issues in the world and you vote for the winning argument!

Today, THG Asks: Is Columbus Day a real holiday?

YES by Hilton Hater

I'm sick of Christopher Columbus getting so much flak simply because he essentially stumbled upon America. The famed explorer still got the job done, didn't he?

This makes him akin to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who set out to feed patients via a strict vegetarian diet in 1894, mistakenly left boiled wheat sitting out and - bam! - invented Corn Flakes.

Should we take these off supermarket shelves, too?

What about the microwave? Percy Spencer meant to create a new vacuum tube when he stumbled upon a melting candy bar in 1945. His intentions were to help people clean, but I'm not about to tell readers they can't zap their leftovers tonight.

And don't even get me started on Post-Its, which were originally invented by Arthur Fry in 1974 to hold his hymnal bookmarks in place while singing in the church choir. I proudly remind myself of that fact everyday, and you'll never guess how.

The point: we all make mistakes. But not everyone's result in the greatest nation the world has ever seen. We're all here. And we can celebrate that one Monday each October.

This is Christopher Columbus. We're pretty sure, anyway.

NO by Free Britney

Today is one of those "holidays" I always forget exists.

Why do we need a random second Monday in October off? Can people not read celebrity news as a fun break while leading otherwise productive lives like any other day?

And you wonder why U.S. schools are fading. Kids should be there right now ... learning about why Christopher Columbus is no longer deserving of a national holiday.

At this crucial juncture in history, we must look to forward, not back. Our nation now is nothing like it was 50 years ago, let alone 500. It's time to recalibrate.

Yes, Chris discovered the New World. That was awesome. It was also 1492, and he was sort of lucky. Point being, we were settled. Great. Now let's move on.

Those lucky enough to have jobs in these troubled times should be working, not sitting around reflecting on the genocide of the American Indian. In exchange, how about we designate the Monday after the Super Bowl instead. That would be worth celebrating.

THG Asks you ... is Columbus Day a real holiday?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/thg-asks-is-columbus-day-a-legit-holiday/

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