"Columbus Day must be mothballed. Tax eaters must find another excuse to take a paid day off.

Simply put, Columbus missed "America" on Oct. 12, 1492. He hit the Bahamas and wound up in Cuba. But even if he had gotten lucky and dropped anchor on or near "American soil," it still would have boiled down to a battle of the press agents. Did Columbus discover America or did Indians discover him?

For 500 years, American Indian press agentry has been sorely wanting on this matter. But in the past decade or so, bricks and mortar (and slots, blackjack tables and bingo halls the size of aircraft carriers) have raised serious questions about whose day Columbus Day really is.

If Columbus really discovered America, claiming the prized turf for the reign in Spain, shouldn't I now be weaving my way through 120,000 square feet of water fountains, ATM machines, check-cashing counters, food courts, buffets, glass floors, people movers, flying-saucer chandeliers and high-stakes gambling salons -- all buzzing beneath the spectacular, sprawling roof of the King Ferdinand Casino & Spa?"

Get the Story:
Dan Bernstein: Demoting Christopher Columbus (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 10/9)
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Relevant Links:
Transform Columbus Day - http://www.transformcolumbusday.org

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