My column in Lebanon newspaper 10/12/16
I opened my Wall Street Journal Monday and turned directly to the Opinion page as I always do, and the headline “Straight Talk About Christopher Columbus” by David Tucker immediately caught my eye. My mind went back to the 1980s when I wrote for the Springfield News-Leader and I wrote a column about Columbus Day.
It was a rather innocuous essay, as I remember, recounting my memories of stories our school teachers would tell us on Columbus Day, and how we would color pictures of the ships sailing out on the ocean or make our own ships out of construction paper. And then we would recite the poem “In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue”. But it seemed to provoke the ire of another columnist at the newspaper and she took after me in a column of her own. That was the first time I realized that Columbus Day could be controversial.
That is, until this year. Seeing Tucker’s column was just the first indication on Monday that celebrating Columbus Day has now become politically incorrect, a theme that was repeated on newsclips throughout the day.
Tucker wrote in his column: “We think now of the extraordinary presumption of sticking a flag in someone else’s land and calling it yours. We think more darkly of how European diseases more than decimated the native peoples of the Western hemisphere. We think more darkly of the slave trade that followed European contact with what was only to the Europeans a new world.” In fact, Tucker continues, “The English word “slave” comes from a word still used to describe some Eastern Europeans, “Slav.” Interesting indeed.
We were taught when I was in school that Columbus was seeking a western sea route to China, India and Asia where he would find gold and rare spices in abundance. The Eastern route was blocked by the great Muslim empires of the time.
But was there another reason why Columbus set sail in 1492? Historians and authors Peter Marshall and David Manuel thought so and spent several years digging through dusty tomes in the backrooms and basements of some of our nation’s oldest libraries searching for clues as to the real purpose of Columbus’ voyage.
They were able to find some of his journals and they tell how Columbus had long been convinced that God had given him a special mission - to carry the light of Christ into the darkness of undiscovered heathen lands and to bring the inhabitants of those lands to the holy faith of Christianity. His name, Christopher, literally means “Christ-bearer” and to him was a clear indication that God had called him to do this and he based this belief on a scripture in Isaiah 49.
We know that Columbus had to find a reigning monarch or some other sponsor to cover the cost of the journey. First he went to King John II of Portugal, who turned him down. Then he sent his brother to England to request help from King Henry VII. With no success there, Columbus went to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. They did not grant his request immediately, but as circumstances changed in their kingdom, including the surrender of the Moors to the Spanish royalty, they finally agreed to outfit his ship, the Santa Maria.
He was able to make the acquaintance of two wealthy brothers, Martin and Vicente Pinzon who were experienced mariners and also shared the vision of Columbus and they brought their own ships, the Pinta and the Nina.
The voyage started smoothly on August 3, 1492, but the days wore on and they were farther out at sea than any man had ever ventured before. Columbus had never traveled farther than 300 miles offshore. Now they were 3000 and still going.
On October 9, the Pinzon brothers took advantage of a calm sea and they maneuvered their ships alongside the Santa Maria, and boarded the larger ship where they met with Columbus in his cabin. They did not bring good news. They told Columbus their own crews were threatening mutiny and they were insisting the three ships turn back.
Columbus asked for three more days and the Pinzon brothers grudgingly agreed but warned that if they did not sight land within the next 72 hours, they would have to turn back. Columbus writes in his journals that he prayed as he had never prayed before, asking for a miracle.
On October 11, they saw a reed in the water and a small piece of wood that had undoubtedly been shaped by man. They also saw a twig with roses on it.
A large annuity had been promised to the first man who sighted land. At 10 p.m. on the night of October 11 Columbus and several sailors simultaneously saw a tiny light far ahead of them.
At 2:00 a.m., just four hours before the dawning of the third day, one of the sailors saw what appeared to be a low white cliff in the moonlight, and just before sunrise, the ships reached the southern tip of an island, which we now know was a part of the Bahamas.
Columbus was the first to set foot on dry land, carrying the banner of the insignia of the King and Queen of Spain. The Pinzon brothers came directly behind him and they kissed the white coral beach, gleaming brightly in the noonday sun. They knelt and bowed their heads, with tears in their eyes, as Columbus christened the island “San Salvador”, meaning Christ the Saviour, and lifted up a prayer of gratitude.
It was later called Watling Island but the name was changed back to San Salvaor in 1925.
By the way, the Springfield columnist who didn’t like my column back in the 1980s was Sarah Overstreet, one of the best columnists the News-Leader ever had. We had a chance to meet about 15 years ago and became good friends and remain so to this day.
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