Not Hero Worship

To The Editor: I was surprised to see my name in the first sentence of Mr. Green’s letter titled “View of History Can Change” in last week’s Fayette County Record.

Mr. Green states “history is not an absolute nor absolutely set. History is fluid….”. How history is documented, perceived, or experienced may have many variances – I think this is what he means by being ‘fluid’ – but the events of history do not change. Mr. Green’s ‘fact’ is not a fact.

Mr. Green’s ‘fact’ is not a fact. I stated in my letter Columbus “landed” in the New World. I did not give him credit for “discovering the New World”, although, to Columbus, Spain, and many others at that time, it was a discovery—not the trade route he was looking for. How has that changed?

I do not consider celebrating Columbus Day ‘hero worship.’ As I said in my letter, I learned about the conflicts that result from the collision of different languages and cultures. I was taught Columbus was not the first to establish a presence in the New World. I learned to celebrate the persistence of an explorer. Even the ‘indigenous’ must have had explorers that brought them to the New World. What do we know about them? Archeology may give us some clues as to how they created a life in the wilderness.

Throughout recorded history, man has made mistakes. Throughout the recorded history of the United States of America, government administrations have made mistakes. There have been honorable men who have recognized and tried to correct mistakes and dishonorable men who seek power and control. I believe in an all-powerful God who knows the hearts of all men and allows each man to make choices.

I must discount Mr. Green’s attempt to rewrite history by choosing to emphasize negatives attributed to Columbus’ character. Men can choose to change their character or can be characterized falsely. I believe God can use anyone to further His revelation. I may not understand why God chooses a specific person for a specific task, but I can be very grateful Christopher Columbus’ first voyage landed him in what became known to many Western European nations at the time as the New World.

Cindy Rodibaugh

Flatonia