Cortez butchered thousands and thousands.
'Butchered' thousands and thousands? LOL. Are you aware that as Cortez marched towards the Aztec capital he only had 400 men with him? Are you aware that Cortez was joined by thousands of local Indians who hated the Aztecs because they had been conquered and oppressed by them? Are you aware that the Aztecs were not only a child-killing people, but a brutal people of conquest who vanquished every other native tribe who stood in their way? Cortez and his 400 men conquered the great Aztec nation because the bitter enemies of the Aztecs fought with them.
Anyway, what have you got against European explorers taking on a massive tribe of barbarians who slaughter women and children in "sacrifice" to their pagan gods, to the tune of about 10,000 human sacrifices per year? The progenitors of the Aztecs should be greatful for Cortez and the Catholic Church, because it wasn't long after Cortez that the Catholic Church converted 9 million Aztecs to Christianity and brought them out of the bronze age into modernity. So think twice before claiming that Cortez "butchered thousands and thousands" of these child burning demoniacs. And don't let your erroneous sense of history and your public school brainwashing get the best of you.
There's a frieze--Mayan or Aztec, I can't remember--showing men carrying children, apparantly to sacrifice them. At least this is how it looks to me. Some interpreted it as men carrying dwarves. This doesn't hold water to me. It looks like frightened children.
In one of the Yucatan cities--Merida?--at the public square, there's a frieze showing the Spanish conquistadors standing on the heads of subjugated Indians. I was told that the Spanish forced the Indians to carve it.
Humans have been capable of hideous atrocities all throughout history.
There is much to be said for the hope that we will evolve into people of greater enlightenment. It is a worthy thing for which to pray and to work hard on ourselves. Ruthless honesty helps.
It also helps to keep reminding ourselves that heroism and goodness are as profound a part of human nature as are cruelty, oppression, and evil--probably more profound.
It may be a hard call, but the vast majority of people on earth today seem to be good people, especially when their basic needs are met and they are not subjected to fear or injustice. This has been my impression as I have travelled across the world.