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A Darker Side of Columbus Emerges in US Classrooms
Associated Press ^ | October 11, 2009

Posted on 10/11/2009 8:18:44 AM PDT by reaganaut1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Jeffrey Kolowith's kindergarten students read a poem about Christopher Columbus, take a journey to the New World on three paper ships and place the explorer's picture on a timeline through history.

Kolowith's students learn about the explorer's significance -- though they also come away with a more nuanced picture of Columbus than the noble discoverer often portrayed in pop culture and legend.

''I talk about the situation where he didn't even realize where he was,'' Kolowith said. ''And we talked about how he was very, very mean, very bossy.''

Columbus' stature in U.S. classrooms has declined somewhat through the years, and many districts will not observe his namesake holiday on Monday. Although lessons vary, many teachers are trying to present a more balanced perspective of what happened after Columbus reached the Caribbean and the suffering of indigenous populations.

''The whole terminology has changed,'' said James Kracht, executive associate dean for academic affairs in the Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development. ''You don't hear people using the world 'discovery' anymore like they used to. 'Columbus discovers America.' Because how could he discover America if there were already people living here?''

In Texas, students start learning in the fifth grade about the ''Columbian Exchange'' -- which consisted not only of gold, crops and goods shipped back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, but diseases carried by settlers that decimated native populations.

In McDonald, Pa., 30 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, fourth-grade students at Fort Cherry Elementary put Columbus on trial this year -- charging him with misrepresenting the Spanish crown and thievery. They found him guilty and sentenced him to life in prison.

''In their own verbiage, he was a bad guy,'' teacher Laurie Crawford said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: 1492; ageofsail; arth; christophercolumbus; columbus; columbusday; education; godsgravesglyphs; history; indoctrination; worldhistory
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Many people like to show how sensitive and noble they are by tearing down famous people in American history.
1 posted on 10/11/2009 8:18:44 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

‘And we talked about how he was very, very mean, very bossy.’’
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And...In being “mean and bossy” he saved the lives of his men!

I bet this weenie of a government Marxist indoctrinator ( misnamed “teacher”) forgot to mention that.


2 posted on 10/11/2009 8:21:43 AM PDT by wintertime (People are not stupid! Good ideas win!)
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To: reaganaut1

Thank you Christopher Columbus for leading the charge that ultimately replaced barbarian savages with the most important and noble society the world has ever known. The world is in your debt.


3 posted on 10/11/2009 8:22:34 AM PDT by raptor29
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To: reaganaut1

Oh for crying out loud.

While patriotic Americans go about their days, do their jobs and try to do the right thing.

Determined marxists are tearing down Americas children.


4 posted on 10/11/2009 8:22:43 AM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (2012: Repeal it all... All of it!)
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To: reaganaut1

And in a few years they’ll start pealing back the veneer of Martin Luther King ... oh wait, nevermind.


5 posted on 10/11/2009 8:22:53 AM PDT by Jackson57
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To: reaganaut1
By the way, what kind of a so-called “man” would **want** to teach kindergarten?
6 posted on 10/11/2009 8:22:57 AM PDT by wintertime (People are not stupid! Good ideas win!)
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To: reaganaut1

For those of you who are unsure of the concept, the NEA/NTU is winning the war. Look at the voters up to age 30. Obama by a landslide!


7 posted on 10/11/2009 8:24:09 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: wintertime

Obama


8 posted on 10/11/2009 8:24:42 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: reaganaut1
''And we talked about how he was very, very mean, very bossy.''

He was the Captain of a ship. If you were not "mean and bossy" with a crew of half starved drunken sailors you would find yourself being fed to the sharks and your ships sold to pirates. If your crew did not fear you, then you had a lot to fear from your crew.

9 posted on 10/11/2009 8:25:08 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: reaganaut1
I wonder if they discuss the “peaceful” cultural practices of the indigenous American peoples, such as the Mayans, or the “peaceful” native American tribes that never, ever thought of waging war on other Native American tribes until those bastard white folks showed up?
10 posted on 10/11/2009 8:26:01 AM PDT by bitterohiogunclinger (America held hostage - day 163)
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To: wintertime

Imagine...a 15th Century sea captain being bossy. Next thing you know, they’ll be saying drill sargeants are bossy.


11 posted on 10/11/2009 8:27:10 AM PDT by achilles2000 (Shouting "fire" in a burning building is doing everyone a favor...whether they like it or not)
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To: wintertime

“By the way, what kind of so-called “man” would **want** to teach kindergarten?”

That would be a faggot. With NAMBLA membership.


12 posted on 10/11/2009 8:27:37 AM PDT by raptor29
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To: reaganaut1
Destroying our heroes has always been a key element in the Progressive agenda. It is a way to "deconstruct" history, and change its meaning to validate what Barack Obama might call the "fundamental transformation of the United States of America".

In fact, he did call it that. Was anyone listening?

13 posted on 10/11/2009 8:30:27 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (America does not need to be organized: it needs to be liberated.)
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To: wintertime

And Stalin and Mao were so benevolent.


14 posted on 10/11/2009 8:33:49 AM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (Waste and fraud are synonymous with gov't spending)
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To: reaganaut1
Hmm. it must be October.

If Columbus had not discovered the new World it would have been found by the Portuguese a few years later. It was going to be found!

If the Indians had made a voyage of discovery East they may have found Europe and still contracted the diseases for which they had no immunity. it is not the Europeans fault that they were not immune to disease.
Life is tough! besides they gave Europeans Syphilis.

Columbus found Indians killing and eating Indians. His men found and saved some captive women who were pregnant. Their captors loved fresh cooked baby.

Columbus’ voyage west was to get around the Islamic countries blocking the way to Chinese goods.

15 posted on 10/11/2009 8:34:52 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (You talkin' ta me? YOU TALKIN TO ME! Well just who are you talkin' to?)
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To: reaganaut1

If not Columbus, it would have been another European, which was inevitable.
A technologically superior culture replaced a primitive one. Like it or not, it’s the way of the world. Live with it.


16 posted on 10/11/2009 8:36:49 AM PDT by cydcharisse
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To: raptor29

Jeffrey Kolowith’s kindergarten students

Oh Jeffrey...

you nincompoop, just who was your history professor?


17 posted on 10/11/2009 8:38:18 AM PDT by wita
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To: reaganaut1
They found him guilty and sentenced him to life in prison.

Free Chris!!! Justice For Chris!!! No Justice, No Peace!!!

18 posted on 10/11/2009 8:39:34 AM PDT by rickmichaels
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To: raptor29

I don’t think all male kindergarten teachers should be bashed this way.


19 posted on 10/11/2009 8:40:21 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: stephenjohnbanker

Very funny! :-)


20 posted on 10/11/2009 8:40:52 AM PDT by wintertime (People are not stupid! Good ideas win!)
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