Columbus Day

I have taken the posting of these lyrics from my dear friend Heather's blog, words that come timely as many in the US will celebrate Columbus Day on Monday. Many will also refuse to celebrate for countless reasons. I choose to use it as an opportunity to honor those we should truly be remembering on this day: Native Americans.

These are some lyrics from one of her favorite bands, show of hands

COLUMBUS DIDN’T FIND AMERICA
santa maria sailed out of the sun
warrior priests with crosses and guns
on a thousand tides and a million waves
they came carrying sickness, cattle and slaves

columbus didn’t find america
it wasn’t lost
it was always there
i won’t celebrate 500 years
of plundering wealth and scattering tears

alvarado and cortez,
amalgro, pizarro and all the rest
they raped the land and stole the sun
thieves and butchers everyone

columbus didn’t find america
it wasn’t lost
it was always there
i won’t celebrate 500 years
of plundering wealth and scattering tears

far a stretch from shore to shore
the water was clean and the air was pure
now driven from the land and living in slums
without names and without tongues

1492 columbus didn’t find america
columbus sailed the ocean blue
it wasn’t lost it was always there
now the new world sickens
and the old world grows fast
i won’t celebrate 500 years
might have been much better if the world was flat
plundering wealth and scattering tears

columbus didn’t find america
it wasn’t lost it was always there
i won’t celebrate 500 years
plundering wealth and scattering tears…

(Heather's blog can be found at http://holymischiefmanaged.wordpress.com/)