The histories of Christopher Columbus as taught by multiculturalists pose as being objective.
Objectivity shows how Columbus’ was essentially a man of reason, science, and courage for his discovery of a continent unknown to Europeans. To multiculturalists, however, this historical view is “Eurocentric” bias. Their primary appeal is that they only want to “balance” history by including the “perspectives” of other cultures.
Thus, multiculturalists teach that Columbus didn’t discover an unknown continent; what distinguishes him and his Western predecessors is how they destroyed the relaxed, peaceful, nature-worshipping cultures that already existed there, by “invading,” “stealing” from, enslaving, and committing “genocide” against their inhabitants.
| History, however, must teach which ideas caused which actions, so that people may learn from their lessons. Like ethics, historical objectivity rests on the standard of human life and survival. Actions that rationally improve human life are moral; actions that harm or destroy it are immoral. |
History, however, must teach which ideas caused which actions, so that people may learn from their lessons. Like ethics, historical objectivity rests on the standard of human life and survival. Actions that rationally improve human life are moral; actions that harm or destroy it are immoral. Thus, historical objectivity requires that ideas and actions be selected from an individual’s life and times which are most relevant to this standard, to judge whether he/she was *essentially* life-improving or -destroying.
But multiculturalists fundamentally believe that no single reality exists and that all knowledge, including all values and standards, are relative to the particular group, whether of race, class, sex, that each individual’s identity is determined by. History must be accordingly “balanced” to conform to the different “perspectives,” i.e., realities, of each group, with each perspective given equal validity and weight — regardless of its logic. All of this poses as being objective.
As one multicultural manual for teachers advises: “Avoid dwelling on the negatives which may be associated with a cultural or ethnic group. Every culture has positive characteristics which should be accentuated.”1
Applied consistently, this method would require teachers to “balance” history by accentuating Hitler’s “positive characteristics,” such as his treating his dogs kindly, instead of “dwelling” on the anti-life “negatives” that were his essence.
And in “balancing” the history of Columbus, multiculturalists drop objective standards, essential characteristics and contexts. Thereafter they emphasize Indian cultures’ commonplace “positives” while downplaying, excusing or celebrating their anti-life essence: faith, supernaturalism, tribalism, brutishness, anarchy and Stone Age squalor. Furthermore, they emphasize Western civilization’s commonplace “negatives” while downplaying or condemning its life-improving essence: reason, science, individualism, freedom, rule of law, capitalism and industry-technology.
These methods allow multiculturalists to undercut Western civilization’s essential values that are timeless and superior for all humans, so as to raise as culturally and morally “equal” the anti-life essence of Indian cultures.
But even though Columbus didn’t discover a continent entirely unknown, he did discover it for Europe and essentially he planted the seeds there for a culture that eventually enabled humans to discover their greatest life- improving potential.
Far from being “genocide,” the deaths of most Indians after Columbus’ arrival came from such diseases as measles and small pox that Europeans unintentionally transmitted to them, just as Indians had transmitted diseases to them.
Moreover, when Europeans maltreated Indians, it was no worse than how both cultures treated themselves. Besides many Indian tribes enslaving and ritually sacrificing the lives of their individual tribesman, they constantly invaded, warred with, looted and enslaved other tribes.
Only after Western civilization sired the ideas of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and America, despite its mystical, primitive elements, did humans finally discover the industry-technology to reshape nature to improve human needs, considerably reduce backbreaking labor and dramatically raise life’s quality and longevity. Most important, individual’s could finally claim a right to their own lives, liberty, property and pursuit of happiness.
Individualism was alien in Indian cultures, and ownership was based on whatever arbitrary rules each tribal chief dictated to his people. Under such anarchy, Europeans had as much right to “their land” as Americans had to the Nazi’s native Germany.
Multiculturalists steal such standards as individual rights to condemn anachronistically the very culture and men, such as Christopher Columbus and Thomas Jefferson, who made those standards possible. But Columbus can no more be condemned for not practicing post-Enlightenment knowledge than he can be condemned for not voyaging on yachts. His essence is his then dominant, unique, life-improving characteristics and achievements.
The multiculturalists’ methods of distorting history for the sake of “balancing” the “positives” and “negatives” of historical figures and cultures primarily and ultimately destroy rational, civilized standards. They must be condemned and ended.
References: 1. Deborah A. Batiste and Pamela Harris, “A Holistic Approach to Multicultural Education,” National Multicultural Institute, Washington, DC, 1994. (Other facts and ideas presented in this editorial are supported in The Enemies of Christopher Columbus by Thomas A. Bowden; and in The End of Racism by Dinesh D’Souza.)
