Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress

The article, Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress, had a few different controversial issues within it. The idea that Columbus came searching for wealth and good fortune, and created shame and destruction is true. He had good intentions for the world, but ended up helping to create the idea of prejudice and the idea that one person is superior to another. The Indians were found as a lesser being just because they were less “advanced” in society than Columbus and his men, thus creating the temptation of slavery and creating prejudice between the two groups.
Yet another controversial issue in my eyes is the issue of hiding behind the truth. The other clearly states that this happens a lot in today’s society. He says, “one reason these atrocities are still with us is that we have learned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes are buried in containers in the earth”[Howard Zinn]. We as a society, seem to be able to state the truth, but will always seem to want to shy away from it automatically. We all know that it is there, but are rarely willing to put it out there and talk about it.
Our history seems to be “hypocritical” if you will, at times. History has shown that many people and or nations, become victims at some point in time, of some type of negativity. These people and nations always seem to look for sympathy and help from others because of their misfortunes, but then turn around and make others victim as well. “In the long run the oppressor is also a victim. In the short run (and so far, human history has consisted only of short runs), the victims, themselves desperate and tainted with the culture that oppresses them, often turn on other victims.” [Howard Zinn].
I found this writing to have a lot of meaning to it. These issues all seem to still be with us to this day and are not seeming to go away. The idea of prejudice is all over, still with the ideas that maybe Caucasians are above African Americans, or any other race above another. The idea of good intentions turning to destruction is ongoing as well. For example: the war in Iraq. Also we all still seem to want to shy away from the negatives and focus on the positives, leaving everything else in the dark. All of these issues, I believe, need to be talked about, even though they may never go away they may be lessened and more understood by the world.