By Selwyn Duke

If we saw a lynch mob coming for some hapless soul, wild-eyed and bloodthirsty and demanding his scalp, we’d say that whatever his alleged crimes, he deserves due process. Yet this has not been afforded to Christopher Columbus. The once revered Italian explorer has been under withering attack in recent years, with his statues often toppled and his reputation tarnished with nary any defense in mainstream media. But there’s good reason why we honor Columbus, as it could be said that this man, whom we’re now so divided over, divided history.

Before addressing the charges against him, Columbus’s achievements should be put in perspective. This can be done simply and uniquely: Imagine that someone today discovered and visited another planet, more magnificent than Earth herself, on the far side of the sun. Imagine it was home to new civilizations and fascinating creatures; was teeming with resources; and that trade between it and our planet led to an exchange of foods, animals, ideas, innumerable items of value and, yes, diseases. Would this new world’s discovery not be a seminal point in history? Would it not be, in a sense, the dawning of a new age?

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