Thursday, October 15, 2009

Columbus was strong leader and discoverer

On Columbus Day, The Citizen ran an article from The Associated Press documenting a minority and negative view of Christopher Columbus. One cannot help but wonder why we are so dedicated to tearing down great men.

AP quotes, he was not a great discoverer, he was lost, he was the founder of the United States and he brought tragic disease to the indigenous population.

Columbus left the port of Huelva in Spain under the sponsorship of the king and queen of Spain. His goal was to discover a route to India for trade purposes. Instead, he discovered the Americas, not the United States. These tiny ships ventured into the unknown. The crews became terrified, but Columbus's strong leadership and personality forced them to continue even though they faced terrible hardships. The end result is he succeeded, and he should be honored for an outstanding accomplishment -- the discovery of the Americas.

Was he responsible for the results of this discovery?

The most horrific result of his discovery was the spread of deadly diseases throughout the indigenous population, which had not developed immunities and died in massive numbers. While tragic, this was not the fault of Columbus but the state of our medical knowledge in the 1400s. He is not to blame for the Spanish rape of the New World, just as he does not deserve credit for the development of the New World.

He was trying to increase knowledge of our world as astronauts are doing in our own time. He did indeed discover a New World in 1492, and should be hailed as a great achiever.

James J. Maun

Key West

Trap-robbing arrests appreciated, well timed

This is a letter of appreciation to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association, Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Marine Division, the Aviation Club of Marathon and any individual fisherman who has been working overtime to bust the never-ending trap robbing that goes on in our industry.

For the first two months of the season, it seems I've read about a trap robbing bust -- possession of short tails or another illegal casita operation -- just about every week. These efforts are greatly appreciated and well timed.

With rock-bottom lobster prices, we're not talking about losing profits. We're just hoping to break even this year, and getting robbed can put your business from barely black into deep red.

It's great to see the collective efforts finally getting positive results.

If you are a professional commercial fishermen and you want to do your part, start by joining FKCFA, and if you are a member, pay your dues. It will help.

Mitch Gale

Big Pine Key

Keep anonymity for online commentators

My hat is off to the editor of this fine newspaper for its new Internet comment tool. The online comment section on current stories seems to illuminate the gritty truth about what's going on in our troubled county.

I heard on the Bill Becker [radio] show that Editor Tom Tuell wants to start making folks identify themselves when posting comments to this section. But knowing the spineless bunch of folks who live here, I believe that move would seriously diminish this new and entertaining section of your newspaper.

It's pathetic how Keys politics has sort of emasculated most folks here from publicly voicing their innermost feelings. Your new section is perfect for the majority of folks in this county who love to fly under the radar screen. This comment section offers our citizens a way for them cover their tushes, yet vent their frustrations.

So I know [the editor is] not big on my political views, but my advice to [him] is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Keep our county spineless!

Salvador Gutierrez Jr.

Key Largo