Proposal: Retire Columbus Day. Establish Galileo Day.

[JackRiddler]

Poll question: Proposal: Retire Columbus Day. Establish Galileo Day.

I daresay it's clear which of these two Italian men from hundreds of years ago should be honored for changing the world. Galileo's achievements have more influence on our lives today than those of Columbus. And he wasn't a mass murderer. And he stood up for the truth. (Well, at least until the Church got the prongs out, but hey. Not bad for an old man.)

[GodlessBiker]

1. Excellent! Galileo is totally deserving of such a tribute.

[zipplewrath]

2. I agree with the general theme

I might have picked someone else, maybe Aristotle or something. I've always had a warm place for both Copernicus and Mendel, mostly because they were pretty "pure" scientists in the sense of doing extensive experimentation and letting the data guide them. Something we could use more of in our highly politicized scientific environment these days.

[JackRiddler]

5. Politics. I was thinking, so who's Italian?

And then it hit me. Galileo's much bigger historically than Columbus. Hands down, even by entirely conventional, "mainstream" measures. Equal name recognition, and 90 percent of historians would have to agree. And take both for what they symbolize. One represents the beginning of a fairly significant conquest. The other represents the development of the scientific method that changed everything. No doubt about which is bigger, or has had the greater impact on lives today.

[JackRiddler]

14. Shameless self-kick for my best idea of the day.

[Dulcinea]

3. Sure!

Who even cares about Columbus Day except for the federal government and a few assorted Italians anyway? (My husband is of 100% Italian lineage, so I can say that.)

And put Galileo Day in August. August needs a holiday, & then maybe school won't start too soon as it does in the Deep South.

[KittyWampus]

4. No, I prefer Kepler. Let's have a Kepler Day!

[earthside]

6. I would vote ...

... to stick with Columbus Day, but Sean 'Freakin' Hannity's puss is stuck on top of the vote button (even after I expand the page on my netbook).

Columbus and Galileo were part of the emerging Renaissance: Galileo explored the stars; Columbus the planet Earth.

Both were embroiled in the rotten system known as the Roman Catholic Church: Galileo arrested because he challenged the church's metaphysical orthodoxy; Coloumbus because he subscribed to and did not challenge the church's conversion by the sword mandate.

This is why it is lefty knee-jerkism, in my opinion, to blame Columbus -- the villan was the Roman Catholic Church (it was priests who massacred the Inca king and court). It is political incorrect or uncomfortable, however, to excoriate the Roman church for what it perpetuated back then; it is easier to personify all the genocidal evils of Catholicism in one guy, Columbus.

So, it would be better, I think, to put Columbus back in his place as a Renaissance explorer and leave the holiday alone ... and pursue the more intellectually honest path of describing the Roman Church of the 16th century for what is really was: a stinking, corrupt, murderous regime parading under the guise of religion.

[Burma Jones]

7. October 12 is Aleister Crowley's Birthday.......

How about that instead?

[KittyWampus]

8. Can you imagine the Fundies reaction?! Scientologists should be supportive though.

[kentauros]

12. Possibly even Theosophists, too

[Iggo]

13. Yes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-2NQnxDDJE

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

15. Hell no!

Why should there be any holidays celebrating any member of the Bush Crime Family?

(What, you didn't know he was Barbara Bush's father?)

[Burma Jones]

23. Out.........standing

[Turbineguy]

9. This made me realize

If the repubs get back in we'll probably get a Ronald Reagan day. Or even worse, a George W Bush day.

[xchrom]

10. i like that. nt

[kentauros]

11. How about a Kheiron Day?

Then we could celebrate health professionals and educators :D

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosKheiron.html

[catbyte]

16. Being Anishnabe, I HATE Columbus, but I loves Galileo! :)

[joeybee12]

17. How about an I don't care...I don't care because either way I don't get

the day off!

[Odin2005]

18. I love that idea!

[zinnisking]

19. I voted for Galileo Day, but it stayed at 22 votes and Columbus day went from 9 to 10.

Seriously. Is this poll software run by Diebold?

[JackRiddler]

20. Not Diebold. The Friends of Italian Opera.

[madinmaryland]

21. It's just become an Italian Heritage Day without much relationship to Columbus.

Just get rid of Columbus and let the Italians party like the Irish do on St. Patrick's Day (another worthless "holiday").

[nmbluesky]

22. I prefer

Native Day!!!!!