Can we believe what we read, see, hear, learn in school or college? If who we are today is a culmination of all that we have learned and have been, on what premise do we make our decisions and take action? For instance, Columbus Day is a day to celebrate the discovery of the “New World” by Christopher Columbus, a gallant and courageous explorer; but was he?

In 1937 President Roosevelt established Columbus Day as a national holiday to commemorate Christopher Columbus who discovered the New World on Oct. 12, 1492. As children in elementary school we learned the phrase, “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue; in 1493 Columbus sailed the deep blue sea.” But there is much controversy about the man Christopher Columbus was; there are those who think he may not have been so very gallant; were they spreading lies, or were they haters?

Once again, we learn that facts can be skewed. For instance, it is now well known that Columbus was not the first to make it to the shores of North America. It was Leif Eriksson who is believed to be the explorer who actually reached North America some 500 years prior to Columbus’ decision to sail to the west.

As for the gallantry of Columbus, his adventure included personal greed as much as his desire to “sail the deep blue sea.” The adage of “follow the money” was alive and well even in the 1400s. Columbus’ voyage not only assured him of the financial gains, but governorship of all lands he was to discover. We may have been taught to believe his intentions to be noble in nature, but there was a good portion of greed and personal gain interwoven throughout his contract with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

So why is it that we continue to believe what we hear and read without doing our research, our due diligence, our fact finding? If there had been the social media outlets back in the days of Columbus, I wonder what postings on Facebook, tweets on Twitter, and instant messages on Instagram would have been like? And let’s not leave out what may have been the reporting in our local, regional, and national newspapers and magazines.

In the 1400s, just like today, there were silly seasons with rumors, exaggerations, half-truths and even down right lies — just like much of the “historical” facts that we were taught as children (such as those we may have been taught about Christopher Columbus). Half-truths, fake news, rumors and even down right lies can lead to the destruction of character, businesses, governments, and yes individuals.

One of my favorite poems is by Rudyard Kipling, and I often find myself reciting his words as I hear the many half-truths that are bandied about today. Character and truth matter, and in this 2019 silly season we need to remember that. I will share with you the first stanza of Kipling’s poem,

“IF”

“If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies.

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk to wise.”

Don’t believe everything you read or hear because facts can be distorted and massaged to reflect the attitude of the speaker as well as the writer. Columbus wasn’t as bad as some might think. He lived in a time when things were much different than what they are today, but facts still matter. In researching some of the history on Columbus, I learned that while some may have described him as ruthless and greedy, he was also a devoted Christian who may have been one of the earliest missionaries speaking of God and Christianity to those he encountered.

In America, we have just celebrated Columbus Day — a day to celebrate courage, independent thinking, persistence, creativity and vision. We live in a country where we are free to be anything we want to be, speak freely without fear of imprisonment, and see our dreams come true. I encourage you to not believe everything you read or hear; false or incomplete information will only stifle your ability to know the truth. And please, don’t let those who only wish to disparage you take you down to their level, “don’t deal in lies, and don’t give way to hating.”

Have a great day.

Vicki Westling is a Dunkirk resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com