Celebrating Columbus Day is a false celebration because he never really discovered America. We should be recognizing our achievements on this day, by celebrating the true explorers like:
Lewis and Clark
Leif Erikson (the true discoverer of America)
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (first on the moon -- don't forget Michael Collins)
Earhart and Lindbergh (Aviation pioneers)
James Whittaker (First American on Mt. Everest)
Robert Ballard (Undersea Explorer)
Robert Edwin Peary and Matthew Henson Henson (Polar Explorers)
By replacing Columbus Day with Explorers Day, we not only recognize our past, but we embrace the challenges of our future. It is time to move on. As a 7th grader, I urge your support in replacing Columbus Day with Explorers Day and to stop teaching a false history.