Kamala Judges 15th Century Explorers’ Actions by Today’s Standards

Historians shouldn't sugarcoat the past, but the practice of judging history by way of the present is sloppy. Leftists use this practice, known as presentism, to make unsound arguments all the time.

Sometimes it works. More often, it backfires as people see through this common fallacy.

Hopefully, most people will see right through Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks on Tuesday when she blasted the explorers who led the European “discovery” of America.

Per the Daily Wire:

Speaking at the National Congress of American Indians 78th Annual Convention on Tuesday, the day after Columbus Day, Vice President Kamala Harris took the opportunity to slam the European explorers who reached the Americas hundreds of years ago, calling it an era with a “shameful past” and lecturing, “Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for tribal nations — perpetrating violence, stealing land, and spreading disease.”

Harris appealed to her audience as victims and separated them from the general populace of America as she spoke of different nations, saying, “President Joe Biden and I believe that the bond between our nations is sacred.”

“And we take seriously our responsibility to one another,” she continued. “It is an honor to be with you this week as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, as we speak truth about our nation's history.”

Then she launched into her criticism of explorers like Columbus: “Since 1934, every October, the United States has recognized the voyage of the European explorers who first landed on the shores of the Americas. But that is not the whole story. That has never been the whole story. Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for tribal nations — perpetrating violence, stealing land, and spreading disease. We must not shy away from this shameful past.”

What's the Truth?

Harris could learn a thing or two about unacceptable premises from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Speaking to Joe Rogan, Tyson said Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage was the most significant event in the history of man.

That transatlantic crossing reunited our species after a large branch of it became separated walking across a land bridge into what is now Alaska. Sea levels rose, dividing humanity for more than 10,000 years. Tyson explained how we would have evolved differently (like marsupials in Australia) if this biological divide continued.

Columbus should be judged on the merits of what he achieved. Historians should analyze accusations of brutality recorded by his contemporaries without prejudice. But linking him to unrelated atrocities and blaming him for spreading Eurasian diseases is unfair.

Of course, Harris didn't acknowledge any of that. Instead, her remarks represent the latest manifestation of cancel culture by the far-left.

Americans should resist their impulses to judge the past by the present.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.