The coming of l993 brought a great sigh of relief from the organizing committee of the quincentenary of Columbus' voyage to the "New World." Seldom has a five-hundredth anniversary caused more commotion left, right, or center. Everyone, except maybe the "Adult Children of Alcoholics," took the occasion of the quincentenary to cast all sorts of accusations, allegations, defamations, and, as my Mama would say, "plain ole ugly things" upon the "Admiral of the Ocean Sea." It is impossible to relate them all but I cannot resist mentioning a few:

The Universities of the land (modern society's peculiar version of the old insane asylums) were not shy (are they ever?) to jump into this historical/philosophical fracas. The University of Illinois officially changed Columbus Day to a "Day of Mourning" while Arizona State University commemorated the day by allowing a Chicano rap group to shout obscenities about European culture. The University of Minnesota enjoyed an entire day of "festivities" highlighted by a play about the "legacy of Columbus' (it was all bad) to be held at "The Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater" (seriously, I would not make these things up).