Columbus: Negative side and Positive Side
(Written by: Nofi Maryana PBIB/4)
“All
humans come as a package deal.
You
can’t have just one aspect of a person and say you don’t want the rest.”
INTRODUCTION
People are born as a coin. They have two different sides--Positive
side and negative side. Therefore, it is neutral if there are bad people or
good people, but to keep in mind is even the most worst man, there must be the
good thing that he ever did. That is Columbus, someone who’s the negative truth
of his story revealed by Zinn. In Howard Zinn article Speaking Truth to
Power with Book, he reveal the negative side of Columbus that he is a
murderer, killer, a torturer, a
kidnapper, a mutilator of native people, a hypocrite, a greedy man looking for gold, and
mutilate people but as said before, there are just the negative effect of Columbus.
Beside his negative effect, Columbus also has many good effects to the world
which is not seen by Zinn.
SUMMARY
Speaking Truth to Power with Book article, in outline explaining about how book
change people consciousness and the biggest cases is in the truth of Columbus
history. There are several point that writer get from Howard Zinn article.
First, Zinn’s purpose in made Speaking Truth to Power with Book is just
to raise reader consciousness, not to reveal the truth of who discover America
is. he didn’t make judgments, he didn’t editorialize. he just say what was happening. Today, we know about what is going on. We know, for example, Columbus is not discovered
America. He does not editorialize about it, he just tells who exactly
Columbus is, and not to reveal who discover America is. Because he said that sometimes just
telling people about something that they do not know about is an important thing to do, because that alone may move
them to a greater consciousness
and even into action. So, it is not wrong if he does not tell the truth of
original discovered of America.
Second, as an anthropologist Zinn see
Columbus through the eyes of the people who
lost- Zinn the people who were in America when Columbus arrived, the people that
Columbus
called “Indians” because Columbus thought he was in Asia. Zinn reveal
the truth of Columbus history only from his negative effect to Americans people. In the fact there are many positive
effects that Columbus did to the world.
CRITIQUE
The first part of the article focuses when Zinn
told us the only negative side of columbus, without seeing what has he
contributed to the world through landing in America. It is true if the history
and writing activity is never neutral (Chaedar Alwasilah : 2012), but at lease
Zinn be able to think objectively. Like Eliot Morison, he saw Columbus from the
two sides-the winning side and the losing side as well, although it is more
glorifying the win, at least Morison already thinking objectively. Like Zinn
said that Columbus is a murderer, killer, a
torturer, a kidnapper, a mutilator of native
people, a hypocrite, a greedy man looking for gold, and mutilate people but he is a hero for his own nation,
Europe.
Events that have the most widespread impact
in Europe in the 15th century were the fall of Constantinople (modern Istanbul,
Turkey) to the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Constantinople had been the capital of
Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire for centuries, and is an important center
for trade between Europe and Asia. In 1453 the Ottoman Empire closing an
important trade route from Europe to the east. European traders can still buy
Asian goods from Muslims in places like Alexandria, Egypt. However, missed the
European sea route to Asia that would enable them to urge the Muslims and buy
Asian products directly.
The first Europeans who began actively
looking for cruise lines to Asia were Portugal, but Columbus is who successful
find a new route to Asia. If Columbus not went to America at that time, then
Europe can falls into chaos because the closure of Constantinople. European
people competed to find a new path towards Asia. There are try over Africa,
India or Indonesia, but they must be compete with the other countries. Here the
recognition of Columbus as a hero because he discovered a new world filled with
gold and truly empty-there is any resident yet but still has not been touched
by the wide world, it is so lucky.
Second in Zinn article, he did not include
a clear reference. He used a lot of experience in writing so it seems
subjective and not serious, but my statement was refuted because Zinn’s era is
old school era so there is no reference at that time. However, many people are
doubt in Zinn's writings because there are not clear references.
Third, as a non-American person I still
wonder about “How can an academic attack their own country? What state action
against those who attacking his own country like Zinn, whereas in a country,
all citizens especially the civil servants must adhere to their leaders. Then
how he survived in an environment that in fact did not agree and against his
theory? Are the American people does not feel 'hot' to a Howard Zinn? In this
cases I thought that America is liberal country, so it is free if he want
reveal the truth of Columbus that different with the common story there.
CONCLUSION
So the point in Howard Zinn article Speaking Truth
to Power with Book is in see Columbus, Zinn only though the negative side
or negative effect from Columbus but actually there are positive effect that
contributed by Columbus to the world actually his country. Obviously, the first
voyage of Columbus is a revolutionary change in the history of Europe, and even
had a greater influence for continental Europe. All school children memorize
the year 1492 was an important year. Even so there are many possible objections
in order to put the name of Columbus's book list.
REFERENCES
Zinn, Howard. 1999. A People’s History
of the United States, 1492-Present.
Speaking Truth to Power with Book article
http://www.medievaltimes.info/medieval-sieges/fall-of-constantinople-1453/ taken 22/03/2014 at 17:39
http://info-biografi.blogspot.com/2010/04/biografi-christopher-columbus.html taken 21/03/2014 at 21.44
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