It’s Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus discovered America — for the free and civilized world. You can cry “Oh, the poor Indians!!” all you want, but America was not a habitable place until Western civilization got there. Christopher Columbus led the way. Just imagine if, before undertaking his courageous and hazardous journey, Columbus had been forced to do the following: File an environmental impact statement and wait 10-15 years for a result; get approval from the Department of Homeland Security; go through the “National Oceanic Travel Administration” (which we’ll project as the NASA of its time) for approval and authorization; anticipate income and capital gains taxes from any wealth acquired on the journey; ensure that an equal number of Asians, blacks, gays, women and disabled people staffed his ship; put aside legal money to defend himself against future lawsuits for crew members who get post-traumatic stress syndrome; and, of course, provide top-grade health insurance to all his crew members and families. Chances are, the journey would never have taken place. I wonder what journeys are not taking place in the twenty-first century, due to all the irrational insanity we have created for ourselves?