There is currently a brouhaha concerning the authenticity of bones reposing in several different sites thousands of miles apart.  These are the purported remains of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of our Western hemisphere - the man who opened the gates for exploration and discovery of new worlds.  It is sad that we do not know exactly where his bones repose. Several times after his death his family moved them to different locations.  One of them is in this hemisphere. He is, after all, credited with opening it up for the civilizing affects of Spanish culture neglecting, of course, the native peoples who perished under the not-so-beneficent rule of the Spaniards who were after gold, glory and power.

All of this has gotten me to think about the bones Ralph Nader has been dragging from state to state in an effort to have his message heard in America.  His early efforts earned him the thanks of many for exposing the workings of American industrial and commercial exploitation of the labor of its workers who, in reality, are descendants of the exploiters of the new world that Columbus opened up for Europeans yearning to get rich.  Mr. Nader is getting older and his role as spoiler in national elections is drawing to a close.  He will never be forgotten for throwing the 2000 presidential election to the Republicans by seducing many liberals and Democrats to vote for him instead of the Democratic front runner, Al Gore.  Mr. Nader will most likely go down to his grave without too many mourners above his casket. Many regret missing the opportunity to throw clods at him in life. Will he be remembered hundreds of years from now?  Of course he will. He caused the aberration that is George W. Bush’s administration.  But, the squabbling over the remains of Mr. Columbus creates a picture that is not quite real and true.

Chris Columbus was a vain, posturing man who tried to extract more from his success than his master and mistress were willing to accede to him.  He was made, not only admiral of the three leaky ships available to him to prove his strange idea that the world was actually round. He also was made governor of the territories he discovered.  It did not quite work out to the advantage of Columbus in the way he wanted it to.  Because of his nagging and the back stabbing by the courtiers at home, he was thrown into prison and eventually died a pauper.

Strangely, the interest where he really is today is that even with the advent of DNA testing, the authenticity of which bones that were sampled might be his or his son or whoever, cannot be made. The “degrading” of the bones and the mixing of them by his descendants have made it almost impossible to actually designate the spot where he was buried.  And, so it goes. Mr. Nader will probably drop from sight soon after he is interred. Of course he will; his bones will be under the ground somewhere or other. I hope no shrine will be erected for some to come and worship.