"That's more astonishing than finding life on another planet."  Wow!  That really put your position in perspective.   I'm not going to agree with it because I think your perspective is really skewed.  And I can't speak for all 'whites', but I'm not embarrassed.  I am appalled at the arrogance of a people that used their religion to justify moving in and destroying the cultures of two continents.   The fact that these people called themselves Christians only made it worse.  "Might makes right." and "Because we have the guns and they have the treasure."  don't seem to be part of the same philosophy as "Turn the other cheek." and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  And there's considerable controversy over whether he was actually the first to find the New World. If we're going to remember him for his accomplishments it would be nice to know he'd actually accomplished something worth remembering.