[Durelin]

For example, why do we celebrate or acknowledge the "discovery" of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, when in fact, it was ostensibly discovered thousands of years earlier by the Native Americans? Why do we consider him a hero, when the greatest thing that bloke did was wipe out whole races of Native Americans? Are we to honor murderers? What were the conquistadors? They were murderers who used the names of gold and god as excuses. Why do we honor them?

Hmmmm...I wonder...would Tolkien have agreed with this? That's what I'm trying to point out. This is politics, here, and they do not belong in association with a deceased author's texts.

are ordinary beings (for that world at least). Their only intention is to save the world that they are living in, and prevent war from devastating their homelands.

So, your saying good old Columbus (if it weren't for him, we would not have the USA - God bless it) was an evil, butchering, greedy, alien? What are ordinary beings then?

Now tell me, aren't those the true heroes that we should be honoring?

We should honor fictional characters for their fictional deeds?

Her deeds were far greater than Columbus's seeming discovery. She gave up her life so that France would be free.

Christopher Columbus sailed off with inaccurrate maps into uncharted seas when all others told him the world was flat, and he would fall off the edge of the world. His sailing led him to North America, which was inhabited by the Indians, who did not have to sail across uncharted seas when all others told them the world was flat, and they would fall off the edge of the world. They walked. And chill: Joan of Arc's a saint. I think we honor her a little bit.

During the Crusades, when the fortress of Acre was being besieged by the Saracens, every single Templar in the city gave up their lives so that their loved ones could escape.

Some of us try to, but recent history books and historians like to tell us that the Saracens, the Muslims on their jihad, were peaceful, tolerant people who never tried to force people into their religion. Or do we forget why the fortress of Acre was attacked?

Every last defender, wounded or hale, fought to the death, in a conflict reminiscent of the Fall of Gondolin.

I believe you have just helped answer your repetitive question: Tolkien did.

Sorry, but we don't live in a very honorable world.