Christopher Colombus Hero or Monster?

I chose this Christopher Colombus as my NHD individual in history because many people call him a monster and others call him a hero for finding America. The politically correct view is that Columbus did not discover America, because people had lived here for thousands of years. It's claimed, the main legacy of Columbus is death and destruction. But the question is did Colombus "discover" America? Yes--in every important respect. That doesn't mean that no human eye has been cast on America before him, but it does mean that Christopher Colombus brought America to the attention of the civilized world. Columbus is vilified as a symbol of slavery and genocide, and the celebration of his arrival likened to a celebration of Hitler. Most Europeans think he is a hero but that is different story for the Native Americans. Question still stands if Christopher Colombus is a hero or monster.