Celebrating Columbus On Columbus Day

Today is Columbus Day and I expect to see a good bit of Columbus-bashing. . 

But as I'm half-Italian and I was born and raised in a predominately Italian-American neighborhood in South Philadelphia, I share the pride of Italian-Americans who know that the explorer who "discovered" America was an Italian.

Yes, despite the views of the politically correct, who once again this year will note that people lived here before Columbus, that others visited here before Columbus, and that Columbus brought slavery and genocide to the new land, I believe that Columbus did in fact discover America.

As Michael Berliner wrote in Capitalism magazine, "Columbus brought America to the attention of the civilized world, i.e., to the growing, scientific civilization of Western Europe. The result, ultimately, was the Untied States of America."

And for that Columbus should be honored by all Americans.

A few years back, Charles C.W. Cooke wrote about Columbus in National Review.

As the historian William J. Connell argues, Columbus may not have been the first of the voyagers to discover America, but he was undoubtedly the most important. “His arrival,” Connell explains, “marks where we as a country and a hemisphere began our identity.”

Unlike previous landings, Columbus’s mattered. It was the first to lead to a permanent settlement and the first enduring landing from a civilization that boasted modern ideas such as a belief in science, reason, individual achievement, and Christianity.

Ultimately, Columbus’s story serves as the introduction to a story of immeasurable historical importance. To dismiss celebration of the man because he didn’t make it to America first would be akin to declaring that we must scorn Isaac Newton’s contribution to science because he wasn’t actually hit by an apple. 

Note: You can also read Joseph Filocomo's National Review piece on Columbus via the link below:

 The War on Christopher Columbus Is Unfounded | National Review

Christine Flowers: Columbus Day Will Not Disappear From Sight

Christine Flowers at the Daily Times offers a column on Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s decision to cancel Columbus Day in Philadelphia and replace the holiday with Indigenous People’s Day. 

Philadelphia’s mayor has decided that it’s no longer acceptable to celebrate Columbus Day. The Delaware Valley has always honored its Italian-American citizens on the Sunday closest to Oct. 12 by holding a parade through the heart of South Philadelphia. I would always go, as a child, even though I lived a good part of my life in Havertown. The parade attracted Italians, and Italian lovers, from all over. 

I have a suspicion that despite Jim Kenney’s efforts to erase us, that parade will continue to march with banners and heads held high, even if the day on which it takes place will be saddled with the awkward title “Indigenous People’s Day.” 

This is an attempt on the part of the progressive P.C. left to tell one group of people what they should call themselves, and making sure another group of people feel appropriate shame for being inappropriately ashamed of their illustrious ancestor. 

No matter what Jim Kenney and his acolytes of the virtue brigade do through executive fiat, Columbus Day will not disappear from sight, mind, or memory. In fact, when you remove a name because you feel that it no longer serves the original purpose, you guarantee that people will take notice of something they otherwise ignored. It is the principle of unintended consequences, and it will happen this time as well. 

The truth is that Columbus is none of the slanderous things he’s been labeled, and did none of the things he’s been accused of doing. My friend Robert Petrone, a noted expert on Columbus, has written a magisterial treatise on the life of the man, which you can read at Broad and Liberty (www.broadandliberty.com). Robert has pored over 500-year-old texts, some in their original Spanish, and has come to the conclusion that not only was Columbus not a tyrant, he was actually one of the first and most important civil rights activists in the history of this continent. Don’t take my word for it. Read his columns. 

You can read the rest of the column via the below link:

Christine Flowers: Columbus Day will not disappear from sight | Opinion | delcotimes.com 

Stu Bykofsky: Let’s Get Rid Of Independence Day. Why Not?

 Former Philadelphia Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky offers a post at his website on Philadelphia Jim Kenney dumping Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day. 

For the past couple of years, as we sailed into October, I noticed the city put out a notice that City Hall would be closed on the second Monday, for “a holiday.” 

It did not mention the name of the holiday. 

Sssssh. Columbus Day.

Mayor Kenney now has abandoned flying under the radar in favor of a full frontal executive order renaming the holiday Indigenous Peoples Day. But it is not just renaming it — he’s cancelling Columbus. Making it disappear. How’s that for exercising his privilege?“

What do I care?” he did not say. “I don’t live in South Philly anymore.  If it pisses off the Italians, who cares? They’re European.”

One reason given for the change was Columbus’ record of killing and enslaving indigenous people. It’s a fact.

You know who else killed and enslaved indigenous people? 

Other indigenous people. It’s a fact.

But inconvenient facts don’t matter when your arm is aching from all the waving of the virtue flag.

Nothing against indigenous people. In America, every national, racial, ethnic, religious, gender, etc., group should have its own holiday (if there are enough days in the year). Maybe united we stand, but by identity we divide. 

Maybe that’s the real plan.  

You can read the rest of the post via the below link:

:https://stubykofsky.com/lets-get-rid-of-independence-day-why-not/ 

Celebrating Columbus

Today is Columbus Day and I expect to see a good bit of Columbus-bashing.

But as I'm half-Italian and I was born and raised in a predominately Italian-American neighborhood in South Philadelphia, I share the pride of Italian-Americans who know that the explorer who "discovered" America was an Italian.

Yes, despite the views of the politically correct, who once again this year will note that people lived here before Columbus, that others visited here before Columbus, and that Columbus brought slavery and genocide to the new land, I believe that Columbus did in fact discover America.

As Michael Berliner wrote in Capitalism magazine, "Columbus brought America to the attention of the civilized world, i.e., to the growing, scientific civilization of Western Europe. The result, ultimately, was the United States of America."

And for that Columbus should be honored by all Americans.

You can read an earlier post on Columbus via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2017/08/christopher-columbus-deserves-to-stay.html 

Ronald Reagan: Christopher Columbus Was The Inventor Of The American Dream

Mark Antonio Wright offered an interesting and fair piece in National Review last year on the two views of Christopher Columbus, whom President Ronald Reagan called "the inventor of the American Dream."

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/425389/christopher-columbus-hero-or-villain

Celebrating Columbus

As History.com notes, on this day in history Columbus discovered America, forever changing the world.

You can read the History.com piece via the below link:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/columbus-reaches-the-new-world?et_cid=82082581&et_rid=1227406676&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.history.com%2fthis-day-in-history%2fcolumbus-reaches-the-new-world

You can also read a piece on Columbus (hero or villain?) in National Review by Mark Antonio Wright via the below link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/425389/christopher-columbus-hero-or-villain 

Celebrating Columbus

Today is Columbus Day and I expect to see a good bit of Columbus-bashing.

But as I'm half-Italian and I was born and raised in a predominately Italian-American neighborhood in South Philadelphia, I share the pride of Italian-Americans who know that the explorer who "discovered" America was an Italian.

Yes, despite the views of the politically correct, who once again this year will note that people lived here before Columbus, that others visited here before Columbus, and that Columbus brought slavery and genocide to the new land, I believe that Columbus did in fact discover America.

As Michael Berliner wrote in Capitalism magazine, "Columbus brought America to the attention of the civilized world, i.e., to the growing, scientific civilization of Western Europe. The result, ultimately, was the Untied States of America."

And for that Columbus should be honored by all Americans.

A few years back, Charles C.W. Cooke wrote about Columbus in National Review.

As the historian William J. Connell argues, Columbus may not have been the first of the voyagers to discover America, but he was undoubtedly the most important. “His arrival,” Connell explains, “marks where we as a country and a hemisphere began our identity.”

Unlike previous landings, Columbus’s mattered. It was the first to lead to a permanent settlement and the first enduring landing from a civilization that boasted modern ideas such as a belief in science, reason, individual achievement, and Christianity.

Ultimately, Columbus’s story serves as the introduction to a story of immeasurable historical importance. To dismiss celebration of the man because he didn’t make it to America first would be akin to declaring that we must scorn Isaac Newton’s contribution to science because he wasn’t actually hit by an apple.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/329660/celebrating-columbus-brave-and-bright-charles-c-w-cooke