From Repblican gubernatorial hopeful Ted Dabrowski:
Celebrate Columbus Day, reject those who try to divide us
I write to you today as a staunch defender of Columbus Day and all it stands for.
Columbus Day is a day to honor Italian-American heritage and to mark a triumph of assimilation done the right way – by embracing American values while still holding onto one’s roots.
Sweat and perseverance helped make Italians model immigrants, but we honor them for more than that – they knew how to become part of the American family.
Tragically, that time-honored formula for a successful melting pot has been under attack. President Biden’s designation of Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day was yet another brazen effort to divide us. A similar day for honoring Native American culture is entirely appropriate, but pushing aside another culture’s day was intended to cause trouble. President Trump was right to reverse Biden’s cynical move.
I thank my own immigrant parents for teaching me that America can collect the best from other cultures. And they showed me what it means to assimilate – to truly belong. They embraced American culture for the sake of their three children. I am grateful for that, and I deplore all efforts to stoke ethnic strife.
Let’s all celebrate Columbus Day as an example of immigrant success – and of belonging to the great American Experiment.
