Columbus Didn’t Fall to Leftist Protesters. He fell to Privileged Cowards
By Salvatore Camarda
March 6th, 2026
Let’s stop pretending this is about history and call this what it actually is.
The sudden urge among the politically left-leaning Italian Americans to cancel Columbus isn’t moral growth; it’s white privilege. It’s the luxury of assimilation so complete that you can afford to sneer at the very symbols your grandparents needed to survive in this country; when they weren’t considered “white.”
You didn’t tear down Columbus because you’re enlightened. You tore him down because you no longer need him.
The people most responsible for erasing Italian American symbols aren’t outsiders. They’re you: descendants of immigrants who were once lynched, segregated, and treated as criminals, now comfortably accepted and eager to prove that acceptance by denouncing their own history.
After my previous op-ed in the Washington Examiner titled “Chicago Isn’t Listening To Italian Americans”, one of you actually said this, out loud, without shame:
“Removing Columbus is not a threat to my Italian culture, but a relief to other minorities.”
That statement isn’t compassionate. It’s breathtakingly ignorant and disrespectful.
It assumes Italian Americans never needed protection. It assumes our culture wasn’t forged under pressure from lynchings, segregation, and mass discrimination. It assumes Italian heritage is just recipes and vibes, not survival and resistance. And it assumes that your culture is expendable if sacrificing it makes you feel virtuous.
That’s not empathy. That’s surrender masquerading as virtue.
Columbus Day was never about pretending a 15th-century explorer was flawless. It was about telling America that Italians were not outsiders, not criminals, not temporary guests. It was a declaration of legitimacy by people who didn’t have the luxury of abstract moral debates.
You had that luxury handed to you. So you erased the declaration.
You stood by while Italian statues were removed in the dead of night; no vote, no community consent, no transparent process. And instead of asking why your community was being treated this way, you shrugged and said, “Pick someone else.”
No other ethnic group would tolerate that. And no other group would be expected to.
But Italians are considered safe to erase now. Safe because we’re successful. Safe because we’re quiet. Safe because people like you are willing to help do the erasing in exchange for ideological approval.
You repeat slogans about Columbus “starting slavery” or being uniquely evil without bothering to learn where those claims come from or why historians still debate them. You don’t care about historical truth. You care about signaling that you’re on the correct side of the current political fashion; even if that means standing against your own history.
You don’t want justice. You want applause. And the hypocrisy is unbearable.
You’ll post about Nonna’s cooking. You’ll romanticize Nonno’s sacrifices. You’ll wear Italian identity proudly when it’s charming or marketable.
But when it comes time to defend the symbols your ancestors relied on, the ones that told America they belonged, you disappear. Or worse, you help tear them down.
You don’t get to enjoy the fruits of assimilation while mocking the tools that made assimilation possible. You don’t get to stand on your grandparents’ shoulders and announce that their values were embarrassing. And you don’t get to erase Italian American history and pretend you’re being generous by doing it.
Unfortunately, Wednesday’s Park District announcement that the Columbus Statue was going to be replaced with a statue of Mother Cabrini at Arrigo Park was not only forced on the Italian American community. It was accepted by our so-called “leadership.”
The leadership of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans did not defend what it was entrusted to protect. They chose surrender over resistance and are now trying to paint it as “progress.”
That choice is even more damning because this so-called “deal” they made with the Park District was already rejected years ago. Four years earlier, the previous JCCIA board understood exactly what was being asked and turned it down. They knew then what the current leadership either forgot or lacked the courage to admit: that conceding Columbus wasn’t compromise; it was erasure.
Nothing changed in the facts. Only the backbone did.
Replacing Columbus with Mother Cabrini is not an honor when it comes through capitulation. Mother Cabrini deserves reverence, not to be used as moral cover for leaders unwilling to fight. It would have been better to keep defending what was ours, even at political cost, than to roll over and concede it away while pretending surrender was maturity.
And this is the clearest proof of the argument above: only a community cushioned by assimilation and led by people who no longer fear loss could be persuaded to give up what earlier generations fought to keep.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Italians have often been first.
First to connect the old world with the new world.
First to pioneer the modern banking system.
First to lay the foundation for modern science.
And now, once again, first; first to be erased with the enthusiastic cooperation of our own descendants and the cowardice of those entrusted to lead them.
If Italian Americans can be told their history is shameful, their symbols disposable, and their objections irrelevant, even by their own descendants and institutions, then every group is next.
You didn’t stop injustice. You normalized erasure.
The real tragedy isn’t Columbus. It’s that a generation cushioned by sacrifice mistakes self-contempt for sophistication and calls betraying its own heritage “moral progress.”
History won’t remember that kindly. And neither would your grandparents.
-30-
Salvatore Camarda is a recently retired tech executive, entrepreneur and public speaker with a lifelong commitment to community. Growing up immersed in the Italian American experience, he was inspired by his father, a respected leader in the community for decades. Camarda brings a perspective shaped by both business acumen and a deep-rooted appreciation for service, culture, and civic engagement.
Comments 48
Bravo. Excellent column. The people tearing down statues of Columbus are “stolen land” fanatics. They are too historically illiterate to understand that all land settled by humans is stolen either by migration or war and it is often stolen repeatedly throughout human history.
Take Islam, for example. A violent fanatical cult that arose in the Arabian desert now has majority populations in 55 of the world’s 195 countries and threatens to overrun civilizations in Europe and elsewhere. The Muslim Conquests were very successful.
Columbus was a courageous visionary not just for Italians but for all Americans who value determination, resolve, ambition, and bravery. He should be celebrated without reservation. His culture assumed slavery was normal, but so did nearly all cultures at that time, including the tribal cultures in the Americas, who were constantly stealing land from each other.
I’m a 12th generation American whose ancestors came here circa 1640 to settle the land. On occasion they clashed with the indigenous people here, people we call Indians because that is what Columbus called them. I have no guilt whatsoever because I know they didn’t come here to steal land. They came here to escape oppression in England or to start anew in a virgin land.
Great column! I didn’t like when they removed the Columbus statue and I’m angry that they’re not returning it. I wish there was something we could do to bring it back to it’s rightful location.
My ancestors did not come from Italy, but I agree wholeheartedly with the premise of your article. This is SO wrong. It is EMBARRASSING that anyone should support these attempts to erase history. If you want a worthy cause, why not focus on the slaughter of African Christians by their Muslim countrymen?
So stealing is ok as long as your white. Have you heard of the 10 commandments, ie “thou shall not steal”, unless of course your white.
No one said anything of the sort. This is a pretty lame attempt at virtue signaling, even for you.
Hey Rudd, where is Keith Obermann when you need him?
Rudd, “your” not competent in thinking. Or spelling.
Do you think Thomas is ready to give his property over to the original inhabitants of this area, the Illiniwek?
Oh wait, he can’t. They were wiped out by the Potawatomi, Sioux and other tribes.
David, like nails on a chalkboard, yes?
And the grammatical errors:
ie should be i.e. followed by a comma
commandments should be title case.
There should be a comma after of course
And what exactly did Columbus steal?
Applying today’s societal standards to how people acted and lived centuries ago is ridiculous.
“When smashing monuments, save the pedestals – they always come in handy.” Stanislaw Jery Lec
I’ll never forgive this city for not fighting harder to return the Columbus statue. It’s just wrong. Mother Cabrini has her place but not in Columbus’ spot.
Love you John and pray for you and your family. Lent is here and God will take care of you and I know that he loves you and you are a good servant to God. Kalo Pasha.
Oh how clever by two, the Left is always slimy and cunning in their endorsements, such as Roman Catholic anti-abortion Mother Cabrini, when they want to undercut a true Italian hero such as Cristoforo Colombo, by invoking a Catholic woman and saint who represents everything they hate. Just as these atheistic God-hating modern day bolsheviks will try to misrepresent the teachings of Jesus Christ to further their materialistic visions and ambitions of a godless “paradise” on earth.
God is not fooled and we the people are not fooled. justice takes time.
Well said sir.
👏👏👏 straight to the point and absolutely true.
Thank you Salvatore.
They dishonor their ancestors by rationalizing their acceptance of the liberal garbage stuffed in their brains by the worthless educational system that teaches them not to think and the fact that they don’t have to work for acceptance, just surrender to the BS. They stand for nothing, because they are hollow inside. Their ancestors would disown them.
100% agree. The hypocrisy today that I need to surrender my heritage and celebrate other heritages is anti-American. Yes, we assimilate via the “melting pot” into American culture but we still understand and appreciate all the ingredients/heritages that go into it. We need to appreciate & respect that everyone’s heritage makes our American culture richer instead of canceling out those which are “not the flavor of the month”. God help us.
Great column! Thank you, Mr. Camarda.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the Italian American Community also has woke progressives.
I grew up with some great proud Italian Americans who would set these “wokes” straight with the evil eye and teach them some respect. Wish they were still here.
Well said.
“It was a declaration of legitimacy by people who didn’t have the luxury of abstract moral debates.”
A profound statement!
Italians have always been hardworking and under appreciated.,
Wonderful and spot on column. Sadly, not just true of Italian-Americans, but also other ethnicities now in Blue cities. Progressives seek control by erasing and rewriting history! Next, they will rename Columbus Drive!
Thank you for this Excellent column.
Removing and replacing the Columbus statue was a travesty for all Italian- Americans. It was a profound disservice to all Chicago and the proud history of this City.
Nice work. And I get the part about Italian pride. But from another old white guy – older than you, let’s not forget about the other aspect of this. When I was a kid in elementary school, circa the 60’s, Columbus was just celebrated as a daring explorer that discovered the “New World”, paving the way for the extension of Western Civilization – and the great life and many blessings we enjoyed. The Italian part was minor. The fact this cannot be celebrated anymore, but instead vilified as white oppression and colonization is even sicker and sadder.
The concept of the “melting pot” that I learned as a kid was something inspiring. The modern liberal version, in the context of Columbus, means only the transformation from “Italian” to “white”(used as an epithet). Congratulations on a great and eloquent column. It deserves a very wide readership, something I will now contribute to.
Excellent column. Thank you, Mr. Camarda. Agree completely on all points. John, I hope you’re getting stronger every day. God bless you.
Well stated and thank you!
One day, we’ll see an end to the insanity.
On 2nd thought I think your right.
LETS ALSO HAVE MUSSOLINI AND CAPONE STATUES!!!
Hey boys, here’s some more Italian “heros” that need statues:
1. Frank “The Enforcer” Niti.
2. Tony “Joe Batter” Accado
3. Johnny “Pappa John” Torrio
4. Sam “Momo” Giancana.
5. Paul “The Waiter” Ricca
6. Anthony “Ant” Spilotro
7. Joey ” The Clown” Lombardo.
And on and on. All real full blooded American Capitalist heroes. Ain’t yaxproud
Wow Rudd, you truly are a A double s.
Proof before send, “an”.
And proud of it, John
No, just return the Christopher Columbus statues, that’s all.
How about Enrico Fermi? Or Michael Andretti? Or Joe DiMaggio?
I am damn glad I never called you Dr. Rudd. What do you call the guy who finished last in medical school? Doctor.
A good observation. Thanks
Nice column, Mr. Camarda. Thank you.
Fine column, Mr. Camarda, in historical perspective and cultural wisdom. You make a brave effort to deal with leftist thought, such as it is. But to truly comprehend them, you need to become more contemporary and hysterical:
See, Columbus’ crew wasn’t diverse enough — not a single Puerto Rican! And the elitist privileges he got from that queen — and not an LGBTQIA+ queen at that! And did Columbus take the struggle for justice to the streets or did he just sail away on his precious boat? And where was the copper in Chicago’s Columbus statue mined? Probably Chile! The New York Times doesn’t like where Chile’s been heading.
Nice column. But to be fair, assimilated Italian Americans have been subject to the Left’s brainwashing and their re – write of history, via their control of academia and public education, just like everyone else, for the last 5 decades.
And I expect that many Italian Americans don’t know that Columbus Day started in 1892, after 15 Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans. I did not know that until 7 years ago. Most Americans think lynching happened only to blacks. Not true.
I am half Italian by descent. I’ve experienced insults, annoying comments, etc. and my last name may have been partially responsible for getting fired from my first career job. But until recently, I didn’t know how bad it was in the 19th and well into the 20th century. For example, Italians being considered “not white”.
A sign of the times that a “toxic masculinity” hero (Columbus) would be replaced by a feminine hero (Cabrini).
Great column, Mr. Carmada. I am 100% Polish, & I agree that Christopher Columbus should have his statue in the
park. I am grateful that he & his men took on the voyage and the rest is history.
Why does Mr. Rudd judge people by color? The criminals that he listed show his bias against Italians, something they’ve been trying to overcome for years.
1. It’s Dr. Rudd. I spent long years studying medicine so address me by the title of my profession.
2. I have multiple Dago/WOP in laws and they like me despite my being of Pollack/Russki lineage!
Unless you are actually in your professional role as a physician, use of the title “doctor” is not appropriate. As someone with an earned PhD, I too could be addressed as “doctor.” I too spent long years studying to arrive at that point. Unless I am actually in my professional role, I choose NOT to use the “doctor” title. I’m long retired, so I no longer have reason to use that title.
As mot only an Italian but a Sicilian, this isn’t about Italians but some false sense of “white privilege”. We have patience. We will prevail in the end.
Powerful and cogent article. Sir. I especially liked this: ” If Italian Americans can be told their history is shameful, their symbols disposable, and their objections irrelevant, even by their own descendants and institutions, then every group is next.”
Years ago, they tried to replace the stature of James J. Shields in Statuary Hall of the Capitol with one of Frances Willard and LGBTQRS & etc. Prohibitionist icon. At first blush they tried replacing Shields with Ronald Reagan only to have their true intended revealed.
https://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/blog/list?tag=Shields
One of the greatest pieces about guilty white people ever. Thanks. That said, don’t forget a certain minority of which BJ is a part of, with the lowest collective IQ in the world. The only thing that wakes BJ up and his hoard is the word “free”. They love someone else paying for their tab.
Grew up on the far south side in the fifties and early sixties. I could see all of this coming.
Adios Illinois
Orwell: “The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.”