Hail Columbus the Italian

When the proud sons and daughters of Italy step off for the 75th annual Columbus Day Parade up Fifth Ave., they do so not just to honor the navigation skills of that first Italo-American, the Admiral of the Ocean Sea, but all Italian-Americans, whose innumerable contributions to this country have made America, America (and that includes the name America).

While the march doesn’t go by the spot where Broadway, Eighth Ave. and 59th St. meet and Central Park begins, Columbus Circle and the 14-foot tall sailor atop the monument there deserve a salute. Back in 1892, on the 400th anniversary of his first crossing of the Atlantic, Italian immigrants pooled their earnings to erect the statue.

We don’t here say we love everything about Columbus; he certainly did horrible things. But his achievement was epochal. His significance as the connector of continents remains undeniable.

This was lost on Mayor de Blasio when, self-righteously seeking out “symbols of hate” during the debate over Confederate statuary, had a panel consider tearing down the statue of old Chris. In January 2018, de Blasio accepted their findings to keep Columbus in place but add “new historical markers” fleshing out the story of the man and the icon.

It’s going on two years and nothing’s been added. We went and looked and the mayor’s people have nothing to say.

Likewise, there’s no movement on de Blasio’s support for a new monument, somewhere in the city, recognizing indigenous peoples, a good way to correct the historical record.

The Great Navigator led three small ships across the world. More than five centuries later, another Italian seems paralyzed. Oh well.