The man is not the monument
Atlanta: I am writing to explain why Mayor de Blasio and members of the statue review commission should not remove the statue of Cristoforo Colombo. There is a distinction to be drawn between Colombo’s life and that eventful voyage of 1492, the story of which is represented in the statue under review by this commission. Colombo’s life is undoubtedly controversial. He and his crew were responsible for many atrocities in the Caribbean Islands, for which Colombo and his family were arrested and brought back to Spain in chains. Under his two years of governorship, half of the local population of Haiti died from disease, warfare and harsh enslavement.
Samuel Eliot Morison, the Pulitzer-winning Harvard historian, wrote that “The cruel policy initiated by Columbus and pursued by his successors resulted in complete genocide.” This history must be studied and condemned.
Colombo’s statue, however, does not represent the man. In fact, there were no authentic depictions of Colombo made in his lifetime. The statue represents the 1492 voyage, as shown by the three ships, the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, that continue to sail on the column and by the bronze reliefs surrounding the monument.
In our society, that voyage is a metaphor for the search for freedom. In fact, the term “Columbia” was the poetic name of America during the Revolutionary War, because it idealized the value of liberty.
On a personal level, Colombo’s voyage has been a lighthouse of acceptance for Italian immigrants. Whereas the sight of the Statue of Liberty meant the arrival to the land of freedom, the memory of Colombo’s voyage dispensed the courage necessary for the departure from the motherland.
As an Italian who came to America and who honors this tradition, I humbly ask this commission to keep the statue in its current location as a symbol of liberty and hope. Andrea Natale
Move them to museums
Stony Brook, L.I.: I read with interest the Daily News Op-Ed written by my Stony Brook University colleague Michele Bogart (“In defense of ‘racist’ monuments,” Aug. 24). Although I agree that one need not be “pro-Trump, pro-Confederacy or insensitive to the horrors of slavery and its legacy” to argue against the removal of Confederate statues, I disagree with her conflation of “removal and destruction” in the discussion of these monuments. It is my impression that most scholars and thinking individuals advocate not destroying the monuments, but relocating them to a museum or designated park with contextual didactic information. On a recent spring break, my husband and I took our California grandson on a trip to South Carolina and visited a slaveholder’s mansion, a former plantation, and the Confederate Relic Museum, all of which had insightful and fair information about living quarters, the treatment of slaves, and the meaning of various symbols. It was a truly educational experience for all of us. But in the public spheres that Confederate monuments now occupy, it is not possible to offer context; this can be done only in a more neutral and accessible location. Anita Moskowitz
A reactionary
Jamaica: Everyone keeps saying 45 has done a lot. Can someone please name what he has done? All he has done is reverse everything President Obama did. He can’t keep Obama or the Clintons out of his mouth. The Democrats can’t be obstructionist because Republicans have the majority rule in the Congress and Senate. Prayers go out to Texas during this time with Hurricane Harvey. God bless them! Charlene Black
Hurricane Donald
Yonkers: To all you Trump loyalists who heard Dolt 45 exclaim at the size of the crowd in Texas because he thinks they were there to cheer for him rather than to find out how they will be helped out of this climate disaster, and heard him say, out loud, that he was glad for the fact that the hurricane would bring more ratings to his decision to pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Well, if that doesn’t curdle your blood, then absolutely nothing will. This takes narcissism to new heights and you should be afraid, very afraid. Suzanne Hayes-Kelly
Only himself to blame
Yonkers: I agree with Voicer Jimmy Durda that Donald Trump won the election and is our President. Even though I did not vote for him, I support whomever is in the office and wish them success for the sake of our country. I do not agree that all of the trouble that goes his way is the work of Hillary Clinton or anyone else. Trump’s words and deeds are the source of his embarrassment to the Office of the President and to our friends beyond our borders. And those words and deeds have stoked the fires of distrust and hatred among the citizens in and visitors to our land. No one puts words in Donald Trump’s mouth but Donald Trump. Elliott Black
Not a terrorist
Manhattan: To Voicer Ralph A. Manente: President Obama did not pardon Oscar López Rivera. He commuted his sentence. And while both are forms of executive clemency, exercise of the latter creatively re-sentenced Rivera to time served, paving the way for his unconditional release. Much has been made of the charge Rivera was convicted of, seditious conspiracy. But however one may feel about Rivera and his cause, his case was entirely circumstantial, with no link to any specific bombing. None of the 12 socalled FALN members whose sentences were similarly commuted by President Clinton some 18 years ago had been convicted of violent crimes. Aydin Torun
Wounds that heal
Manhattan: I am responding to the moving letter written by 62-year-old Voicer Gilbert Washington, who wrote about his first experience as a child with racism. He and his childhood friend Gene had a close relationship that was cut back by Gene’s mother, who repeatedly yelled to young Gilbert that he was not allowed in her house. At school the next day, young Gene came to Gilbert and deeply apologized for his mother. I am a 73-year-old who grew up in Chelsea. As a 10-year-old, I was a tall, thin kid who was the object of more than my share of taunting. In the school gymnasium, a boy named Melvin started calling me names. We pushed each other back and forth as other kids watched, and the male teacher walked in yelling to stop right away. I stopped; Melvin punched me in the left jaw. I called him the “N-word,” the only time I have ever said it. Immediately, I was ashamed. I told no one and couldn’t wait until the next day, when I would seek Melvin out and apologize to him. After I apologized, we shook hands and were good friends again. Later in the day, I was called to the assistant principal’s office. She said, “I heard that you apologized, which was great.” Like Washington, who hoped Gene would read the Daily News to see his letter, I hope Melvin reads mine and may remember how awful I felt and how I also grew to care for him.
Manny Martin West Nyack, N.Y.: Regarding the article, “B’klyn pit bull drama” (Aug. 30): If the dog was found without an owner, how can the breed be properly labeled as a pit bull? Pit-bull-type dogs never reach 150 lbs. This dog looks like a Cane Corso. This type of guessing creates fear and misunderstanding of bully breeds. Actually, when raised with love and proper training, they can have better temperaments than golden retrievers. Look up American Temperament Test results for dog breeds. Plus the industrial size chain and pad lock that were left around the dog’s neck should be more of a concern. Lucy Siclari
Snuff it out
Staten Island: The seven bills signed Monday by Mayor de Blasio will save countless lives in New York City. The bills will not only increase the price of cigarettes but will also reduce the number of retailers, require a license to sell e-cigarettes, mandate all public buildings become smoke-free, require a minimum package size, increase the licensing fee for retailers, and prohibit pharmacies from selling tobacco products. These measures are sure to decrease the number one preventable cause of death, smoking. Studies show that every 10% price increase per pack of cigarettes reduces adult smoking by 2% and for young adults 3.5% and by about 7% for kids.
Carissa H. Mazzeo
Bitter truth
DAILY NEWS Venice, Fla.: You reported that “Study says four cups of coffee per day can lower risk of death” (Aug. 28). I wonder why we never report these types of findings factually. Nothing reduces the risk of death. That risk is 100%, and so far has proven incapable of being reduced. Perhaps you mean to say it reduces the risk of death at any specific age?
George Borton