‘We’re all in this together’

Basic discourse and politics are more polarized than ever. We see that fact borne out on television every day in the unrest playing out across our country. We saw it in our own backyard recently, in the heated interactions between groups in New Haven regarding the removal of the Columbus statue. We need to be brave enough to reverse this dangerous, intolerant trend, especially if we want to be successful tackling issues like racism and discrimination.

I do not support racism or violence in any context. Period. We should absolutely work to understand and address the discrimination, violence, and barriers felt and faced by African Americans and which have been under justifiable scrutiny following the brutal and unacceptable death of George Floyd. We must also continue to do so for people of all races, cultures, and persuasions who have been and continue to be marginalized in our society. “A rising (cultural) tide lifts all boats.”

“Cancel culture” is a movement that went mainstream in 2019, when people across the country wrote off public figures, companies and others in response to everything from simple social gaffes to blatant acts of racism. We’re now seeing a variation of that movement in the decisions to remove statues and memorials of historic figures, including Columbus.

I do not support the removal of memorials or statues for historic figures like Columbus, Francis Scott Key or George Washington. Again, I also condemn racism and slavery. Neither of those viewpoints are or need to be mutually exclusive.

I appreciate and respect what all of our country’s historic figures mean to many across our nation. I also understand how these incredible people weren’t perfect, especially when you look at them through a modern moral lens. However, I don’t support “canceling” these figures for their transgressions or for what people now deem immoral any more than I support “canceling” the litany of presidents, corporate CEOs, athletes and other public figures who have made outstanding and historic contributions to our society and who have, at times in their lives, done or said things many of us disagree with or even condemn.

We should continue to recognize historic figures like Columbus, whether in textbooks or statues, for their contributions to our country and world. We should also teach and discuss their shortcomings. However, recognizing them does not have to be and is not an endorsement of those mistakes or shortcomings. “Canceling” these people is the worst possible outcome, as it dilutes our history and deprives us all of both the opportunity to understand their historical significance and to learn from their mistakes. At the very minimum, and before leaders take unilateral action to remove statues, they should bring people on all sides of the issue together to engage in a dialogue about why they feel the way they do. Dialogue can, and will, facilitate respect and understanding. Leaders have an obligation to foster that dialogue.

We’re all in this (and I mean this amazing experiment we call democracy) together. It’s up to us all to approach each day with minds and hearts open enough to ensure the continued success of that experiment. If we want to become more culturally competent and if we want to eradicate racism and social injustice, we need to be brave enough to depolarize the debate, leaders need to facilitate healthy dialogues, and we need to find room for a diversity of viewpoints in our daily discourse and politics.

State Rep. Joe Zullo represent’s Connecticut’s 99th District.