Once Revered, Now Maligned [PHIL-OSOPHY]

I won't be surprised if Antifa and other domestic terrorist groups plan to deface and attack Columbus statues across the country on Columbus Day, if there are any remaining.

It's unfortunate to see a once unifying figure, who defined courage and religiosity, is in the crosshairs of destruction, petitions and disinformation. The Howard Zinns of the world had a huge impact on changing the minds of a generation of Americans in reversing Columbus's influence, just as the Ku Klux Klan pushed anti-Columbus, anti-Catholic rhetoric over a hundred years ago.

In fact, Columbus Day became a national holiday following one of the worst mass lynchings of Italian Americans, and the largest occurrence of lynching in American history, in New Orleans in 1891.

Back then, attempts to quash Columbus failed as they will in today's volatile climate. I'm proud to say that Newton's third law is still relevant in 2020: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, which means in an era of radicals, revolutionaries and progressives, appreciation of Columbus has deepened and increased with every statue that comes down.

Columbus wasn't perfect by any stretch, but the bravery and fortitude that he displayed in his odyssey to America have been inherent in the American cultural DNA from the beginning. We are a civilization that admires those who push the limits of the frontier. The same spirit that has us on the International Space Station is what we celebrate in people like Christopher Columbus.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.