Readers sound off on Columbus Day, campaign signs and work authorizations

Honoring Columbus is bad for Italian-Americans

Jersey City: I consider myself a proud Italian-American. As Italian-Americans, we should be proud of our heritage, culture and legacy, and we should do everything possible to end all the negative stereotyping of our community.

That being said, I strongly disagree that Christopher Columbus is a source of pride for all Italian-Americans. Let me state this in the strongest possible terms: Columbus is definitely and positively not a source of pride for the Italian people. In reality, he is actually an embarrassment. He was a carrier of death, doom, disease and destruction.

For many years, I have tried to convince people that we should no longer honor and pay tribute to Columbus. He reinforces all the negative stereotypes of Italian people. Just like the quintessential Mafiosi boss we see in gangster films, “Don Colombo” terrorized and exploited the native population and European settlers for his personal gain and to maintain control of his territory. He instituted the slave trade in the Western Hemisphere. He was also a human trafficker who rewarded his lieutenants with pubescent, underage indigenous girls. Anyone who dared to defy the authority of Don Colombo was cruelly punished.

These factual accounts of Columbus are well documented. If we really want to end all the negative stereotyping of Italian people, we must start by dumping Columbus Day. We shouldn’t allow this revolting man to be the poster child of Italian legacy, culture and heritage. Giovanni Carmine D’Elia

We have better

Salerno, Italy: Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month is an annual designation observed in October. During this time, we recognize the many achievements and contributions that Italian immigrants and their descendants have made to benefit the United States. Instead of honoring Christopher Columbus, Spain’s first conquistador — a murderer, slave trader, spreader of disease, death and destruction, and a pimp and human trafficker — why don’t we honor the 18 million Americans of Italian descent who have brought their vivacious culture and traditions to the U.S.? Italians began migrating to the U.S. in 1880, primarily to escape the rural poverty in southern Italy and Sicily. Today, Americans of Italian ancestry represent the fifth-largest ethnic group. Given that, we can find an Italian more honorable to represent us than Columbus. We don’t need to be represented by one of our worst. Anna Maria Zucca

Redeeming traits

Seaside Heights, N.J.: In just a few days, we will celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage in 1492. Although his alleged actions in the New World have tarnished the seafarer’s reputation, Columbus Day still symbolizes hope. Columbus’s courage and determination in reaching his goal is a lesson for all of us! We must never abandon hope. If only today’s society faced problems, disease, hunger and tensions with the courage, resolve and faith of Columbus, the world would be a much better place. For this national holiday dedicated to the great “admiral of the seas,” we should pay homage to this courageous and sagacious navigator. In the wake of Columbus’s teaching, our dreams can come true. We can strive to find cures for cancer and the dreaded COVID virus, bring peace to all nations and transform space travel into something positive for all humanity. Ignazio (Igor) La Manna

Surprised?

Bronx: As a lifetime Bronx resident, I don’t understand the outcry over Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s confusion between a clearly marked emergency fire alarm and an ordinary door opener. After all, he was a leading advocate against standardized testing as an NYC public school teacher. He was also born on April 1. I’m just saying. Joe Schulok

Sea of signs

Holbrook, L.I.: Now that it’s October in Suffolk County, thousands of illegal lawn signs have popped up along Suffolk’s highways and public properties. They are almost exclusively for Republican/Conservative Party candidates. It’s not because Democrats are morally superior, but because Suffolk’s Democratic Party is in such a decrepit state. Here’s the irony: The Republican candidates who complain the loudest about taxes will force the taxpayers to pick up the tab to clean up the mess. The other irony? The Conservative “Vote Row C” signs also say “Law & Order” on the second line — of signs that are placed illegally! That’s right, the law-and-order party has illegally placed thousands of these signs. Incredible! Michael L. Wilson

Doesn’t track

Palm Bay, Fla.: To Voicer Dennis Pascale: Derek Jeter also wore No. 2, so your inference about that number and a bodily function is a non-sequitur. Thomas DeSantis

Now hiring

Brooklyn: Gov. Hochul has announced that there are 18,000 jobs available for migrants across New York, with 10,000 of these jobs in New York City. So why are these positions not being first offered to shelter clients who have been languishing for more than a year before the migrants arrived? Why do we continue to ignore native New Yorkers stuck in shelters when they have every right to the same privileges as the migrants? Just because the new arrivals are getting all the publicity doesn’t mean we should ignore New Yorkers who have been here long before and don’t need special permission to work. Robert Mascali

America-first aid

Forest Hills: Maybe the governments (federal, state and city) would have more money if we didn’t support every other country and every immigrant who comes here by giving them SNAP, WIC, New York State benefit cards, housing discounts, medical benefits, free or discounted MetroCards and so on. Work permits should be given to those who are homeless because they lost their jobs during and after COVID, especially to veterans who fought for this country. America first, always. Sara Ross

Humanity’s dark side

Whitestone: Crime, hate and disrespect have become like a runaway train. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week it runs. When in God’s name are we going to say enough is enough? Sally DeFelice

Keep it simple

Brooklyn: Voicer Al Schwarzler seems to think my claiming that President Biden is the cause of our current inflation is a simplistic approach to something that’s more complicated. He lists a menagerie of events that occurred before Biden took office as the true causes. The problem with his list is that it’s easy to concoct and as impossible to prove as the notion that if the Pilgrims landed in Kentucky instead of Plymouth Rock, fried chicken would be Kentucky’s state bird. Actually, it is Schwarzler who is making a simple thing complicated. Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office. Gas prices went up almost immediately, and those prices affect almost every aspect of our economy and standard of living. Yes, the notion that Biden destroyed our economy really is that simple. Josh Greenberger

The fix is in?

Manhattan: Donald Trump is on trial for defrauding banks of hundreds of millions of dollars. If convicted, neither he nor his children will do any jail time. Notorious lower Manhattan landlord Steve Croman was convicted of lying about the income and apartment classifications of one building in order to refinance one mortgage. He did a year on Rikers Island. Is it just me or does anyone else see something wrong here? Louie Russo

Off the rails

Smyrna, Del.: When is someone going to declare that Donald Trump is mentally ill? He exhibits the symptoms. His thinking is bad. He wants to “dispose” of individuals. He threatens people every day. This is not a man to elect. He needs treatment. Robert Whitaker Sirignano

Sounds familiar

New Windsor, N.Y.: To Voicer Bob Pascarella: I am very intrigued by your given name, as I worked many years ago — early to mid-1970s — with a gentleman with the same name. We both worked for, at that time, the largest textile manufacturing company in the world. He sat in front of me in our office. He was the kindest, most gentle and quiet man. He was from the Bronx. He was in his mid to late 20s. As it usually was back then, we never talked politics. It was a private thing and it truly didn’t matter. Could it be possible that he is your father or grandfather? If so, the apple fell far from the tree. Karen Vandenberg