JACKSON, NJ—Columbus Day is under attack across America, including here in New Jersey, but on Monday, officials in one town stood up against the rhetoric.
As President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris celebrated the day as “Indigenous Peoples Day”, the Jackson Township Republican Club celebrated Columbus Day and Italian-American Heritage.
Jackson Mayor Michael Reina, an Italian American, said he is disgusted by the attacks on Italian American culture and American history by radicals.
“Columbus Day is not only a day to celebrate America; it’s a day to celebrate Italian American culture,” Reina said. “We cannot let the left erase our culture and our heritage. We proudly celebrate Columbus Day in Jackson. The attack on our culture needs to stop, and the only way to do that is to continue electing Republicans into office in Ocean County, the state, in D.C., and right here in Jackson.”
Reina noted that the Republican party in Jackson has two Italian Americans running for office this year, Giuseppe Palmeri and Nino Borrelli.
Borrelli, a current councilman, said the left is missing the overall point of the day, instead focusing on the negatives in order to make a political point at the expense of Italian Americans.
“As a proud son of two Italian immigrants who crossed an ocean to come to America in search of a new life of opportunities, we should remember our history and preserve its origins always,” Borrelli sai.d “That includes continuing to celebrate the long-time federal holiday of Columbus Day. It seems some, including the Democrat Party presidential nominee, want to demoralize or scrap the holiday altogether cause Christopher Columbus and some other explorers had personal flaws. Who amongst is perfect or any historical figure was?”
His running mate Giuseppe Palmeri also expressed frustration with the push to erase Columbus Day with another holiday.
All three men agreed there was no reason why it should be one day or another.
“We should be able to celebrate all cultures because that is what made America,” Reina said. “The idea that we can cancel an entire culture or diminish one over the other is not the American way.”
“This notion that you can’t celebrate all cultures is close-minded and an instrument of division by the left,” he said. “This is why people like Mr. Borrelli and Mr. Palmeri need to win this election because the future of America is not just on the line at the top of the ticket with Trump; Trump will need support down to the municipal level to accomplish his goals. This year, our opponents seek to sow division and chaos in Jackson. They bring nothing to the table other than grudges and axes to grind. This election isn’t about politics or party lines this year; it’s about people who want common sense against people who want just to cause more division and divisiveness in our town and in America.”
“Everyone should celebrate whatever they want in our country. That’s what helps make us great! However, our history and the people who made significant contributions to it should not be erased or forgotten. Columbus made four dangerous voyages from Spain to the Americas and helped discover a New World of opportunities,” Borrelli added. “We should always remember that and it should be taught for generations to come as we were taught it. Stop with the tearing down of every facet of our country’s rich history and with political correctness. It’s doing more harm than good.”