EVERYONE must be active and voice their support for Columbus Day!
TEACHERS, as your students learn about American civics and how our laws are passed, the following could be a great assignment for extra credit.
Contact your legislative representative and tell them why Columbus Day should be celebrated.
Here's How:
Visit congress.gov and on the right hand side where it says "Contact your member" enter your zip code and find out who your representatives are.
Click on the representative's name.
Now click on the representative's website link that appears.
Each representative has a Contact Us page with a form for you to submit your voice. Find the Contact page and tell them why they should support Columbus Day.
Some things to note:
While Columbus Day is a holiday to be celebrated amongst all Americans, it is a special day for Italian-Americans. There is no good reason to discriminate against the Italian-American community by eliminating Columbus Day and giving the day to another ethnic group. Fact is we already celebrate the legacy of America’s indigenous people and recognize their humanity by having Native American Heritage Day (the Friday after Thanksgiving) and Native American Heritage Month (November). Native American Day is the fourth Friday of September. If that’s not enough, Indigenous People’s Day is celebrated Globally on August 9th. If they feel the need to add “Indigenous People’s Day” to their calendar, then add it to August 9th. There is no justification to take a day of celebration away from Italian-Americans by falsely slandering Columbus unless their motives are rooted in ignorance and hatred.
Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage and contributions made to this country.
From the many Italian explorers that came after Columbus to map out the Americas, to Filippo Mazzei’s inspirational words that helped shape our constitution, that “All men are by nature equally free and
independent”, to the works of Constantino Brumidi whose paintings beautify the Senate and House Chambers and the Capitol Building’s rotunda, to the Piccirilli brothers who carved the “Seated Lincoln” in Lincoln Memorial, to Amadeo Giannini who found Bank of America, to Enrico Fermi who was the first to split the atom at Columbia University and lead the Manhattan Project, to Antonio Meucci the true inventor of the first telephone, and other contributions that are too countless to list here, one thing is evident: Throughout history Italians have made great contributions to America and the world! As Italian-Americans we ask only for ONE day to celebrate our heritage, culture and contributions. Are we not worthy of that?
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