{"id":867142,"date":"2021-10-11T08:14:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T12:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=867142"},"modified":"2021-10-11T08:14:23","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T12:14:23","slug":"its-not-about-hate-syracuse-residents-stand-up-for-historic-columbus-monument-as-mayor-plans-removal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-not-about-hate-syracuse-residents-stand-up-for-historic-columbus-monument-as-mayor-plans-removal\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s Not About Hate\u2019: Syracuse Residents Stand Up For Historic Columbus Monument As Mayor Plans Removal"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fits-not-about-hate-syracuse-residents-stand-up-for-historic-columbus-monument-as-mayor-plans-removal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=867142&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Every year, the response to Columbus Day grows more contentious. Attitudes toward the holiday range from apathy to hate, and some now even argue that the holiday represents the evils of Western imperialism. S<span>ome states have canceled the celebration of Columbus altogether, and, a<\/span><span>ccording to one <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/12\/us\/indigenous-peoples-day-2020-states-trnd\/index.html\"><span>report<\/span><\/a><span>, 130 cities no longer observe the holiday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But while Columbus Day and monuments to the Italian explorer have fallen on hard times, celebrations of the day are still strong in some cities, particularly in those with citizens who have a strong connection to their Italian heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>One such city is Syracuse, New York, in large part thanks to the work of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/columbusmonumentsyracuse.com\/\"><span>local<\/span><\/a><span> Columbus Monument Corporation. This year, they expect thousands of attendants at their Columbus Day festivities, which included a Saturday mass and the Monday wreath-laying at the historic Syracuse Columbus monument.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Officially dedicated in 1934, Syracuse\u2019s Columbus monument was sculpted in Florence and constructed with stone from Italy, according to Anthony Ilacqua, a member of the corporation who spoke with The Daily Wire.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_293814\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"34\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-293814\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-293814 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Sculptor-with-Monument-colorized-1.jpg\" alt width=\"480\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Sculptor-with-Monument-colorized-1.jpg 480w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Sculptor-with-Monument-colorized-1-242x300.jpg 242w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Sculptor-with-Monument-colorized-1-464x576.jpg 464w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-293814\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Sculptor Renzo Baldi &nbsp;with Monument, via Columbus Monument Corporation, Colorized.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Ilacqua said that many people don\u2019t understand the meaning of the monument or the connection many residents have to it. In reality, he said the monument was a large part of how Italian Americans who immigrated to the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century, like his grandfather, made cities like Syracuse home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt was an outgrowth of pride in their national heritage and their Italian identity and their love for this country. That\u2019s really what it was about,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Recently, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh (I-NY) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.syracuse.com\/news\/2021\/09\/messy-fight-over-columbus-statue-blurs-political-lines-as-syracuse-barrels-toward-mayoral-race.html\"><span>announced<\/span><\/a><span> that the statue would be removed. In response, the Monument Corporation has launched an effort to save the statue, which is located in the heart of downtown Syracuse, and was built and paid for by many residents\u2019 ancestors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis decision is based on the fact that we can honor our Italian American community without focusing on a statue that has become the source of division over decades and overshadowed the original intent of the monument,\u201d Walsh said in a statement to The Daily Wire. \u201cThis space should be both a tribute to Italian Americans and a place of healing at which we celebrate our shared accomplishments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Ilacqua argues that the monument shouldn\u2019t be seen as divisive.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis monument is very much a part of our family heritage. It wasn\u2019t put up by unknown people in the past. We know who built it. We know who sculpted it, who raised the money,\u201d Ilacqua said. \u201cWe know who put it up. It\u2019s very much our monument. We take pride in it and celebrate it every year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In 1992, on the 500th anniversary of Columbus landing in the New World, the monument organization raised private funds to restore the statue. Some who were around for the original dedication, like Ilacqua\u2019s father, also made it to the restoration.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_294270\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" readability=\"32\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-294270\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-294270 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Columbus-Circle-1024x576.jpg\" alt width=\"637\" height=\"358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Columbus-Circle-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Columbus-Circle-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Columbus-Circle-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Columbus-Circle-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2021\/10\/Columbus-Circle.jpg 2019w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-294270\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Columbus Circle via Columbus Monument Corporation<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>To this day, the monument still has a lot of meaning for Syracuse residents with Italian heritage. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When Italy won the European soccer championship this past summer, there was a spontaneous celebration around the monument and in the fountain at the base of the statue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But the monument, which the Monument Corporation says is protected by the Landmark Preservation Board and Public Art Commission, might still be removed if Mayor Walsh has his way. Last month, Walsh, who is facing an election in November, said that he plans to move forward with the removal of the statue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Walsh\u2019s plan includes designating the grounds where the monument stands as Heritage Park.<\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 1\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\" readability=\"11\">\n<div class=\"column\" readability=\"17\">\n<p>\u201cSyracuse is poised to create a space at Columbus Circle that honors our Italian American community and is welcoming and safe to all in our community,\u201d he said. \u201cOn this holiday weekend, I offer my deepest respect to our Italian American neighbors and my sincere support to the many in our community for whom the statue creates pain and sorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m firmly committed to proceeding on a path that is respectful to all and leads to healing in our community. Achieving this is consistent with our vision to make Syracuse a growing city that embraces diversity and creates opportunity for all,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Though the battle over the statue has been seen as political by some, the Monument Corporation says that its coalition transcends politics, and includes those from across the political spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Efforts to remove the monument will not be able to continue until a legal judgment is rendered regarding whether or not Walsh can legally remove the monument.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe truth is that statue doesn\u2019t harm anyone,\u201d said Ilacqua, who believes Walsh is surrendering to the mob. \u201c<\/span>It\u2019s not about hate. It\u2019s not about racism. It\u2019s not about genocide. It\u2019s not about all the terrible \u2026 things that they attribute to him. It\u2019s about the Italian American community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span>He notes that the monument says more about Syracuse\u2019s Italian American community than it does about Columbus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt was put there out of love and pride,\u201d Ilacqua noted, \u201cI don\u2019t see how [taking] it down does anything but erase history for no reason. It belongs there. We\u2019re proud of it, and we believe it should stay there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Choosing to focus on art, history, and heritage, the Monument Corporation wants people to understand the historic context of when the statue was erected. Their <a href=\"https:\/\/columbusmonumentsyracuse.com\">website <\/a>encourages people help save the statue by sign petitions and even sending messages to Mayor Walsh.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe Italian immigrants that were there didn\u2019t fly here. They came over on boats. That\u2019s what happened at the turn of the century,\u201d Ilacqa said. \u201cThey see Columbus, one of their countrymen from Genoa, who arrived in boats, explored the ocean, and came to a new world. How did they not identify that as heroic and brave?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><i>member<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year, the response to Columbus Day grows more contentious. Attitudes toward the holiday range from apathy to hate, and some now even argue that the holiday represents the evils &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-867142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=867142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=867142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=867142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=867142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}