Over five hundred years ago, Christopher Columbus launched a courageous and daring voyage across an ocean Europeans said could not be crossed. It was his daring and determination that led to Western Civilization’s discovery and settlement of the Americas.
In the modern United States, Christopher Columbus is a “controversial figure” according to the radical Left and their allies in the media, schools, and universities. They say he was a white supremacist, an evildoer, a slave trader, a colonizer (as if that’s a bad thing).
But at Texans for Strong Borders, we know that nothing could be further from the truth. Like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Columbus had a unique spirit and determination that marked a new chapter in human history.
To quote HBO’s Tony Soprano, “He discovered America is what he did! He was a brave Italian explorer. And in this house, Christopher Columbus is a hero—end of story.”
The radical Leftists and cultural Marxists hate Christopher Columbus for this very reason. In the same way that they seek to remove Confederate monuments, reimagine the Alamo, and undo the American founding via the 1619 Project, these enemies of America have trained their guns on Christopher Columbus as well.
Donald Trump rejected these attacks. In October of 2020, Trump issued his fourth Columbus Day proclamation in which he launched a defense of the explorer and our American heritage.
“Sadly, in recent years, radical activists have sought to undermine Christopher Columbus’s legacy. These extremists seek to replace discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings, his discoveries with atrocities, and his achievements with transgressions. Rather than learn from our history, this radical ideology and its adherents seek to revise it, deprive it of any splendor, and mark it as inherently sinister. They seek to squash any dissent from their orthodoxy. We must not give in to these tactics or consent to such a bleak view of our history. We must teach future generations about our storied heritage, starting with the protection of monuments to our intrepid heroes like Columbus.”
Trump is right.
The truth is Columbus’s voyage is the beginning of our nation’s history on the American continent. What was discovered by the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, would later make way for the Jamestown settlement, the Mayflower, and eventually the founding of the American republic.
Following Columbus, our forefathers would come to colonize this continent, conquer its wilderness, and found our country. Preserving and protecting our heritage as Americans is the reason we need strong borders, state sovereignty, and lawmakers who will put the interests of citizens first in every policy debate.
Just as Columbus’s journey led to the exchange of cultures, ideas, and goods between the Old World and the New World, we recognize the value immigration can provide in enriching our nation. However, our immigration policies must always prioritize the interests of American citizens, ensuring that our economy, security, and cultural identity are preserved for future generations. The lawlessness, carnage, and weaponized mass migration at our southern border instead subvert the interests of American citizens and our way of life.
On Columbus Day we reaffirm our commitment to our nation’s heritage and rededicate ourselves in service to our fellow citizens. We celebrate the spirit of exploration and discovery that brought Columbus to the shores of the Americas, and we honor the sacrifices and contributions of all who have built this nation.
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