Columbus Day: a celebration of heroism, patriotism, and Italian and Latino pride

Today most of the country celebrates Columbus Day: schools are closed and many communities will host parades in honor of Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator who set sail under the patronage of the Spanish crown in search of a Western route to Asia. It is undisputed that Columbus's arrival on Oct. 12, 1492, in what is now the Bahamas, forever changed the course of human events. And yet, across the country there is a growing movement to discard the holiday and to expunge Columbus from his

Today most of the country celebrates Columbus Day: schools are closed and many communities will host parades in honor of Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator who set sail under the patronage of the Spanish crown in search of a Western route to Asia. It is undisputed that Columbus's arrival on Oct. 12, 1492, in what is now the Bahamas, forever changed the course of human events. And yet, across the country there is a growing movement to discard the holiday and to expunge Columbus from his…