When asked last week, Governor Murphy said he’s not opposed to tearing down statues of symbols and individuals that some may find offensive.  On Monday, he took his position further, suggesting that Italian Americans can find a way to celebrate their heritage without invoking Christopher Columbus or with statues of the famous Italian explorer.

“So on Columbus, I’ll go through in order. On Columbus, I haven’t given it — you know, I gave you a preliminary answer, or whoever it was, I think it was you who asked me this question,” Murphy said.  “I’m of the opinion that you’ve got a couple of things that are running against each other here. Columbus Day has always been sort of an iconic day for the Italian American community and that’s something that Ms. Persichilli to my right will verify that.”