The controversy over Columbus predates today’s partisan gridlock, but as we saw last summer the great navigator quickly became a volatile flashpoint during the racial injustice riots. Lines were drawn, sides were taken, and overnight Columbus represented yet another deepening thorn wedged between conservatives and liberals.

But it’s not that simple: Italian Americans from both sides of the aisle watched in awe as belligerent protestors, eager agitators and so-called militia members sewed violence that led to the toppling of countless Columbus statues and monuments across the nation. Our penniless ancestors literally spent years cobbling together funds to build those statues and for many of us it was heartbreaking to see their work undone, and the legacy of our elder generations disrespected.