The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

For me to win, you must lose. Commentary on Columbus Day

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A worker closes up fencing after the statue of Christopher Columbus was removed by the city at Arrigo Park on July 24, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

And with the approach of another Columbus Day, I am again reminded of something that someone once said: “For me to win, you must lose.”

Or to put it in contemporary terms: To recognize America’s indigenous peoples, it is necessary to trash Christopher Columbus. In order to acknowledge the injustices committed against Native Americans and to honor their heritage, we must obliterate from our sight someone who, against all odds and in a courageous exploration, discovered–yes, discovered for the entire rest of the world–a place no one except its inhabitants knew?

Cannot we at least acknowledge what it took for Columbus to sail into the unknown and expand human knowledge? This is not to forget cruelties he committed against the indigenous people; no one should.

Do we have to remove the statues and ridicule the parade? Insulting the hundreds of thousands of people who believe their Italian culture added something important to the family of man goes too far. Can’t we all just get along?