Last weekend in Chicago 18 Chicago cops were injured in an attempt to keep a vicious organized mob from tearing down the statue of Christopher Columbus in Chicago’s Grant Park.  Columbus has been declared a fraud and is accused of enslaving indigenous people. He is said to have viewed Americans as obstacles. Like many European explorers, Columbus encountered many indigenous people through his voyages. There are three main sources of controversy involving his interaction with the indigenous people he labeled “INDIANS”- the use of violence and slavery, the forced conversion of native peoples to Christianity, and the introduction of a host of diseases that would have dramatic long term effects on native people in America.

So we now find ourselves 528 years later at a crossroads of just how to come to terms with the dark side of history. The legacy of Christopher Columbus has joined Confederate statues, Confederate flags, slave owners, and indeed many founding Fathers of our own United States of America.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, to just name a few. A few weeks ago Steven A. Douglas had his picture removed from the Illinois Statehouse because it was discovered he was a slave owner. Douglas Park on Chicago’s South Side was renamed and Steven Douglas was banished from history, at least for now.

Just this morning Chicago’s Mayor has announced that she gave the order to remove the two Christopher Columbus statues in Chicago, one in Grant Park and one in the Little Italy community on Chicago’s Westside. In her announcement, she was careful to say “FOR NOW.” I might add that the news of the removal of the statues brought anger to some and cheers from others. The Italian American Community is incensed, of course, the protesters and the newly WOKE are claiming victory. I haven’t been able to reach any of the 18 officers who were injured in the riots protecting the Columbus statue, but one officer is most likely going to lose an eye, and another with a broken kneecap, with several others with burns and concussions. A hell of a price to pay to protect a statue that the Mayor says is too dangerous to keep up until further discussions are held to decide the fate of those statues of Christopher Columbus.

While all this was going on I got to thinking about Chicago’s very own flag. In the feature photo, I took the liberty of COVERING that third RED STAR on Chicago’s flag. It will become clear very shortly. Chicago’s flag consists of 4 red stars with 6 points each. Each star represents a major historical event.  The first star on the left represents Fort Dearborn and the second is to remember the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.  THE THIRD STAR ON THAT FLAG REPRESENTS THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXHIBITION IN 1893. IT CELEBRATED THE 400th  ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IN THE NEW WORLD IN 1492.

The question is, at least for me — and so far, I haven’t heard anyone else ask the question — if we erase Columbus forever, and I must say the good money is going that way, WHAT WILL THE POLITICIANS OF CHICAGO DO ABOUT THE CHICAGO FLAG?   One of my friends suggested, that indeed if it gets erased, they replace it with another star representing the PANDEMIC of 2020. My personal choice is they replace it with a Picture of BOZO the CLOWN, who is more well known than any of those other stars. OLD BOZO no doubt 528 years from now will be free of all sins and will stand the test of the new WOKE.