Change who we celebrate; On the way to war; Political predicament | letters

Who should we celebrate next Monday?

Columbus Day, celebrated on the second Monday in October, commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. However, the holiday has become increasingly controversial, with many calling for it to be replaced by Indigenous Peoples' Day Replacing immigrants to honor all immigrants – everyone – came to our shores.

First of all, the narrative of Columbus as the heroic explorer of America is historically inaccurate. Before the arrival of Columbus, indigenous peoples had already lived in the Americas for thousands of years. Furthermore, as we now know, the Vikings landed in North America about 500 years before Columbus.

Essentially, Columbus did not “discover” a new world on his travels. Instead, Columbus' voyages to the Western Hemisphere sparked a brutal period of colonization, conquest, death and exploitation.

The arrival of Columbus triggered a series of events that led to the suffering and decimation of the indigenous population. His expeditions brought disease, war and slavery to the native people. Columbus himself was involved in the enslavement and brutal treatment of the indigenous people. Celebrating Columbus Day overlooks these atrocities and perpetuates a narrative that ignores the suffering of Indigenous communities.

Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day and Immigrants Day would be a giant step forward toward recognizing and honoring the history and culture of all peoples who came to the New World, Native Americans as well as those who came afterward came and traveled across the seas to seize the opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families. This change promotes inclusivity and celebrates the contributions and resilience of Native Americans and all immigrants.

Eliminating Columbus Day and replacing it with Indigenous Peoples and Immigrants Day is a necessary step to recognize the true history of the Americas and celebrate the resilience and contributions of Indigenous peoples and all immigrants. It is a step towards inclusivity, historical accuracy and justice.

Through this change, we can promote a fairer society that respects and values ​​all of its members.

Jack and Joseph D'Elia, Jersey City

Biden has us at the door of war

Biden has put 40,000 US military personnel at risk in the Middle East. He fired missiles not at our ships, which he had put in danger, but at Israel, and he actively bombed Yemen, a country already decimated (with our support) by Saudi Arabia, and all of this without obtaining congressional approval.

Add in the billions of our tax dollars and the continued flow of American weapons sent to Israel, and it is undeniable that he has made us partners in his wars in a way that no other president has. But Kamala Harris boasts: “For the first time this century, there is not a single military member on active duty in a combat zone in any war zone in the world.”

Between our support and active participation in Israel's decimation of Gaza and Lebanon, the bombing of Yemen, the fomenting of war between Ukraine and Russia, and the hatred with China in the South Pacific – and with no real attempts to stop the bloodshed or reduce tensions at all – her boss sees us on the brink of World War III, but she claims otherwise.

Not only is war now portrayed as peace, but the former party of peace is now the party of war. It looks like the Democrats have brushed up on their Orwell.

John Woodmaska, Kearny

Trump gave in through logic

I must be one of America's slow thinkers. If former President Trump believes he won the 2020 election, wouldn't he be in his second term as president and not be allowed to run in the 2024 election?

Carl Hoetzl, Bayonne

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