More than 500 years ago, Christopher Columbus’s intrepid voyage to
the New World ushered in a new era of exploration and discovery. His
travels led to European contact with the Americas and, a century later,
the first settlements on the shores of the modern day United States.
Today, we celebrate Columbus Day to commemorate the great Italian who
opened a new chapter in world history and to appreciate his enduring
significance to the Western Hemisphere.
When Christopher Columbus and his crew sailed across the Atlantic
Ocean on the Niña, Pinta, and Santa MarÃa it marked the beginning of a
new era in human history. For Italian Americans, Christopher Columbus
represents one of the first of many immeasurable contributions of Italy
to American history. As a native of Genoa, Columbus inspired early
immigrants to carry forth their rich Italian heritage to the New World.
Today, the United States benefits from the warmth and generosity of
nearly 17 million Italian Americans, whose love of family and country
strengthen the fabric of our Nation. For our beautiful Italian American
communities — and Americans of every background –Columbus remains a
legendary figure.
Sadly, in recent years, radical activists have sought to undermine
Christopher Columbus’s legacy. These extremists seek to replace
discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings, his
discoveries with atrocities, and his achievements with transgressions.
Rather than learn from our history, this radical ideology and its
adherents seek to revise it, deprive it of any splendor, and mark it as
inherently sinister. They seek to squash any dissent from their
orthodoxy. We must not give in to these tactics or consent to such a
bleak view of our history. We must teach future generations about our
storied heritage, starting with the protection of monuments to our
intrepid heroes like Columbus. This June, I signed an Executive Order
to ensure that any person or group destroying or vandalizing a Federal
monument, memorial, or statue is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law.
I have also taken steps to ensure that we preserve our Nation’s
history and promote patriotic education. In July, I signed another
Executive Order to build and rebuild monuments to iconic American
figures in a National Garden of American Heroes. In September, I
announced the creation of the 1776 Commission, which will encourage our
educators to teach our children about the miracle of American history
and honor our founding. In addition, last month I signed an Executive
Order to root out the teaching of racially divisive concepts from the
Federal workplace, many of which are grounded in the same type of
revisionist history that is trying to erase Christopher Columbus from
our national heritage. Together, we must safeguard our history and stop
this new wave of iconoclasm by standing against those who spread hate
and division.
On this Columbus Day, we embrace the same optimism that led
Christopher Columbus to discover the New World. We inherit that
optimism, along with the legacy of American heroes who blazed the
trails, settled a continent, tamed the wilderness, and built the
single-greatest nation the world has ever seen.
In commemoration of Christopher Columbus’s historic voyage, the
Congress, by joint resolution of April 30, 1934, modified in 1968
(36 U.S.C. 107), has requested the President proclaim the second Monday
of October of each year as “Columbus Day.”
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 12, 2020,
as Columbus Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe
this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also direct
that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings
on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and all who have
contributed to shaping this Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
forty-fifth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-columbus-day-2020/
