The second Tuesday in October is and always will be Columbus Day. Courtesy of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy, we learn:

Each October, we gather as a community to celebrate Italian-American Heritage Month — a time to reflect on our proud history and honor the legacy of those who came before us. At the heart of this celebration stands a figure of profound historical importance: Christopher Columbus.

Columbus was more than an explorer; he was a visionary of the Renaissance era. His daring voyage in 1492 opened the door to the first permanent European presence in the New World — a moment that profoundly reshaped global history and laid the foundation for the world we know today.

It’s worth remembering that the Pledge of Allegiance, recited daily by students across America, was written in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ journey — a testament to how deeply his legacy is woven into the American fabric.

There will always be some small haters who think that by changing or removing symbols of the past, they can change the future. Think the Father Serra statue up at the I-280 rest stop as reported by the Merc:

Extending a cultural fight that started years ago, Caltrans has quietly demolished a statue of 18th-century missionary and Catholic saint Junipero Serra that had overlooked Interstate 280 in Hillsborough — a move that pleased Native critics who had questioned Serra’s legacy, even as it enraged some in the church.

The composition of the artwork — built half a century ago, using rebar sprayed with a powdered form of concrete — meant that it could not easily be moved to another site, officials said, so it was demolished instead. Crawford did not respond to a question about which criteria the statue did not meet.

“Which criteria?” and “Why no public notice or discussion?”. Crickets. But Columbus and Serra will live on in history while the small haters will be forgotten as they should be.