New York Young Republican Organization Condemns Chicago Mayor for Erasing American History

On July 24, 2020, the New York Young Republican Club criticized Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for removing a statue of Christopher Columbus from Grant Park.

In its statement, the New York Young Republicans Club gave a brief overview of the contributions Italian Americans made in building Chicago’s infrastructure:

Italian immigrants helped to connect Chicago to the Eastern Seaboard when they came to the United States to work as disrespected, low-wage railroad track layers. The descendants of these men number over half a million in the Chicago area, and they form an integral part of the city’s distinctive culture.

The image of Christopher Columbus has served as a beacon of unity for Italian Americans who fought hard to assimilate into American culture, which NYYRC noted:

Italians who immigrated to the United States in the early twentieth century suffered mass indignities. The recognition of Christopher Columbus as a symbol of Italian presence in the Americas served as a rallying point for them to assert their belonging as part of the American community.

The conservative organization labeled Lightfoot’s removal of the statue “as a slap in the face to every Italian-American.”

It concluded:

Lori Lightfoot’s removal of this historic statue of Christopher Columbus in the dead of night is a slap in the face to every Italian-American. The New York Young Republican Club calls on Chicagoans of Italian heritage to push for Lori Lightfoot’s removal from office. She has proven in recent months that she lacks both the interest and the skill to keep Chicago safe, and she proved last night that she lacks all respect for Italian-Americans.

Lightfoot has been one of the most controversial mayors during the recent wave of riots. Instead of actually leading, she instead blames Trump for the unrest and proposes gun control as a way to somehow fix the situation.

Groups like the NYYRC exist to hold irresponsible politicians like Lightfoot accountable and set a new standard for conservatism in the populist age of Trump.