History has shown, unequivocally, that Christopher Columbus was a murderous slave trader. Those who hold him up as a shining example of their heritage are either ignorant of these facts, or willfully ignore them, not differently than do the defenders of Confederate monuments. It as an insult to Indigenous Peoples and humans everywhere for a statue to stand in this man's name, on a road named "Freedom" in a park called "Liberty." The irony is too deep to bear. 

We are calling on New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to rename the monument after someone who actually embodies the great value attributable to the link between Italy and America, which this monument aims to celebrate.

Besides having not been born in Italy (the country was founded in 1861), Columbus did immeasurable harm to America's native people, enslaving, murdering, and displacing countless human beings. It is long past time we were honest about our violent colonial histories, and sought out heroes who carved out paths of hope, peace, and prosperity for all people.