In a controversial decision, the Stamford Board of Education has voted to remove Columbus Day and Veterans Day from the list of school holidays, requiring students to attend school on these dates.
The decision, passed with a 5-3 vote, overruled previous years’ push-back from local veterans and Italian-Americans.
The motion’s supporters, Joshua Esses, Michael Hyman, Gabriela Koc, Versha Munshi-South, and Antonia Better-Wirz, advocated for a shorter school year, arguing that a 181-day calendar extending into mid-June was too long.
Esses suggested offsetting the number of school days by eliminating not only Columbus and Veterans Day but also the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, and the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. However, the latter proposition found no favor among the board members, leaving the focus on Columbus and Veterans Day.
The proposal was initially brought up by board member Versha Munshi-South during the Labor Committee meeting on January 9, according to Stamford Advocate.
Munshi-South said, “The students were using primary sources to investigate the true history of Columbus and I can tell you that, based on primary source research, no, they did not conclude that Columbus was a hero… I don’t think it makes sense to teach students one thing in class and then have Columbus Day off. It’s a mixed message for students.”
However, board member Becky Hamman expressed concerns about this approach, emphasizing the potential polarization in depicting Columbus solely as a villain and advocating a more balanced perspective.
The decision has met with mixed reactions. Stamford local and veteran Alfred Fusco of the Italian-American service organization UNICO expressed dismay at the board’s decision, highlighting the significance of Columbus Day and the importance of recognizing Veterans Day.
“It was a gut punch. It was terrible. It had no inclination,” Fusco told abc7.
“A lot of bad things happened in this country after the discovery, let’s not whitewash it. I said what happened on October 12, 1492, the discovery of America, was the most significant event in the history of the human race,” Fusco added.
The woke leftists are now erasing our history even further. They want to remove Veterans Day, but a whole month for the “pride” celebration.
Veterans Day is a time to honor and recognize the sacrifices made by military veterans. These heroes have put their lives at risk and spent significant time away from their families to serve their country, ensuring the safety and freedom of their fellow citizens.
Veteran Marvin Ellis wrote on X, “For the sake of your children’s mental health and the soul of this nation, I highly recommend taking your children out of public schools. It might be tough at first, but two years from now, believe me, you will be thanking yourself…”
