Editorial Reporter’s Notebook
Fix our bail laws. Now.
Celebrating Italian
You can hear the groan of criminal
called upon her, along with state Senate Majority
justice activists whenever Mayor
Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and
Americans without
Bill de Blasio or Police Commissioner
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, to reform
Dermot Shea bemoans the state’s
state law in order to give judges “the discretion
bail reform laws.
to remand individuals caught with
celebrating Columbus
Repeatedly over the past two years, de
fi rearms, based on factors including current
Blasio and Shea have suggested the changes
violent offense and prior criminal history.”
related to bail reform essentially turned the
That change alone would empower jurists
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
courts into revolving doors — giving judges
to fi nally keep behind bars individuals
little discretion in keeping even fi rst-time
who pose the most immediate threat to the
s an Italian American on my
gun offenders locked up upon arraignment.
safety of New Yorkers. It would also fi nally
Amother’s side, I was taught to be
And when shootings and murders surged
put an end to the growing gun violence
proud of our common heritage —
across the city during the COVID-19 pandemic,
trend that endangers every resident in every
and I am. For many years, that included
de Blasio and Shea called for changes
corner of the city.
considering Christopher Columbus as the
to the bail reform laws to keep gun offenders
New York City must be an environment
explorer who discovered America.
locked up. Many criminal justice advocates
where there is zero tolerance for gun
But over the last four decades, the story
dismissed the notion as relying upon an
violence. Too many of our citizens have
of Columbus has become much darker
antiquated “law-and-order” way of thinking.
been maimed or murdered at the hands of
and sinister. He’s no longer seen through
But de Blasio and Shea were right all
reckless individuals who act with no regard
a grade school lens of being a great man
along about gun violence.
for the safety of others.
who “sailed the ocean blue,” found the New
While it is clear that more must be done
Anyone arrested for possessing or fi ring a
World and helped set the stage for the birth
to prevent people from falling into lives of
gun, or for assaulting someone in a shooting,
of America.
crime, it is also clear that the state’s bail reform
should be kept behind bars either on high bail,
We’ve come to learn that Columbus
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
laws must be tightened a bit to ensure
or no bail at all, pending trial. No excuses.
was an exploiter of indigenous people in
The Battery Park statue honoring
that those arrested for gun crimes remain
We implore Stewart-Cousins and Heastie
Hispaniola, capturing natives and either
Mother Cabrini — the great Italian
behind bars and off the streets.
to fi nally close the loophole in our bail reform
enslaving or slaughtering them. These are
American figure deserving of a
A number of City Council members
laws — and urge Hochul to call the legislators
indefensible crimes against humanity that
statue, and a holiday recognizing
are appealing directly to Governor Kathy
back into a special session to make it happen.
went without recognition for too long.
Italian American culture, heritage
Hochul to do exactly that. In a letter, they
A change like this cannot wait till January.
It’s no longer a dark family secret in the
and accomplishments.
story of our country’s history that most
wouldn’t dare tell kindergarteners because
later. The same could be said for Galileo
it would traumatize them.
Galilei, who was excommunicated from the
Yet it is also a secret that some would
Catholic Church for daring to believe in
rather just forget. They’d rather Columbus
the scientifi c fact that the Earth revolves
be celebrated in a positive light without
around the Sun.
acknowledging his evil actions.
And then there’s Amerigo Vespucci. Like
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
But whitewashing history is akin to asking
Columbus, he, too, was an Italian explorer
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
someone to drink a glass of Gowanus
chartered by the king of Spain to set sail for
Canal water after it had been poured
the New World, and would acknowledge its
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
through a Brita fi lter. It may be more potable,
existence as a continent, not a large island.
CEO & CO-PUBLISHER
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
EDITOR IN CHIEF
ROBERT POZARYCKI
but it no less leaves a fi lthy taste in
In the early 16th century, cartographers
REPORTERS
EMILY DAVENPORT
one’s mouth — and exposes them to other
would name North and South America in
KEVIN DUGGAN
harms unseen to the naked eye.
his honor.
DEAN MOSES
ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
We conveniently forget that we don’t
Both Italian Americans and indigenous
have to celebrate Columbus. We have
people deserve holidays recognizing their
CONTRIBUTORS
BOB KRASNER
TEQUILA MINSKY
greater Italians who deserve the recognition
importance, culture, heritage and contributions
ART DIRECTOR
MARCOS RAMOS
of a holiday doubling as a celebration
to our great country.
ADVERTISING
CLIFFORD LUSTER
of Italian culture and heritage.
We Italian Americans should be proud
(718) 260-2504
CLUSTER@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
Mother Cabrini, the fi rst American
of who we are, and celebrate it. But let’s
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
GAYLE GREENBURG
canonized as a saint, is the greatest Italian
stop acting as if Columbus is the only
JULIO TUMBACO
American our country has ever known. She
Italian worthy of a holiday — or that subtracting
ELIZABETH POLLY
opened orphanages and hospitals to provide
him from the equation is an act of
care and comfort to countless people
anti-Italian discrimination. It isn’t.
PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR
The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes
in the most need. Her story, only coming
Let’s celebrate Mother Cabrini, or
or typographical errors that do not lessen the value
of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for
into public focus more than a century after
Amerigo Vespucci, or the legion of other
others errors or omissions in connection with an
advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the
her death, is far more worthy of a public
great Italians who did far more for America
advertisement in any subsequent issue.
Member of the
New York Press Association
holiday than Columbus. No one will ever
and for Italian Americans than Columbus
Published by Schneps Media
One Metrotech North, 3rd floor
want to take her statue down.
ever did.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 260-2500
Leonardo Da Vinci never made it to the
It’s not about “canceling” Columbus. It’s
Fax: (212) 229-2790
On-line: www.thevillager.com
New World, but his contributions to art and
about choosing to celebrate people more
E-mail: news@thevillager.com
Member of the National
Member of the
© 2021 Schneps Media
Newspaper Association
Minority Women Business Enterprise
science continue to shape the imagination
worthy and deserving of our honor —
of people all over the world fi ve centuries
people our kids can truly look up to.
8 October 14, 2021 Schneps Media
Editorial Reporter’s Notebook
Fix our bail laws. Now.
You can hear the groan of criminal
justice activists whenever Mayor
Bill de Blasio or Police Commissioner
Dermot Shea bemoans the state’s
bail reform laws.
Repeatedly over the past two years, de
Blasio and Shea have suggested the changes
related to bail reform essentially turned the
courts into revolving doors — giving judges
little discretion in keeping even fi rst-time
gun offenders locked up upon arraignment.
And when shootings and murders surged
across the city during the COVID-19 pandemic,
de Blasio and Shea called for changes
to the bail reform laws to keep gun offenders
locked up. Many criminal justice advocates
dismissed the notion as relying upon an
antiquated “law-and-order” way of thinking.
But de Blasio and Shea were right all
along about gun violence.
While it is clear that more must be done
to prevent people from falling into lives of
crime, it is also clear that the state’s bail reform
laws must be tightened a bit to ensure
that those arrested for gun crimes remain
behind bars and off the streets.
A number of City Council members
are appealing directly to Governor Kathy
Hochul to do exactly that. In a letter, they
called upon her, along with state Senate Majority
Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, to reform
state law in order to give judges “the discretion
to remand individuals caught with
fi rearms, based on factors including current
violent offense and prior criminal history.”
That change alone would empower jurists
to fi nally keep behind bars individuals
who pose the most immediate threat to the
safety of New Yorkers. It would also fi nally
put an end to the growing gun violence
trend that endangers every resident in every
corner of the city.
New York City must be an environment
where there is zero tolerance for gun
violence. Too many of our citizens have
been maimed or murdered at the hands of
reckless individuals who act with no regard
for the safety of others.
Anyone arrested for possessing or fi ring a
gun, or for assaulting someone in a shooting,
should be kept behind bars either on high bail,
or no bail at all, pending trial. No excuses.
We implore Stewart-Cousins and Heastie
to fi nally close the loophole in our bail reform
laws — and urge Hochul to call the legislators
back into a special session to make it happen.
A change like this cannot wait till January.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
CEO & CO-PUBLISHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF
REPORTERS
CONTRIBUTORS
ART DIRECTOR
ADVERTISING
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR
The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes
or typographical errors that do not lessen the value
of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for
others errors or omissions in connection with an
advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the
advertisement in any subsequent issue.
Published by Schneps Media
One Metrotech North, 3rd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 260-2500
Fax: (212) 229-2790
On-line: www.thevillager.com
E-mail: news@thevillager.com
© 2021 Schneps Media
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
ROBERT POZARYCKI
EMILY DAVENPORT
KEVIN DUGGAN
DEAN MOSES
ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
BOB KRASNER
TEQUILA MINSKY
MARCOS RAMOS
CLIFFORD LUSTER
(718) 260-2504
CLUSTER@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
GAYLE GREENBURG
JULIO TUMBACO
ELIZABETH POLLY
New York Press Association
Member of the National
Newspaper Association
Member of the
Member of the
Minority Women Business Enterprise
Celebrating Italian
Americans without
celebrating Columbus
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
As an Italian American on my
mother’s side, I was taught to be
proud of our common heritage —
and I am. For many years, that included
considering Christopher Columbus as the
explorer who discovered America.
But over the last four decades, the story
of Columbus has become much darker
and sinister. He’s no longer seen through
a grade school lens of being a great man
who “sailed the ocean blue,” found the New
World and helped set the stage for the birth
of America.
We’ve come to learn that Columbus
was an exploiter of indigenous people in
Hispaniola, capturing natives and either
enslaving or slaughtering them. These are
indefensible crimes against humanity that
went without recognition for too long.
It’s no longer a dark family secret in the
story of our country’s history that most
wouldn’t dare tell kindergarteners because
it would traumatize them.
Yet it is also a secret that some would
rather just forget. They’d rather Columbus
be celebrated in a positive light without
acknowledging his evil actions.
But whitewashing history is akin to asking
someone to drink a glass of Gowanus
Canal water after it had been poured
through a Brita fi lter. It may be more potable,
but it no less leaves a fi lthy taste in
one’s mouth — and exposes them to other
harms unseen to the naked eye.
We conveniently forget that we don’t
have to celebrate Columbus. We have
greater Italians who deserve the recognition
of a holiday doubling as a celebration
of Italian culture and heritage.
Mother Cabrini, the fi rst American
canonized as a saint, is the greatest Italian
American our country has ever known. She
opened orphanages and hospitals to provide
care and comfort to countless people
in the most need. Her story, only coming
into public focus more than a century after
her death, is far more worthy of a public
holiday than Columbus. No one will ever
want to take her statue down.
Leonardo Da Vinci never made it to the
New World, but his contributions to art and
science continue to shape the imagination
of people all over the world fi ve centuries
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
The Battery Park statue honoring
Mother Cabrini — the great Italian
American figure deserving of a
statue, and a holiday recognizing
Italian American culture, heritage
and accomplishments.
later. The same could be said for Galileo
Galilei, who was excommunicated from the
Catholic Church for daring to believe in
the scientifi c fact that the Earth revolves
around the Sun.
And then there’s Amerigo Vespucci. Like
Columbus, he, too, was an Italian explorer
chartered by the king of Spain to set sail for
the New World, and would acknowledge its
existence as a continent, not a large island.
In the early 16th century, cartographers
would name North and South America in
his honor.
Both Italian Americans and indigenous
people deserve holidays recognizing their
importance, culture, heritage and contributions
to our great country.
We Italian Americans should be proud
of who we are, and celebrate it. But let’s
stop acting as if Columbus is the only
Italian worthy of a holiday — or that subtracting
him from the equation is an act of
anti-Italian discrimination. It isn’t.
Let’s celebrate Mother Cabrini, or
Amerigo Vespucci, or the legion of other
great Italians who did far more for America
and for Italian Americans than Columbus
ever did.
It’s not about “canceling” Columbus. It’s
about choosing to celebrate people more
worthy and deserving of our honor —
people our kids can truly look up to.
8 October 14, 2021 Schneps Media
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/www.thevillager.com
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/www.thevillager.com
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