“In this house, Columbus is a hero.”
-Tony Soprano
At least on this topic, the mob boss is completely correct.
We should, of course, fervently celebrate this special day, for many reasons. Foremost among them, it led to the creation of our home — the United States of America. Talk about one consequential boat ride!
And, what is America, really?
We are not merely some idea, some abstraction. We are a real land, a true nation, with a people with a heritage…all of which flows from Columbus and from his bravery.
We are the culmination of Western Civilization.
That unique role should be proclaimed boldly and inculcated into the youth of our land. Holidays, properly celebrated, form an important ritual to accomplish just that kind of lineage!
Getting back to Columbus the man -- even outside of America, the entire world should respect and honor the undaunted courage it took to “sail the ocean blue” — a journey that united the New World with the Old and forever changed the course of human history.
What a feat. What courage.
Driven by ambition for rewards, and a zeal for the faith, these daring dreamers – Columbus, his crew, Queen Isabella – they turned lofty ambition into tangible reality.
But, shockingly, for over 20 years, Columbus Day has been under attack — targeted by the radical Left and cultural elites who want to erase history, tear down statues like the Taliban. These extremists seek to constantly undermine tradition and censor the past.
Even back in 2002, The Sopranos saw this coming. That’s why, when protestors came for Columbus, Tony Soprano sat at the kitchen table and drew the line:
“In this house, we honor Columbus.”
That line wasn’t just defiant — it was prophetic.
And today, that spirit is alive — not just on screen, but on the streets of New Jersey. In my new documentary, Ethnic New Jersey Moves Right, I return to Tony’s old stomping grounds — Passaic County — and witness a political and cultural realignment happening in real time.
In 2020, Trump lost Passaic by 16 points. In 2024? Trump won Passaic. The home turf of the Sopranos. A working-class NY metro area densely populated area that is now largely Hispanic.
Why did this longtime Democrat stronghold of Passaic flip?
Because hard-working, patriotic Americans reject the radicalism of the 2020’s Democrats. They love God, guard their families, work hard, and celebrate our country. These salt-of-the-earth patriots have no time for Marxists and any flavor of cultural nihilism from the Left. Instead, these citizens join an increasingly diverse patriotic populist movement that is rooted in faith, family, and national pride.
That same spirit carried me last week to Rome, where I visited my friend Brian Burch, now serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican. Walking through the Eternal City — the spiritual and cultural capital of the West — I was reminded of the shared mission between the United States and the Church: to defend truth, preserve order, and uphold the dignity of the human person.
That shared the mission…it commenced with Columbus!
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Cortes Investigates to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.