Seems that every week there is a new controversy over a statue that represents some historical figure who in the context of our present time actions and belief would not be tolerated. Some are valid concerns and others display an ignorance of history and an attempt to white-wash or sanitize our true history.

Jersey City is next up on the statue controversy list, but it's not what you may think. Not talking about the Confederacy or a controversial political figure who owned slaves...this is all about Polish history. That's right, in 1940 some 20,000 Polish army officers were executed in a Western Russian forest at the hands of the Soviet secret police. In 1991, a Polish American designed and created a monument to commemorate the victims of the mass execution. Controversy erupted when Mayor Steven Fulop announced plans to redevelop the Jersey City waterfront, which will involved placing the statue in storage until a new location was found. He literally started an international incident involving members of the Polish Senate and the Ambassador to the United States. One of the main gripes is that the mayor did not take the time to reach out to and communicate with the Polish American community. Mayor Fulop joined me Tuesday on the morning show to defend the relocation of the statue.

Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. Tweet him @NJ1015 or @BillSpadea. The opinions expressed here are solely those of Bill Spadea.

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