Cuomo Needs to Resign, Here’s Why

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s troubles are reaching a saturation point with the public and many congressional Democrats, who are demanding that he step down. As more women come forward to accuse him of sexual harassment, the more comical his refusal to resign becomes. These revelations come after data from the New York Department of Health revealed that Covid deaths in nursing homes were underreported by as much as 50 percent, leaving out deaths of patients that had been transferred out of nursing homes to hospitals. This discovery alone should be enough for Cuomo to resign. However, he denied that there was a discrepancy and refused to take responsibility, calling it a delay in reporting.

Since the election, which ousted Trump from the Oval office and ushered in the Biden Administration, the polarization of the American people is more prominent than ever. Many on the far right continue to push unfounded claims of a stolen vote, and the far left appears to still be gloating at President Biden’s significant, yet hotly contested, win. Biden is walking a fine line as he attempts to promote his unity message, and has said nothing about Cuomo’s scandals.

Biden has worked hard to promote his $1.9 trillion Covid relief package, and has been vocal about promoting the role of women in his administration, so his silence seems weird – and intentional. Several members of Congress, as well as New York mayor Bill DeBlasio and others, have made it clear that they believe Cuomo needs to resign.

Cuomo, who has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, appears to be taking a page out of his playbook. The Trump Administration ran roughshod over government and individual accountability over the last four years, denying wrongdoing for obvious transgressions, covering up scandals, and eroding public trust in our democracy. Democrats have made it quite clear that they would make (GOP) politicians accountable for their corruption. By logical extension, this should apply to all politicians, and many Democrats appear to be willing to apply that to members of their own party. Cuomo, on the other hand, is doubling down on his self-righteousness, defending the grievous gap in nursing home Covid deaths and expressing hollow regret for his actions toward the women he allegedly harassed.

Democrats have tenuous control of Congress, and Cuomo is endangering the delicate balance. He is handing the GOP the ammo it needs to wrestle back control in 2022. The New York state Assembly has authorized an impeachment investigation in an effort to remove the stain of his alleged misdeeds before they become permanent. That will take time, however – and more accusations may come forth, making Cuomo and the Democrats look even worse. This is as close to a guarantee that the GOP can grab back control of Congress as one might get.

Cuomo needs to acknowledge the scandals, express true contrition, and step down. He can make the hard choice, or have the choice made for him. His ouster – whether by resigning or impeachment – is inevitable.

Similar article: Being Incarcerated with COVID-19… What They’re Not Telling Us

I Don’t Believe In Voting Blue No Matter Who

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedGen ZPolitics

The first time I heard the phrase “vote for the lesser of two evils,” was when Hillary Clinton was chosen as the Democratic Nominee for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. I’m sure we all remember that enthusiasm for Hillary was low. She was widely disliked and many people were devastated at having to choose between her and Trump, but criticisms of her were immediately shut down by people claiming “she’s the lesser of two evils.” Basically, no matter how many valid reasons people had for rejecting Hillary, they had no choice but to shut up and vote for her because her evil was easier to swallow than Trump’s. Fast forward to 2020, and I’m hearing the same arguments all over again. Joe Biden is the Democratic frontrunner and his so-called supporters are out in full force, silencing any and all criticisms. They’re saying to “vote blue no matter who” regardless of his many faults because anyone’s better than Trump. I disagree entirely and I’m honestly sick and tired of hearing these arguments. There are many problems with this kind of mindset and I think it’s both harmful and unproductive to promote it, so here are the reasons why I don’t believe in “voting blue no matter who/voting for the lesser of two evils.” 

One reason I’m not okay with these phrases is because they encourage people to settle for candidates that we *know* are unfit to lead us. We deserve better and should demand better from our elected officials, instead of just throwing our hands in the air and accepting a candidate who is proven to be unworthy in every way, shape and form. Progress is what I seek, and I know that settling for the status quo will get us nowhere.

I can’t accept “vote for the lesser of two evils” because in terms of Biden vs Trump, this phrase suggests that Joe Biden is somehow less evil than Donald Trump, which is a lie. In fact, I believe that Trump and Biden are the exact same brand of evil, the only difference being that Biden wears a blue MAGA hat while Trump wears a red one. There are too many similarities between the two, one being that Trump and Biden are both racist. Trump has labeled Mexicans as criminals and rapists, was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for housing discrimination against Black people, proposed a ban against Muslims, and referred to African countries as “shithole countries” (these examples hardly scratch the surface of his history of racism). Biden was good friends with white supremacist James Eastland and gave a eulogy at the funeral of segregationist Strom Thurmond. He opposed desegregating schools because in his own words, he didn’t want his kids going to school in a “racial jungle.” He called Barack Obama “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean,” said that “poor kids are just as bright and talented as White kids” during an Iowa town hall, and helped write the 1994 Crime Bill that expanded mass incarceration in the U.S. 

Other similarities between Trump and Biden? They’ve both been accused of sexual assault/harassment/uncomfortable physical contact by numerous women. Trump has accusations from 20+ women, while Biden has eight, (and has also been seen on video inappropriately touching underaged girls and smelling their hair). Both have disappointing track records on LGBTQ+ rights, both have credible accusations that they’re mentally unfit to be president, both have worked for administrations that put kids in cages, and both are warmongers. Now that I’ve laid out all the reasons why Biden and Trump are horrible in pretty much all the same ways, how exactly is one better than the other? Swapping out one bigot in chief for another is not a win, giving me no reason to rally behind either candidate. I’m a marginalized person and my marginalized community will be harmed by both Trump AND Biden, which is why I cannot just sit down and “vote blue no matter who”—and anyone who tries to bully others into doing so is blatantly choosing their party affiliation over their morals.

It’s time to kill the idea that we should choose a lesser evil over another, and that we have to vote blue no matter who. I need people to realize that politicians work for us, not the other way around, so we shouldn’t give up our power by accepting less than what we deserve and by being afraid to demand what we need from them. I also need people to realize that Donald Trump is not the sole reason for all the evil in this country and that replacing him with Biden will not put an end to it. In reality, Trump is a product of the evil in the U.S. and in order to make real change in this country, we must dismantle the systems that allow him to thrive, not just focus 100% of our energy on him. Since people will always do what they want regardless, I’m not going to end this article by telling anyone who to vote for. But I will tell you not to allow the direction of the 2020 election to make you feel hopeless, because regardless of who’s in office—whether it’s a Democrat or Republican, whether you love them or hate them, there is work that needs to be done. We must stay aware, stay involved, and look out for our fellow community members, because in the words of my good friend and one of the smartest, most passionate activists I know, Brooke Solomon…

“No president is going to save my community.”

While electing a president is important, it is not the only way to create change. The power lies within us. Real change exists outside of electoral politics, and we need to be the ones to create it.

Similar Read: The Coronavirus Pandemic Should Be the Jumpstart to a Revolution?

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Surviving Womanhood #MeToo

by with One Comment Uncategorized

It was the first week of 8th grade and I, like the rest of the class, was ready to experience the excitement of the last year in middle school. After all, my friends and I were wearing our best outfits, we were older, and as young ladies our bodies looked more like grown women than little girls. That week I realized what the battle of being a woman was all about. My eighth-grade teacher taught me a valuable lesson – that standing up for respect as a woman comes at a hefty price. This teacher would come up to the young ladies, put his arm around them as they were doing work and get so close that his face would be inches from theirs. One day while at the board answering a question, he came up to me and stood entirely too close with his arm around me, and asked if I needed help. I took a step away from him, and in front of the entire class said, “I rather you not put your arm around me or be that close when you speak to me, it is uncomfortable.” From that day on, I was on the shit list. I was kicked out of class every day for no reason, I was constantly ignored, and was disciplined without motive. The delivery of my message was public, and put him on the spot. However, I was intentional in my delivery because I wanted to be a voice for more than myself.

Fast forward to my first job at a pizza shop; I was 15 years old, answering phones and preparing orders. A male employee cornered me in the basement while I gathered supplies and tried to grope me. | At 17, I worked in an office for a man that greeted me with hugs that were too tight and kisses on my cheek that were too wet. | At 25, my director told me that I should wear a tight dress and lipstick because he was sure the client would like it. There are countless encounters throughout my career where men have looked, attempted to touch, made inappropriate comments, unwanted advances, and mentioned sexual innuendos. They were never welcomed, but to protect my professional place, I had to be careful how I handled it. When I was 15, I yelled at the man and told him never to touch me again, and my manager simply told me to stay away from him. At 17, I told the owner of the company that I did not like the greeting, and in order for me to continue to work for him, I would need a more professional environment. I thought I would lose my job that day, but it was worth the risk. And at 25, I didn’t say a thing, just laughed it off even though I was extremely uncomfortable.

The sad part is that my story is not unique. Many women face this every day. Unfortunately, our culture perpetuates harassment by allowing the advances to prevail. Woman are expected to accept them and move on with their day. Women are left constantly weighing the repercussions of how to respond to an unwanted advance at the risk of their place within a job, relationship, classroom, or community. Young ladies should not be taught that this behavior is acceptable, and it starts with having conversations in school. Both young ladies and young men must be taught to have a level of respect in their communication and have a clear understanding of what sexual harassment looks like and may feel like. For too long, silence has been perceived as acceptance, and as a community, we must no longer be silent. Let’s teach the next generation how to speak up so that sexual harassment is no longer the norm – until no woman has to say, “me too.”

Louis C.K…. Forgive or Forget?

by with 2 Comments CultureFeatured
[Balance is the goal of this article, not division, or an attempt to go easy on a millionaire who has been accused of and admitted to sexual misconduct. People want to put everyone in one of two bins, and it’s not always that simple.] 
The current Women’s movement promoting equal rights, equal pay, and an abolition of sexual abuse/harassment is unquestionably good and long overdue. Women are uniting to win elections, overturn sexist laws, and now publicly destroy powerful Men who are guilty of the most vile and sexist offenses.
This battle will not be won by simply bringing down the bad guys. This battle can only be won when our collective society changes its behavior, its words, and its tone. 
I remember when “fag” was a regular part of the American Language – used as an insult. Obviously, the insult was that being “gay” or “homosexual” is a terrible thing to be, so “fag” was equivalent to calling someone terrible.
The movement to end the stigmatization of the LGBTQ community required that “fag” be dropped from colloquial usage. I remember this transition. Really good, non-homophobic people had to retrain themselves NOT to say “fag” as it had become so pervasive a word that even LGBTQ people used it derogatorily at times.
Monkey see, monkey do. We are a very imitative species. So, when Men are trained to aggressively pursue Women by their fathers, by the media, by their own primal urges, and often by Women themselves (50 Shades of Gray), it means that Men will not easily be retrained into the modern Gentleman that currently Progressives demand.
Is this any excuse for rape? Sexual abuse? Using power to coerce Women (and Men as did Kevin Spacey) into compromising situations?
NO. Inarguably, NO!
But as we clarify the lines of sexual engagement in the 21st Century, let us all be very clear about the nuances of these situations and what is at stake. When we take down criminals or bad actors to shift the status quo towards a more enlightened society, let us be sure the collateral damage is minimal. Let us use a very specific brush to address villainy and not such a wide brush that every Man (and some Women) are swept into the mix, subject to irreversible, debilitating public shame and scrutiny, regardless of the severity of their misconduct.
Because: not every sexual misconduct is exactly as terrible as the next. For instance, a Man who aggressively pursues a phone number at a bar is not as terrible as a Man who stalks, beats, and rapes a Woman. Furthermore, a Man who gropes a Woman’s genitals without consent is worse than a Man who asks a Woman if he can masturbate in front of her and then does not proceed to do so when he is denied permission. 
So, let’s address Louis C.K. and the damning New York Times article that just came out alleging he sexually abused 5 Women over a decade ago (which he has since admitted to). Louis C.K.’s entire career now seems doomed because of his actions, but only if his actions are unforgivable and his behavior unchanged.
From his response letter, it’s clear that he knows what he did was wrong. He also clearly stated why he was wrong, why he mistakenly thought he was justified at the time of the misconducts ten years ago (all the Women either gave consent or rejected his offer to masturbate in front of them at which time he ended his pursuit), and why it was wrong that his manager tried to suppress the accusations just to keep their business aspirations undamaged.
Although this admission of guilt and the ensuing apology does not absolve him, Louis C.K. has handled this situation the way we hope every person accused of wrongdoing would handle it: by admitting the guilt, apologizing, and trying to make amends.
Should he be let off the hook entirely? Clearly, no. Should he be banished from the art world and public society forever because he pursued sexual fetishes with Women he misread? That will be up to the personal sense of justice from every individual who reads about Louis C.K.’s behavior and his recent response letter.
Some might want Louie to go down in flames for these misconducts.
Some might see his actions as mistakes that deserve condemnation, but not crucifixion.
Some might not see anything wrong with what he did at all (Trump is still our President after all and has admitted to doing much worse – physically and sexually assaulting Women without consent – and he’s still the President).
I realize this is a sensitive issue for many and that taking any kind of position which might cast favorable light on a Man that has admitted to sexual abuse (even if not as severe as Weinstein or Spacey or Trump) could elicit a negative reaction, but I implore all Women and Men to try and see everything as clearly and unbiased as possible.
Louis C.K. has been recognized as a powerful ally to Women over the past ten years since his misconducts, but these revelations to the public in this current amplified climate all but assure that he will be ineffective as such moving forward.
Can we accept Louis C.K.’s apology and let him continue to have a voice in artistic and moral discussions moving forward? Once again, it’s up to you and your own personal sense of justice.