Put mental health of athletes ahead of
public relations priorities
COURIER L 40 IFE, JUNE 25-JULY 1, 2021
EDITORIAL
OP-ED
We know Bill de Blasio
has taken quite a
lot of grief over the
last eight years or so for everything
from bike lanes to
subway signal malfunctions;
homelessness; rising crime;
dirty streets; and so on and
so forth.
The reality is, however,
that we as the city are responsible
for electing our mayor,
and other leaders of municipal
government. We’re the
ones who make that choice
— and if we want to change,
then we vote accordingly.
De Blasio isn’t on the ballot
this time; he’s term-limited
out of offi ce. The city is
electing a brand new leader.
And with all that’s happened
in the past year with the pandemic
— and all the pressing
issues facing this city —
you’d think the turnout for
this contest would rival that
of the anxiety-inducing 2020
presidential election.
Not so. The early voting
turnout was just over 191,000
across the fi ve boroughs —
about 20% of what it was last
fall for the presidential race.
Reports from polling places
across the fi ve boroughs on
Primary Day Tuesday indicated
a meager turnout as
well.
The new ranked-choice
voting system New Yorkers
used to pick their next
leader aims to let the majority
of voters settle on one
good candidate. But even so,
the majority of about 25% of
the electorate that bothered
to vote doesn’t represent
very many of the more than 8
million people who call New
York home.
And the anemic turnout
continues even as New York
city and state have taken
measures in recent years to
make voting easier, specifi -
cally through offering early
voting.
You can vote up to a week
ahead of the election. The
polling places are open for
nine days, including two full
weekends, at sites located in
major, easily accessible hubs
across the fi ve boroughs.
And yet, too many voters
stay at home or do something
else with their time.
In other parts of America,
governments are acting to
make it more diffi cult for people
to vote. As big an affront
on our republic as that is,
the worst thing we as Americans
(and New Yorkers) can
do is take our right to vote for
granted and choose not to exercise
it.
We must do better in November,
and in every primary
and election going forward.
This is our city, and we
have the power to choose our
city’s destiny.
In the end, it’s up to us.
On the poor turnout
BY FRANCIS GREENBURGER
Would French Open Offi -
cials fi ne Naomi Osaka if she
had a physical injury rather
than a mental health one?
Tennis rules allow for midmatch
delays for physical
injuries. Osaka’s delay was
not even a mid-match delay
but an after-match delay until
the end of the tournament
when Osaka said she would be
happy to give extensive time
to journalists.
Her reasonable request
did not inconvenience spectators
or deny her opponents
the chance to play against the
world’s best woman tennis
athlete. That result is unquestionably
the fault of offi cials
who either could not or would
not understand or respect that
mental disease is as important
and real as physical disease.
Mental health injuries or
concerns must be acknowledged
to the same extent as are
physical injuries. Both can create
great suffering and even result
in death. Tournament offi -
cials must step up to the same
standards being set by many
major corporations and governments
around the world
and treat mental health issues
as seriously as physical issues.
Osaka is incredibly brave
for facing up to her mental
health needs and demanding
that tournament offi cials set
reasonable standards for players
with mental health concerns
and disease.
Tournament offi cials fi ne
players for bad court behavior;
maybe the players association
should fi ne tournament
offi cials for their bad behavior
in not treating this important
health issue seriously.
Shame on the French Open
and other tournament offi cials
for taking their public relations
priorities more seriously than
player health priorities. This
was about money, not the values
many athletes are taught to
uphold and strive for and that
inspire the rest of us in those
rare moments when great Athletes
like Naomi Osaka take
the stage and show us what it
means to be world class.
On this occasion, Osaka
has demonstrated world class
courage, something French
Open offi cials and all those
who supported their actions
would do well to emulate.
Francis Greenburger is
president and founder of the
Greenburger Center for Social
and Criminal Justice.
Naomi Osaka recently quit the French Open. Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports