There’s a lot to be thankful for
COURIER L 28 IFE, NOV. 27-DEC. 3, 2020
OPINION
I’ve always liked Thanksgiving.
It’s not because of a
fi ctionalized history, Charlie
Brown specials, or football
(although I enjoy rooting
against the Cowboys). Still,
unlike Christmas, it’s celebrated
across religions, as
well as secularly. You aren’t
judged as naughty or nice by
a fi ctional endomorph, and
it hasn’t descended into crass
commercialism as happens after
midnight.
Yes, I know that I may be
a tiresome beacon of political
correctness by pointing out
that there is no decoupling
of imperialism or colonialism
from the mythology. Yet,
I am still able to focus on the
meaning of giving thanks and
set aside a day to consider the
privileges I have had bestowed
on me.
Even if you’re not thankful,
an excuse to have a meal
with friends or family can be
an enjoyable experience. I’d
also like to note that Thanksgiving
didn’t become an offi -
cial holiday until 1863 when
Abraham Lincon made it so, a
few months before the Gettysburg
Address. Hence, it’s offi -
cial designation as a holiday is
not purely pilgrim-based.
This year is a bit different
and more diffi cult than
any other Thanksgiving.
There has been more suffering
this year — of all kinds,
especially here in New York
— than any year in my lifetime.
From the COVID-19
pandemic directly, the economic
impact it’s had, and
police killings and brutality
towards unarmed people of
color, it’s nearly impossible
to list all the forms of suffering
that 2020 has brought.
However, what I’m thankful
for is that the future is
not already determined as
much of this suffering, especially
the economic variety, is
within our control. F iguring
out what to be thankful for
also allows one to determine
what we need to improve
upon. We lack a suffi cient social
safety net that makes
housing, food, and healthcare
guaranteed and not some side
effect of privilege.
With that in mind, I have
to say, despite losses in the
House of Representatives, I
am thankful for this year’s
electoral results. I don’t know
if it’s due to multiple Thanksgivings
spent arguing about
him, but I am thankful that
the country has decided we
weren’t thankful for Donald
Trump. On the state level, I’m
thankful that we’ve decided
that, despite fear-mongering
from the Police Benevolent
Association, we can be thankful
for Democratic supermajorities
in the Assembly and
Senate. (I am, however, mindful
that the previous could
be used against me if the supermajorities
don’t use their
power to help New Yorkers.)
I am also personally
thankful for having a job, a
home, food, and shelter, but
this should not be a unique
circumstance. While it’s
nice that people will act philanthropically
and donate
money, volunteer food, time,
and turkeys this Thanksgiving,
we need policies that
would erase such need. Martin
Luther King Jr said that,
while acknowledging philanthropy
as “commendable,” we
cannot look past “the circumstances
of economic injustice
that make philanthropy necessary.”
Thanksgiving is one day
of the year, and I hope anyone
reading this enjoys their
day. However, if we carry Dr.
King’s understanding with us
and safely and widely distribute
a vaccine, we’ll have a lot
more to be thankful for next
year.
Mike Racioppo is the District
Manager of Community
Board 6. Follow him on Twitter
@RacioppoMike.
MIKE DROP
Mike Racioppo
What I’m thankful for and what I’m not
This was certainly a different
Thanksgiving than
normal, with so many of
us taking precautions to isolate
from our families instead
of joining them. Nevertheless,
it’s good to practice gratitude,
so I will be listing some
of what I’m thankful for this
year, as well as some of what
I’m not thankful for.
I am mostly thankful for
this year’s election results. A
pretty good primary season
that will bring some new blood
to the state legislature was followed
by a general election
that featured the long-awaited
defeat of Donald Trump. And
I’m thankful that when all the
votes were counted, Democrats
made gains in the state
Senate and held even in the
state Assembly. I’m thankful
especially that state Sen. Andrew
Gounardes and Assemblywoman
Mathylde Frontus
were both re-elected.
I’m not thankful for the
election results on Staten
Island. Brooklyn voted for
Congressman Max Rose, but
Staten Island overwhelmingly
voted to replace him with Nicole
Malliotakis. Yikes.
I’m thankful for the resilience
of New Yorkers. We got
hit harder than anywhere else
in America at the beginning of
the fi rst wave of the COVID-19
pandemic, but we’ve handled
the resurgent second and
third waves as well as pretty
much anywhere in America.
I’m not thankful for New
York exceptionalism: this belief
that we are totally different
— and better — than anywhere
else in America or the
world. That exceptionalism
caused us to be unprepared for
the coronavirus when it came
to us, because we thought we
were better than it.
That exceptionalism also
makes us put up with a lot of
crappy quality-of-life and government
issues that nowhere
else in America would tolerate.
We’re a special place and
a special city, but let’s not let it
go to our heads.
I’m thankful for the thousands
of activists, and the several
dozen politicians, who
are trying to push our city
and state in a progressive and
compassionate direction even
during diffi cult times.
I’m not thankful for how
Mayor Bill de Blasio has handled
any of this year’s challenges.
He’s slow-to-react, infl
exible, and self-righteous. It’s
pretty clear that no one who
works for him is able to get
through to him. That’s probably
why so many of them have
quit this year.
I’m thankful for my health,
my friends, my loved ones, and
my general good fortune.
I’m saddened it has been
such a diffi cult year for so
many people. In addition to
those who got sick, so many
have lost their business and
jobs. Crime is up across the
country, many people are unemployed,
and more people
are hungry this year than in a
long, long time in America.
I’m thankful for a free press
and the privilege of writing my
column somewhere people can
read it. Remember to support
your local news organizations!
Nick Rizzo is a former Democratic
District Leader and a
political consultant who lives
in Greenpoint. Follow him on
Twitter @NickRizzo.
WORDS OF
RIZZDOM
Nick Rizzo
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