Cooperative crime-fi ght
Eric Adams: The disabled community
wishes you well and ask for your support
COURIER L 20 IFE, JULY 16-22, 2021
EDITORIAL
OP-ED
He’s the heavy favorite
to win election as New
York City’s 110th mayor
this November, so it’s fi tting
that Brooklyn Borough President
Eric Adams represented
the Five Boroughs at a White
House roundtable on gun violence
Monday.
Adams joined President
Joe Biden, US Attorney General
Merrick Garland, House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other
leaders from across the country
for a robust discussion on how
to stop shootings in New York
and other American cities.
At the end of the discussion,
Adams told reporters that it’s
“critical that the partnership
between New York City and the
federal government include
both long-term crime prevention
strategies and immediate
interventions that stop the
shootings now and get the guns
off of our streets.” This is true,
and not without precedent.
For decades now, the NYPD
and federal law enforcement
agencies have collaborated on
a litany of efforts to combat everything
from bank robberies
to terrorism. These partnerships
are essential not only
in catching those responsible
for crimes in New York, but
also gathering valuable intelligence
to help police and federal
agents stay a step ahead
of criminals and stop plots before
they come to fruition.
Weeks ago, Mayor Bill de
Blasio announced a new partnership
with the federal Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms (ATF) to help the
NYPD stop the fl ow of illegal
guns and counter the rise in
gun violence that has sent a
new wave of fear as New York
City continues recovering
from the ravages of COVID-19.
The crime-fi ghting efforts
of the NYPD, and the reach of
local prosecutors, only goes so
far. Our law enforcement agencies
are forever battling the
“Iron Pipeline” of illegal fi rearms
being smuggled into New
York City from other states of
the Union where gun laws are
as lax as the antiquated, ineffective
(and hopelessly frozen)
federal gun regulations.
New York City needs the
federal government to help,
and thankfully, the Biden administration
is willing to do
something other than offering
cheap talk or enacting ruthless
policies that falsely cast the
city in an ungovernable light.
We don’t need an army in
the streets to keep New York
City safe. But the hard work
and dedication of federal
law enforcement behind the
scenes, working in tandem
with the NYPD, will go a long
way toward solving New York
City’s gun violence issues.
Bully for both Adams and
de Blasio in seeing the value of
cooperation in our crime fi ght.
BY ADRIAN EDWARDS-SMITH
Dear Eric Adams,
Now that it is offi cial, that
you are the Democratic choice
for Mayor of NYC, as a disabled
New Yorker, I wish you great
success to heal the wounds
that have sadly been infl icted
upon our incredible city.
Five boroughs cry out for
peace, calm, and an end to violence
and negativity. Five boroughs
cry out for a leader who
will listen, and will always be
there for them.
November should be a
breeze for you, Mr. Adams, as
Curtis Sliwa is not the future
of NYC. He never was, and
never will be.
Within the fi ve boroughs reside
almost 2 million Disabled
New Yorkers who, like myself,
are now anxiously looking at
you, hoping that you will be
their champion. A true friend.
There is no reason on earth
why NYC could not be the
friendliest, and the most progressive
city in America for
all the residents, tax payers,
and voters who are disabled,
and for every tourist who visits
NYC who are disabled.
“Physical Accessibility”
and “Financial Accessibility”
must be paramount for the Adams
Administration so that all
those who are disabled receive
no physical barrier (ADA) and
those who are disabled, who
lack funds, will never lack for
“Financial Accessibility” akin
to what students, seniors and
veterans receive in the form of
free entry, discounted entry,
and discounted memberships
to culture, the arts, sporting
events, and more.
In this year 2021, there is absolutely
no reason whatsoever
that a disabled New Yorker, or a
disabled tourist should not receive
free entry or discounted
entry to the 34 cultural institutions
that sit on city-owned
land, called the CIG Group.
Taxpayers fund this group
with over $300 million dollars
a year, and yet every disabled
visitor is turned away when
they ask for specifi c entry
policies. This discrimination
must end, Mr. Adams, as you
personally will have full control
of the policy admissions to
all the CIG Group as mayor of
NYC, and you alone can make
this decision for the “Disabled
Community” who ironically
all pay taxes.
Also as mayor, you can ask
that every private Cultural
Institution in NYC offer discounted
entry, and discounted
memberships, as they all receive
huge city, state and federal
tax breaks, with many also receiving
generous city funding.
The Museum of Modern
Art, for example, received
$184 million of city funding for
their recent renovations, and
yet MOMA refuse both the disabled
and seniors to discounted
memberships, while actively
promoting discounted memberships
to students. MOMA
clearly promote youth, and
punish those who are seniors
and those who are disabled —
this is simply outrageous.
The Whitney Museum, the
Frick, and the Guggenheim
also refuse the “Disabled Community”
discounted memberships,
and this discrimination
must end, as it is absurd that a
disabled visitor can receive a
discounted entry to private Cultural
Institutions, but are then
refused discounted memberships,
and yet both of these policies
are happily applied to every
student. The message is clear:
“Promote youth and healthy
students, and punish, and ignore
those who are disabled and
elderly.” Surely, this acute duscrimination
must end under
the Adams Administration?
When Joe Biden became
the 46th President of the
United States, he held the microphone
close and said that
under his watch, no Disabled
American would ever be wanting,
and the fi rst ever “Offi ce
for Disabilities” is currently
being constructed and staffed
in Washington, DC. Historic,
truly historic.
The disabled of NYC and
the disabled of America, are
now looking closely at you ,
Mr. Adams, to witness your
wisdom and your guidance to
pull NYC from the brink of destruction
when you proudly
take offi ce next year.
The “Disabled Community”
simply ask to begin a new
chapter, and to have you as
their true friend, and staunch
ally in the years ahead. That
is my fervent wish to you.
The past is the past. Let us
collectively march forward to
a brighter NYC, where every
disabled child and every disabled
adult will be given every
tool possible to make their
lives more liveable, and hence,
more wonderful. A NYC where
every disabled New Yorker,
and every disabled tourist
will smile when the name of
Eric Adams is mentioned.
Mr. Adams, as mayor you
could do all this and more,
which would allow other cities
and mayors across America to
follow your exemplary policies
and creative ideas, and thus
receive not only the thanks
of the “Disabled Community”
but also from the POTUS.
This is the page in history
that the “Disabled of NYC and
America” have been waiting
for — and I will be more than
happy to help in any way I can.
“Financial Accessibiliy”
is absolutely neccessary, as
the vast majority of the “Disabled
Community” survive
on approximately $21 a day
to eat three meals, and truly
struggle while on social security
disability payments each
month. So how can they possibly
pay for example, $26 entry
admission to the 911 Memorial
Museum, when free entry is
offered to other groups.
This behavior is yet another
classic example as to
how the disabled are treated.
This behavior must end.
All it takes is a just leader.