Cuomo award thief
COURIER LIFE, MARCH 12-18, 2021 11
OP-ED
Violence against Asian community is
unacceptable and harmful to all of NYC
BY BETH FINKEL
& JO-ANN YOO
Imagine for a minute that
you’re simply standing on a
subway platform waiting for
your train. Or maybe you’re
running an errand, shopping
bag in hand. Or you’ve just left
your home for a walk. Then
imagine being punched in the
face, or violently pushed, or set
on fi re or slashed with a knife.
Now imagine that those
things happened to you because
of your race. Random
strangers just walk up to you
and attack you because they
believe in some convoluted
and ridiculous way that you’re
responsible for the coronavirus.
They tell you to go home
– to a different country.
These aren’t fi ctional accounts,
they’re not from some
action movie. They’re real
life. In our city. And they are
increasing. And the targets
are Asian New Yorkers, many
of whom are age 50 or above.
They may be you.
Noel Quintana, a 61-yearold
riding in a subway car, was
slashed ear-to-ear in early February
when he asked his attacker
to stop kicking his bag.
And only a few people stepped
up to help Mr. Quintana, who
was bleeding profusely.
This is more than unacceptable.
And if you think that
these violent acts of hate are
just about the targeted person
or Asians, you are wrong.
This violence affects us all.
When one group is targeted,
it places an indelible stain on
our humanity.
That’s why our respective
organizations have risen up to
end this violence and hold our
elected offi cials and our police
accountable. We ask you to
stand with us.
Since early 2020, when
Covid-19 locked down New
York City, there have been
approximately 500 reports of
bias incidents and hate crimes
directed at the Asian community,
particularly vulnerable
seniors. But we know that’s
just a fraction since many of
these incidents go unreported.
That is a horrifying statistic.
There is so much loss this
year: the lives of people who
died from a deadly virus and
the livelihoods of those who
have lost jobs and businesses.
And there’s also the mental
health toll that has affected so
many as we continue to lockdown
and remain socially distant.
We ask our neighbors and
friends of all communities
to stand with us to eradicate
hate. We ask our fellow New
Yorkers to look out for each
other. There are many Asian
New Yorkers working on the
frontlines, from combating
the disease in hospitals to
providing meals to delivering
groceries. They are the people
helping you get through this,
one of the most diffi cult years
in American history, but are
being violently treated as outsiders
in the communities
they are sustaining.
Now it’s time to condemn
these attacks, pressure our
lawmakers to address anti-
Asian and anti-immigrant
rhetoric and to punish those
who attack our fellow New
Yorkers. Remember, we are all
in this together.
Here are some ways to help
from the Asian American Federation:
• Support victims by advocating
for recovery services
offered in Asian languages
to help them heal from the
trauma.
• Help promote and practice
ways to diffuse tense situations.
• Call on our leaders to go
beyond verbal expressions
of solidarity and take meaningful
actions to provide us
with the resources to navigate
COVID-19 and address the racism
that is plaguing Asian
New Yorkers.
• Ask our leaders to demonstrate
their dedication to eradicating
hate and ensuring real
safety by creating a system of
support that allows those who
are being targeted to seek help
in different places and ways.
• Urge leaders to invest in
meaningful strategies to bring
marginalized communities together
to build and heal during
and after COVID-19.
Beth Finkel is the State Director
of AARP New York. Jo-
Ann Yoo is the Executive Director
of the Asian American
Federation.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
NYPD vs. graffi ti
Dear Editor,
NYPD Commissioner Dermot
Shea’s announcement of a community
based NYPD partnership to
combat graffi ti is an important fi rst
step in cleaning up our City. It’s defi -
nitely time we get serious again in
New York about our quality of life
and hold back the tide against the
ongoing deterioration.
Graffi ti is an eyesore that affects
business districts and fosters an environment
of tolerance for attacks
on properties. As a believer in the
broken windows theory, and for the
pride I have in my neighborhood,
I always report graffi ti when observed.
Sadly, ever since the City
stopped the Graffi ti Free NYC program,
the existence of graffi ti has
visibly skyrocketed and it was actually
removed only in certain circumstances.
I applaud the Commissioner for
not only recognizing the graffi ti
problem but doing something about
it. You can be sure that I will be regularly
emailing Graffi ti@NYPD.org
and look forward to playing a part in
a cleaner City.
As a matter of fact, I will start today
with the graffi ti I have reported
to 311 over the past week.
Sincerely,
John Quaglione
Republican District Leader,
46th Assembly District
Dear Editor,
As a neutral out of country observer,
I do not offer up an opinion
on whether Governor Andrew
Cuomo needs to resign, that is up to
the voters of The Empire State &/or
the New York State Attorney-General.
I do however feel that the Governor
was given his Primetime Emmy
(TM) Award in news broadcasting
for communications betwixt the
Governor’s offi ce and media under
false pretences.
He got the award by saying there
were 7500 deaths in New York City
seniors lodges, when in fact there
were over double that when you take
into account those seniors who died
in hospital but resided in a lodge as
their last primary residence.
To me this is quite misleading
and the television academy should
demand the Emmy (TM) back and if
the Governor had any scruples, he’d
give it back and instead it should be
presented to the “runner up” in the
category.
The Governor’s Little Brother
Christopher and his family almost
died from this horrible Covid disease.
Doesn’t your state’s chief executive
have any conscience? If Mario
Cuomo were alive today, even he’d be
sickened by the actions of his son.
Respects,
Rory J. Koopmans
LET US HEAR FROM YOU: Submit letters to: Meaghan McGoldrick, Edi tor, Courier Life, 1 Metro Tech Center North, Brooklyn, NY 11201, or e-mail to editorial@schnepsmedia.com. Please
include your address and tele phone number for so we can con fi rm you sent the letter. We reserve the right to edit all correspondence, which becomes the property of Courier Life.
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