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And a second Times comment, to a different article on the same subject (cop killings)
I guess the editors like this one!
Mark Kessinger
4 Hours Ago
Much of the criticism of the Mayor de Blasio has centered on his public discussion of a painful conversation he and his wife had with their mixed race, teenage son about the need for extreme caution in any dealings he might have with police, suggesting that talking about this discussion in public was somehow not "supportive" of the NYPD. This is totally off the mark, and in a number of ways.
The mayor has a responsibility to support BOTH the police department and the citizens of New York. But "support" in the context of the job of mayor does NOT mean toeing the PBA's line in every instance. It is not the mayor's job to 'support' a police department's dysfunctional dealings with a particular community. And support for the NYPD is not the samet hing as endorsing its shortcomings. As a leader, where there is an identifiable problem between police and a particular community -- and there clearly IS such a problem here -- support means identifying the problem and taking steps to remedy it. And that is exactly what the mayor has done. Better relations between the police and those they serve are in the interest of BOTH the police and the public.
Besides all of that, though, many of those who now criticize the mayor for even having that conversation with his son are the same folks who, just a week ago, were complaining that parents of black kids don't teach their kids to be sufficiently respectful.of law enforcement. Seems to me that is exactly what the Mayor was doing with his son. So which is it?
4 Hours Ago
Much of the criticism of the Mayor de Blasio has centered on his public discussion of a painful conversation he and his wife had with their mixed race, teenage son about the need for extreme caution in any dealings he might have with police, suggesting that talking about this discussion in public was somehow not "supportive" of the NYPD. This is totally off the mark, and in a number of ways.
The mayor has a responsibility to support BOTH the police department and the citizens of New York. But "support" in the context of the job of mayor does NOT mean toeing the PBA's line in every instance. It is not the mayor's job to 'support' a police department's dysfunctional dealings with a particular community. And support for the NYPD is not the samet hing as endorsing its shortcomings. As a leader, where there is an identifiable problem between police and a particular community -- and there clearly IS such a problem here -- support means identifying the problem and taking steps to remedy it. And that is exactly what the mayor has done. Better relations between the police and those they serve are in the interest of BOTH the police and the public.
Besides all of that, though, many of those who now criticize the mayor for even having that conversation with his son are the same folks who, just a week ago, were complaining that parents of black kids don't teach their kids to be sufficiently respectful.of law enforcement. Seems to me that is exactly what the Mayor was doing with his son. So which is it?
9 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
