So the same-sex marriage bill has passed both houses o f New York State’s bi-cameral legislative body; fine. And Governor Andrew Cuomo has quickly signed it into law: making hay while the sun shines on his kleptomaniac fingers. Cuomo is trying to steal the glory of this political victory; but let me put it this way: Andrew Cuomo is a full of crap on this one.
Relative to this same-sex marriage bill and the attendant victory for supporters, Senators John Sampson should take the bows; not Andrew Cuomo. All Andrew Cuomo has succeeded in doing is this: he has gotten back at the Roman Catholic Church for a perceived personal slight. That was his motivation all along.
So how do I know this? Go back and look at Andrew’s public record. Tell me when he first came to this issue. Tell me when he first PUBLICLY came aboard. Andrew was as catholic as they come until his personal marriage issues. Lately, he read the tea-leaves well; then he opportunistically got aboard the wagon train. This isn’t political courage in my book: this is opportunism.
Examine Andrew’s record as State Attorney General; see if he was an outspoken and very public advocate of same sex-marriage going into the AG election-campaign; or even while he was in the job as AG.
Go back further still: where was Andrew Cuomo when Leonora Fulani, Dr. Fred Newman (crazy as he is), and many others, were marching with groups like ACT-UP, trying to highlight the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and other pertinent issues facing the LGBT crowd? Pray tell. This is the guy who denigrated Ed Koch in the mayoral campaign against his father Mario. Andrew the architect of the “VOTE FOR CUOMO, NOT FOR THE HOMO” crusade. How quickly do we forget!
Now today, Andrew “Come-Lately” Cuomo steps in to take credit, like he was some knight in shining armor. PUHLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…………………………
Let me give you an example of political courage from an elected official. It came from Senator John Sampson.
You see; John Sampson is black. He was born in Brooklyn. His father was born in South America (Guyana to be exact). His mother was born in the deep south of this country. Near everyone knows that black-folks aren’t the most liberal as it relates to the issue of same-sex marriage. In fact, black folks don’t care for the whole LGBT package too tough. You will get no argument on that assertion. And it goes back to their fundamental Christian roots; and probably further back to slavery.
In John’s district, blacks and Hispanics make up about four out of every five voters. Furthermore, what many don’t know is this: John Sampson also represents a heavily Caribbean-American district. More than half the voters here are Caribbean-born, or of Caribbean-American extracts. He could have cowardly cut and run from this same-sex marriage issue long ago: but he didn’t.
Near everyone knows that Caribbean-Americans (especially Jamaicans) tend not to care for that “batty-boy” issue (homosexuality) too much. In fact, some say Caribbean-Americans are homophobic. And they say this with some justification.
John Sampson risked his political career to demonstrate the strength of his personal convictions. He believes that marriage-equality is an ideal. In a district where an opponent could easily have traction on this issue, he not only introduced this bill (as majority leader last time around), but he set in motion the process that eventually led to passage. That is courage.
John Sampson never wavered in his support for passage of this bill. He was willing to go to bat for the proponents and supporters. Would mainstream-media give John Sampson his due (relative to this issue)? Probably not. Kissing the governor’s ass has been a favorite pastime for centuries. Sometimes this politics-game sucks.
Stay tuned-in folks.