City Council Disgrace

Last night's City Council meeting was hard to watch.

No matter what side of the issue you're on, the angst of those police officers being laid off and their stories of impending hardship were heart-wrenching. Even the angry words of some with the threatening subtext of a city-ablaze the Day After were fueled by genuine despair. The hearts of the most tapped-out Hoboken taxpayer could not help but feel something for these speakers last night. Because the tears, the emotion, the frustration, were authentic.

And then came the final speaker: a canned ham. In fact, the ham inside this can is plastic. And very, very angry. This ham exists to take down one politician in favor of another.

Need I say who?

The appearance of this snarling vaudeville act after a 3-hour litany of pathos threw a bucket of cold water on the night, putting it all back in the context of a political mud-wrestling match. Call it the Swibinski effect. So immune are we to Lane Bajardi's theatrics I wouldn't ordinarily bother blogging on them. But not for the fact he added a fresh, new number to his familiar shtick.

Race-baiting.

I'll get the exact quote later, but from memory it went something like this:

... and Councilman Bhalla, being the first City Council member of Asian descent, you ought to be ashamed of yourself supporting the layoff of Hoboken's first Asian police officer...

What the hell was that?

This ham dropped his drawers and showed us the racist beneath. Because calling out a person of a particular race and accusing them of NOT having a bias because of his race is... RACIST.

If you don't believe me, here is the definition of 'racism':

rac·ism
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.


So, Mr. Bajardi. This is what you are saying: Councilman Bhalla should discriminate in favor of one race, because it happens to be his own.

By that logic, you being Caucasian, do you favor other Caucasians when evaluating a racially diverse group of people? What assumptions have you made about Asian people that would lead you to think they require special treatment? Why are you calling out Mr. Bhalla's ethnicity anyway? What does it have to do with anything?

In my view, you took a low, low road opportunity to point out that one guy sitting up on the dais is wearing a turban and therefore 'different' and should think differently from the rest. And because you KNEW there was no measure to vote on your jab was gratuitous nastiness.

Someone ought to call you on it. But they probably won't, as your tantrums are either tolerated and/or dismissed.

But race-baiting is unacceptable, and that kind of discourse should be condemned.

I hope others follow suit. Anyone?


I'd like to point out that selective attention to Mr. Bhalla's enthnicity seems to be a theme amongst the crowd this person runs with
; he is known to be a contributor to a web site, Hoboken411, that tolerates the mockery of Bhalla's race and religion.

It's something I've written about before, and for your convenience will re-post some of the graphics from that entry:

click any to enlarge



I should be remembering some of the poignant words spoken last night.

But a gratuitous, racist dig tainted the entire evening.

(Updated 9:45 am)
A friend who was there emailed me now and asked that I note Beth Mason applauded after the Bajardi's shameful performance.

Comments

  1. If true, that crosses the line. Would that make Lane who attacks Zimmer a racist too? It's absurd.

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  2. It is not unnoticed by anyone that Bet 's hatred of Ravi is almost equal to her hatred of the Mayor. He has outclassed her and outmaneuvered her twice now. First with the whole ELEC debacle, from which we are still waiting for Bet;s explanation of teh street money checks, and last night, when Ravi tabled her resolution on a point of order. She was livid and beside herself. That her anger has taken such a low and nasty tone through her designated attack dog is not surprising, given her continued employment of that scum sucking Fin Boy form Weehawken. There really is nothing admirable, genuine or commendable about her anymore. She has become this craven shrunken shell of the reform minded citizen that she started out as with POG. Please, POG, distance yourself from this wretched example of ego gone wild. Her smell and stank is beginning to rub off on our efforts.

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  3. I'll get the quote later, ss1959.

    No, attacking Zimmer makes him a Zimmer opponent, that's it. If he used her race or religion as a point of reference to attack her, that would make him a bigot or possibly an imbecile.

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  4. Yow! If he could please stop ranting and raving, we could move forward to the peripeteia of appreciating him as a tragic figure.

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  5. good one, ply.

    btw, the quote will not be forthcoming until I see it on video... which is at the moment MIA.

    ReplyDelete

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