United States of America

The story of why New York is often in the forefront of the news can start with the history of the State, in the receiving point for many immigrants, Ellis Island, the population density, centers of business, skyscrapers, and monetary volumes involved. Recently, COVID-19 affected certain areas of New York.

New York Governor Cuomo has been in the limelight for some years. The limelight was amplified upon COVID-19 advent.

In America in this day and age, it is common that political figures at some point, become the object to debase. It appears that aspects of this may be going on right through here. Let us take a look, quickly, at some of the perspectives.

One, Cuomo is single. Secondly, there are expectations, including from religious and cultural teachings, that a single capable male should be seeking a spouse, even if he has had a spouse before. Further, some believe that a male in leadership, should have a spouse, at least be searching for one.

So, just what does comprise inappropriate touching, conversation, or harassment?

Looking at culture for a moment, in Italian culture, considering that Cuomo in view of ancestry is for brief mention, Italian, the southern region at that, certain hand gestures, kisses, hugs, and so forth, what events are attended, have been handed down for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Advances at weddings, if they are polite, is not outside of appropriate; weddings are perceived as romantic environs.

Just about everyone has seen major screen films with southern Italian culture in the backdrop, and is familiar with the basic structures, no need to start digging in to deeply. Take a film Italianamerican, 1974.

Here is where this point is stark, if it was a funeral, or a special trip made to a child’s birthday party, or visiting the sick, there would be the expectation of kisses, hugs, hand holding, maybe even as admirable things to do.

What we may be seeing here, is the classic trend, of aggregating numerous events and suddenly springing them out in public with a twist.

The LATEST harassment event, barring that no others show, was back in 2019, well over a year ago. The first appears to have gotten started in 2015, over 5 or 6 years ago. Considering the length of time, in that there was that long to say something or come forward, waiting until that length of time to make the case has in itself some ethical questions. Plus the legal concept of retroactivity and prospectivity.

Harassment allegations of the sort, might just be a run for his money, and not so much a viable complaint that needs to heard before the court of law.

Is a male political leader with no spouse a robot? In order to be ‘politically correct’, he must be a yes man, that acts like a celibate?

Actually this has not been the historic fact, and never has it been out of line, unless it is out of line in what has already been established.

New wave political correctness, that will jump to allegation if a person merely looks at another person, regardless of prevalence, is not the newly recognized version of thousand year old religious and cultural beliefs.

It is justified to have a lawyer, or lawyers analyze the situation.

This is not to say Cuomo is perfect. New York is culturally diverse. There are many religious individuals that are there. There are individuals that are considered at high degrees in the religious world, holding coveted stations. It is a transit point by individuals that enjoin in the Hajj, which takes place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Prophet, who according to historical records was born in Mecca, said translated, paraphrased, ‘when you are invited to something, you should go’. A while back, Cuomo was invited to a ‘same-sex marriage’ ceremony, where he went. That event does not sit well with all religious authorities. Although the Prophetic tradition says if invited, it is good to attend, there are other frameworks and teachings also concurrent, such as those that forbid being involved with the 'same-sex' sort of activity. And, with all the cultures, activities, and events to attend and support, and families struggling to stay together and seek male to female marriages, Cuomo attended that.

No chauvinistic comments made here, only accounts of teachings of religious schools and schools of thought.

Bluntly, some scholars will say, yes, if you wish to kiss a person, and there may be some questions or the recipient might have a chance they are uncomfortable, then ask first. The other part of pointing to the ask as a form of harassment, starts getting into the recesses of the minds and intentions. It may be possible that, that activity, of culling the ask, is harassment, a counter harassment case. (Allow individuals that are close to the situation, witnesses and so on, to come together and accurately assess, is likely the appropriate course of action.)

On the two sides of the coin, one side is an older school, that expects a certain level of male aggression, the other side, that have narrowed the allegation to simply just that, an allegation, reductionism, and because there is an allegation, that makes it ‘bad’, and could include the possibilities of game-players that may be opportunistic.

Now if it is the case, that individuals actually got hurt, such as suffered emotional distress, or there was an embarrassment to the establishment of the office of the Governor, then by all means, the situations should be investigated into the fullest.

There again, New Yorkers, and the world now, are going to have to ask, why did it take a year, or 5 years for the situation to be addressed, if it was really all that bad, and was there ever a public spectacle that jeopardized the dignity of the Governorship WHEN or very soon after the event happened. Plus, the concept of retroactive judgment; 5 years ago, Cuomo was 5 years younger, and cultural standards may have been different.

And Bill DeBalsio, what did he say on the air about Cuomo and his activities, reference should not lead? Thus far, research is not finding Cuomo performed activities that fit the description of what DeBlasio described, which sounded like some far-fetched movie kids shouldn’t be watching. Questions now start cropping up, what were behind those statements, as well as by others in similar vein, purely protection of the people of New York, or advancing something else?

(There are questions about the Working Families Party, not expounded on here.)

This is not a defense against Cuomo. Albeit, there have been numerous events of the sort, where, suddenly here come the troops of accusers, years, sometimes decades after the fact, and the allegation is so tenuous it is rarely worth the time to write it out on a piece of paper. When the establishments of what brings family together is constantly eroded at, and made a game of, that is where defending traditions come in.

Two sides of the coin may be at play in the nursing home COVID-19 infected admittance situation. I you were the nephew or niece of an elder relative that had COVID-19, and had no place to go, wouldn’t you want him or her to have a place to stay? The other side is, if you had an elder relative that did not have COVID-19, and you wanted utmost precautions taken that no exposure took place, wouldn’t you want n COVID-19 infected individuals admitted close enough to be a subject?

What is this part about lying to the public about statistics? For public story to be written, the process in what is correct, standard, and incorrect, should be put up, then set forth what digressions from the standard occurred, and whether these were lawful or not. Huge numbers of people are involved, not just one individual, and not an overnight process.