Now, I wouldn't expect a conservative Republican like King, or a pandering-to-the-right quasi-Repub like Rudy, to pay much mind to the fact that the parade's organizers have refused to allow gay and lesbian Irish-Americans from participating in the parade.
However, we all know that King has draped himself in the American flag, and frequently invokes 9/11 to endorse all sorts of terrible Bush ideas. Rudy is even running for President because of his "extensive experience with terrorism", aka he happened to be Mayor on 9/11.
So of course I'm interested to see how the duo reacts to this years Parade Politics. Via the Empire Zone:
This year’s main parade controversy involves the decision of the parade’s planning chairman, John Dunleavy, to move the firefighters to the middle of the parade — from their place of honor in the front — reportedly because they held up the parade last year, and because they showed up drunk. If he doesn’t relent, Mr. Dunleavy could very well be facing the jeers of a boo coalition organized by a city councilman.They "held up the parade" to allow New Orleans Firefighters to join them, by the by. Mayor Bloomberg had this to say to parade organizers:
"I guess my advice to the guy running the parade is look, nothing’s perfect, lighten up. You have rules, rules are there to be guidelines, don’t enforce them at this level…. They’re our bravest, they protect us… Why dis them? I can’t understand why the guy’s doing it.”...
He said he would spend most of the parade tomorrow marching with firefighters to “stand up for them.”Mayor Bloomberg saw how much of a slap in the face this is to NYC's Bravest, and took a stand to march with them in solidarity. I've heard no reports of a similar sentiment from either Peter King or Rudy, though I'll stay alert.
In the absence of a statement in support of the firefighters, or better yet, marching with them in the middle of the parade, King and Giulani are complicit in this callous move to degrade our bravest public servants.
Given Giulani's "tenuous relationship" with FDNY, and King's glorification of the heroes of 9/11, I cannot interpret this silence as anything other than brazen grandstanding on the part of those all too quick to comodify bravery for political gain. Shame on you, Peter King and Rudy Giulani.
(Was anyone there? Find any news reports about where they marched? I hope I'm wrong on this one.)
| UPDATE:King on the record |
| http://www.firefight... : Marching beside presidential hopeful and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Long Island Rep. Pete King declared that Dunleavy "is just wrong." "The parade is not about John Dunleavy," he said. "The parade is about New York, and the FDNY personifies the spirit of New York. But fortunately not many people pay much attention to John Dunleavy." Unfortunately, King is wrong; a lot of people did pay attention to Dunleavy's actions, and that's why he should've come out in support of the firefighters much sooner. Now what about Giulani? Why wasn't his press secretary all over this days ago, and where did they march in the parade? |
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