By COLlive reporter
Public officials, community activists and residents of New York are calling out what they see as a double-standard by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“On Friday we learned that summer sleepaway camps would not open in NY. Kids are being turned away from playgrounds in Brooklyn,” wrote Joel Petlin, Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District.
“Yet just a few miles away, this rally occurred today. The lockdown is over, except for the camps, schools & stores that are forced to comply with it,” he wrote on Twitter.
Petlin was referring a rally and march that drew thousands of people in the streets of Brooklyn calling for social injustice on Sunday. In follows the many other protests that were held around the city and state following the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.
This was allowed despite Cuomo forbidding overnight camps this summer and de Blasio keeping city playground shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, who represents Borough Park and Midwood, said Cuomo “and his cronies made a terrible decision.”
Councilman Kalman Yeger tweeted: “@NYCParks are open to the public. Well, not everywhere. If you live in Midwood, Boro Park or Williamsburg, the city has chained your park, and if you’re in one, you’re treated like a criminal. #EnoughIsEnough. It’s time for @NYCMayorsOffice to unchain our parks!”
“Dr. Zucker claims decision based on “science and data”. What’s the science behind permitting thousands of beachgoers + allowing professional sports?” he added.
“Hypocrisy at its finest,” Kelly K. tweeted. “It’s time to sue the Governor and Mayor for unconstitutional abuse of power and stripping citizens of their rights.”
Twitter user Impalace wrote: “It is disgusting. How can people not rise up to protest this for their kids. It is an election year. I’m sickened by the disregard for their welfare and futures.”
The clear constitution right to have camps and playgrounds should not be violated!! Unlike the ridiculous, outdoor, gatherings peaceably assembles to petition the government, which should absolutely be banned.
I’m afraid you are mistaken. Free speech is constitutional. See the 2nd Amendment. Not justifying them, just stating a fact.
It’s the First Amendment. The Second concerns the right to bear arms.
I read the second amendment and it was something about a militia? Nothing about protesting. You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about.
Trump should just override Cuomo; the constitution has a clear supremacy clause, and it’s not even one of the (lesser) amendments; it’s in the original text
First Amendment. Second Amendment is about guns.
No playgrounds or sleep away camps for the kids?!?!
This is definitely not about Covid.
. . . protests are constitutionally protected.
We both know this isn’t about the constitution
In part, it’s about making people so accustomed to “needing” an alternative to going out that they will not go out and vote in person on primary election day, so they’ll vote early or by mail, which can be much more easily cheated upon — FRAUD! — than voting in person. It will also lower voter turnout in general, which always favors incumbents and Democrats.
Early voting and vote-by-mail have been used for elections in the US for over 150 years.
It will -increase- voter turnout, because ease of access to the ballot always increases turnout.
Low voter turnout usually helps -republicans- although most political scholars say now that increased voter turnout will not advantage either side.
But I’m sure you will vote for the one who loves you, and also all the other poorly educated.
1. There is no evidence that voting by mail increases fraud. Our community leaders have encouraged it, because it’s a *safe* easy way for people to vote.
2. lower turnout almost always benefits incumbents, yes, but also overall greatly benefits conservatives.
It is absolutely a constitutional issue.
…and so is prayer!
The right to bear arms is also protected by the constitution. Good luck getting one in NYC.
Feels like we are just a bunch if puppets and we have these 2 people dictating our lives and there is just nothing we can do about it!! It’s a disgrace.
We are just a bunch of puppets and these 2 men are dictating our lives and there is nothing we can do about it.
What are all the non yeshiva teens going to do over the summer. Protest all day every day?
This comment is showing exactly why there are protests. Truth- what are ALL the teenagers going to be doing?
It was the Jewish camps petitioning to be open…
It’s time that we stopped letting them push us around. We need to stand up for our rights.
How?
Jewish camps should declare ourselves a new autonomous zone, and stay in the camps until Cuomo opens up or summer ends, whichever comes first.
Let’s have all the community leaders of all Jewish neighborhoods to protest against the governor of new York state for not allowing to open up the camps the summer , why are we told to vote for Democrats, this should teach us a lesson to stop voting Democrats
Just rename the Jewish camps, Black Lives Jewish Camp #1, 2 and 3. That’s it, its not a camp, its a continual protest, for the whole summer, with unlimited kosher food. And according to the NY Political Correctness Code, if you protest, and are part of ethnic/racial group that votes, you don’t break the law. That’s why Gov Cuomo is threatening to close down the bars in Manhattan and the Hamptons, but won’t make arrests when protestors block Eastern Parkway by the Brooklyn Museum. Did you learn something today? I hope so.
Jay
The Jewish communities in NYC need to make voting blocks, pressuring politicians to give —- about us!
But hipocracy runs on both sides
Of course our children should be allowed to go to camp BUT if we allow that we can in no way expect or ask other Yidden to NOT VISIT Crown Heights.
Did you not realize that travel is what made covid a universal pandemic?
How can we possibly ask our brothers and sisters to keep away from Crown Heights, away from Beis Rabbeinu the source of their energy only because we are worried about the virus, yet we are willing to send our children away to camp and expose them which in turn will bring it back Chas V’Shalom to us here.
Hashem is clearly being in charge here, & watching over all Jewish kinderlach so as NOT to, Chas V’Sholem, get sick over this summer.
On the flip side, Hashem is letting the Protesters be close in contact with one another at their own risk, with a very high possibility of them getting ill & possibly dying.
Kids are not at risk for this virus.
Camps should be the FIRST thing opened.
Actually, no- people are protesting injustice and *calling for social justice*
The problem with playgrounds is it’s an open or close decision. Playgrounds can be safe if they are not over crowded and social distancing is maintained. However, once you open the playgrounds there is no way to control how many can be admitted and, kids being kids, it would be very difficult to enforce social distancing.
The orthodox communities have been hit hard by the virus. Children have suffered a mysterious inflammatory disease. While it may be inconvenient, I suggest utilizing the larger parks, which can handle crowds and still allow for distancing.