Donovan Blasts Scrubbing of Historical Figures, Defends Columbus Statue
Congressman Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) submitted public testimony to the Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers as the commission met on Staten Island yesterday.
In his testimony, Donovan blasted the exercise as setting a dangerous precedent by judging centuries-old historical figures “to avoid triggering every conceivable sensitivity.”
Donovan’s testimony said, in part, “The Christopher Columbus statue has stood in Manhattan for more than 100 years. Our city’s statues and monuments are important pieces of our shared history and culture. Removing them won’t right wrongs that happened decades or centuries ago, but sanitizing history will certainly inflame conflicts and set a dangerous precedent.”
In August, Donovan argued that the Christopher Columbus statue should remain in Manhattan, but if “a radical group bent on sanitizing history doesn’t want the statue at Columbus Circle anymore, Staten Island will gladly accept it.”
“Some might see statue removals as a milestone on society’s march toward a world free from micro-aggressions, but whitewashing history by scrubbing Columbus and other historical figures from public view does nothing but sow division and conflict. A sober analysis of our history is absolutely necessary to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. But a commission judging the lives of people who lived centuries ago to avoid triggering every conceivable sensitivity is absurd. I encourage this commission to recommend maintaining the monuments and markers that, for better or worse, are part of New York City’s past,” said Donovan.
Harris To Host Community Information Resource Night
Assembly member Pamela Harris (D-Coney Island, Bay Ridge) will host a free ‘Community Information Resource Night’ this week.
At the event, Harris will be joined by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, East New York, Canarsie, Mill Basin, Coney Island & South Ozone Park, Howard Beach in Queens) and State Senator Martin Golden (R-R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach) as well as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), NYC Department of Aging, MetroPlus Health, the Office of Emergency Management, the Brooklyn Public Library and many more city agencies and organizations.
“There are so many important resources available to residents, but all too often, people are not informed of them,” said Harris. “I’m proud to help connect the people of Brooklyn with different agencies and other organizations that can help them,” said Harris.
The event is slated for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 30, at P.S./I.S. 104, at 9115 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge.
Treyger, Deutsch Coney Island Safety Proposal Under NYC Parks & NYPD Evaluation
City Council members Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) and Chaim Deutsch’s (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) announced that their joint safety proposal for the Coney Island Riegelmann Boardwalk is officially under evaluation by the NYC Parks Department and the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The proposal would install retractable fortified safety bollards at appropriate entry points to the Coney Island Riegelmann Boardwalk to protect pedestrians from those who would utilize vehicles as weapons. Earlier this year, Treyger and Deutsch sent letters to Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, and Department of Transportation commissioner Polly Trottenberg following the October 31st incident in lower Manhattan when a man perpetrated a vehicular attack that left eight people dead and 11 others injured.
In a response sent to the letters, NYC Parks acknowledged the proposal, stating that they were already working alongside the NYPD to study safety measures to protect the Boardwalk’s 14 million annual visitors from potential vehicular attacks.
“The Coney Island Boardwalk is one of our city’s most iconic destinations, enjoyed by Coney Islanders, residents from across the city and tourists alike. The October 31st attack in Tribeca, and the vehicular attacks we have recently witnessed around the world are a reminder that we need to implement safety measures to protect pedestrians at our most frequently visited attractions. I will continue to work with NYC Parks and the NYPD to make sure the Boardwalk is augmented with these integral safety upgrades,” said Treyger.
“I’m pleased that the Parks Department and the NYPD are seriously considering our request. Security bollards are the best protection from the vehicle attacks that are tragically becoming a more common method of attack. Every year, millions of people from around the world come to Coney Island to enjoy the iconic Riegelmann Boardwalk, and it is our obligation to ensure their safety,” said Deutsch.
Nadler Joins Fight To Change Sexual Harassment Protocol In Congress
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn) alongside Congressman Peter King (R-NY) joined as bipartisan cosponsors of H.R. 4396, the Member and Employee Training and Oversight On Congress (ME TOO Congress) Act of 2017 yesterday.
The legislation, named after #MeToo social media awareness campaign for victims of sexual harassment and assault, would fundamentally change the process Congress uses to address sexual harassment claims. The bill was authored and introduced by Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) earlier this month and would overhaul the process for filing harassment claims as laid out under the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act and processed under the Office of Compliance.
According to initial reports, the Me Too Congress Act of 2017 would: waive the 30-day requirements for both counseling and mediation sessions before a formal complaint can be filed; create a new, optional in-house victims’ counsel position to provide legal advice and representation for complainants; eliminate requirements that force complainants to sign nondisclosure agreements as a condition for filing a complaint (although nondisclosures are still allowed as part of a negotiated settlement);create an online system to initiate complaints; and require lawmakers to pay out of pocket for any settled claim where they are identified as the harasser amongst other significant changes.
“For too long, men and women working in Congress have lived with an inadequate, non-transparent, and unfair system for handling claims of sexual harassment within this distinguished body. Rather than taking the lead, Congress has turned a blind eye to these claims – maintaining a system for complaints and oversight that placed too heavy a burden on accusers. We are overdue for change in order to make sure that every woman or man who enters Congress, either as a member or a staffer, can work in a safe, transparent, and fair environment,” said Nadler.
