The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, made a rather startling statement in a radio interview recently. Speaking of the nature of the Republican party—of which he apparently claims to be an expert—he said a battle is raging within the party between moderates and extremists. He identified those “extremists” in the following words:
Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are, and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are.
I guess I should be glad I don’t live in New York. Apparently, believing in the sanctity of human life from the womb to old age, wanting to be able to defend oneself against domestic violence, and holding to a Biblical morality regarding marriage that has been the bedrock of Western Civilization for centuries is now “extreme.”
The blowback against the governor’s comments led him to issue a clarification, as politicians are wont to do when they insert foot into mouth too blatantly. He says his words were “distorted.” He didn’t mean everyone in New York, just those who run for office. Oh, that makes it better. Live quietly and don’t express your “extreme” views on these issues and we’ll allow you to stay and pay our exorbitant taxes to fund our progressive policies. But don’t ever attempt to run for political office with those views; that’s unacceptable. How tolerant of him.
Governor Cuomo, you seem not to realize it’s those very people you sneer at who are upholding the basic morality that permits civilization to continue. Someday, you may be grateful for those extremist right-to-life people when the state determines you are too expensive and unproductive to contribute to society.
You also never know who may come to your aid with a weapon to stave off an attacker; police and bodyguards aren’t always at your beck and call as they are now in your high position. By the way, do your bodyguards carry so-called “assault” weapons? Perhaps they should be unarmed. Wouldn’t that be more in line with your principles?
And, down the road, when you finally see the consequences of the destruction of real marriage, you might someday be tempted to rethink your promotion of immorality.
You, Governor Cuomo, claim to be a practicing Catholic. Your church promotes the pro-life cause and holds steadfastly to traditional marriage as established by God. The way I see it, you have a choice before you: either recommit yourself to what you claim to believe or stop saying you are a Catholic.
Please understand, Governor Cuomo, that those “extremists” you so roundly condemn are the only ones holding your state together. They are the salt and light in this world; if you exclude them, you plunge us deeper into spiritual darkness.