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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo fell out of favor.
Ironically, until recently, Cuomo was hailed as an American hero. Although his three-term tenure has achieved many impressive achievements, from raising the minimum wage to passing marriage equality, it was not until the outbreak of the epidemic that he emerged in the country.
Cuomo’s daily serious briefings have led many Americans to regard him as a rational voice, representing the antithesis of President Donald Trump, who has played down the threat posed by COVID-19 by denying and disseminating misinformation. In fact, Cummer’s status and reputation are getting higher and higher, so that many people in the media and the Democratic Party have begun to talk about his possible running for president.
However, Cuomo’s star status began to fade in the fall of 2020, when there were rumors that his government underreported the number of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes. State policy at the time (promoted by the governor’s office) prohibited nursing homes from denying patients admission “on the basis of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnosis.” As a result, thousands of elderly people may die.
It is not only the controversial national policy that arouses public outrage, because other states have similar policies, but also accuse Cuomo and his government of actively manipulating data to distort figures and mislead the public.
However, it was not the deaths and subsequent cover-ups of thousands of elderly that ultimately caused one of the most powerful men in New York State to step down, but the testimony of 11 brave women on sexual harassment.
This raises an important question: how do we explain why the fate of Cuomo was determined only after the New York Attorney General Letitia James (Letitia James) confirmed the allegations of sexual harassment after the report was published?
One-time population
Even if the deaths in nursing homes are still under investigation, Cuomo is likely to survive the scandal, because, as Shir Shimoni pointed out in these pages, the elderly are generally regarded as a group of people at their disposal. Their untimely death, even if it was caused by flawed policies, negligence, and deception, would not end their political career.
Similarly, a decade ago, Cuomo might have surpassed allegations of sexual harassment. If it were not for a major change in public perception, it is still unclear whether the governor will be forced to put pressure here.
#Me too
First, since the emergence of the #MeToo movement, allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault—especially against powerful and wealthy men—have become more difficult to eliminate. This is not to say that they did not succeed in getting out of the predicament-Trump is the most obvious example.
But when women tell about their experiences of sexual misconduct, these testimonies are now more likely to be taken seriously than in the past. This in itself generates a certain motivation, so that more women who have been harassed or assaulted are willing to come forward.
Second, media exposure has changed. Mainstream news media have to struggle with the speed and scope of social media, which in turn forces traditional news media to report stories they might not have reported (usually due to strong harassers’ connections with media groups).
Third, due to campaigns such as #MeToo and continued grassroots pressure, more workplace anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies have been passed and legislation passed, such as the 2018 Congress Anti-Harassment Act. Ironically, under Cuomo’s leadership, New York State passed some of the most comprehensive and comprehensive workplace anti-harassment legislation.
Finally, today there are more women in power positions—from Attorney General James to New York State Assembly representative Yuh-Line Niou—who care about these issues and are helping to change the political landscape.
All these changes help explain why Democratic leaders, including President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, quickly called on Cuomo to resign after the New York State Attorney General’s report was published.
They also help explain why Cuomo’s promoters, many of whom are women, can no longer defend the hostile environment he created. In fact, the report details how his senior assistant Melissa De Rosa actively tried to discredit one of Cuomo’s accusers. Although she resigned after the governor was likely to be impeached by the state legislature, the public’s aversion to her behavior also shows that the cultural sentiment surrounding the victim’s humiliation and accusation of the victim is changing.
Political background is also important. One of the differences between Democrats and Republicans today is that the former began to refuse to provide defenders and facilitators of sexual harassment and attacks, while the latter continued to support former President Trump, even if he was repeatedly accused of sexual harassment (even after the January 6 uprising) ). If Cuomo was a Republican, it is completely unclear whether his party would condemn his actions in such an uncertain way, let alone force him to resign.
Sports for the elderly: #NotDisposible
Cuomo’s resignation is of course a good thing. But this is only the first step. The former governor should now be impeached so that he cannot run for office again, and the message to other politicians and powerful people remains clear. The promoters of Cuomo, from Melissa DeRosa and his brother Chris Cuomo to Alphonso David, chairperson of the human rights movement, also need to be held accountable, if not in court, then in the eyes of public opinion.
Moreover, even though it is necessary and important to hold individuals accountable, it does not touch the core of the disease. Only a public liquidation of rampant and institutionalized gender discrimination and then systematic changes can provide a long-term antidote to this American pandemic.
Sadly, although the public’s perception of sexual harassment has indeed changed, the rampant age discrimination that plagues society has not occurred. American culture still views older people as invisible and disposable. This is another piece of the puzzle that helps explain why one scandal forced Cuomo to resign, while the other did not.
If #MeToo has successfully contributed to some changes in public perception, legislation, and accountability, then the elderly and their allies can certainly do so. But this requires organization, mobilization, and yes, even creating their own label campaign. We are #NotDisposible.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
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