"Cynthia Nixon ignites outrage for saying marijuana could be 'form of reparations' in black

[Cha]

neighborhoods"

snip//

ALBANY — Cynthia Nixon took heat Monday from black leaders over her comments that creating a legalized pot industry in New York could serve as a form of reparations in black communities.

snip//

"I'm for legalizing marijuana and I like Cynthia Nixon but putting pot shops in our communities is not reparations," the Rev. Al Sharpton tweeted. "Health care, education !!"

Manhattan Democratic Party Chairman Keith Wright, a former long-time state assemblyman from Harlem, said Nixon's comment "is ill-informed, lacks understanding of the greatest crime in history, and should cease and desist."

"Reparations is a repayment for the free labor that built this country," said Wright, a former state Democratic party chairman under Gov. Cuomo.

"Ms. Nixon should relegate her comments to legalization, pro or con," he said. "I believe social equity should be a part of licenses to sell marijuana, if and when legalization does occur. However, it is insulting to my soul, that the free labor that my ancestors gave to this country would be equated with the selling of marijuana."

Black Lives Matter of Greater NY blasted Nixon's comments as "offensive and ignorant."

More..
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/cynthia-nixon-pot-remarks-ignite-outrage-black-leaders-article-1.3976450

[Docreed2003]

1. "Offensive and ignorant" is truly polite

Absolutely racist is another way of saying it!!

[Cha]

2. It's bizarrely ignorant.. who advised her on that

or did she come up with it all on her own?

I'm glad the Black Community is righteously calling her out on it.

[Docreed2003]

11. Agreed...!!

[greatauntoftriplets]

20. Maybe she was stoned at the time.

[sheshe2]

25. Perhaps she is in her lawyer roll in Sex and the City.

A show that I quite frankly found insulting to women. Never liked it. Rows of thousand dollar shoes. Trips on camels to an oasis. Talk about pubic hair. Dear Goddess we are more than that.

[Cha]

37. Good Grief!

lol I didn't think of that.

But isn't that suppose to make you smarter?

Great Aunt

[Hortensis]

88. Lol, but seriously, it'd be an explanation.

Speaking of pot but not of being stoned, one of the indicators of a new mood in WV, who won a Democratic primary last week, is hoping to make WV the pot growing capital of the nation. Emerald waves of leaves.

[still_one]

78. You are being kind. She is an idiot

[IluvPitties]

13. She's obviously racist and a true idiot.

[Docreed2003]

15. This truly speaks to her tone deafness

That's the nicest thing I can say.

[Cha]

18. Did she even think it through?!

[NurseJackie]

34. Sarandon likes her.

[Cha]

36. Of course she does.. so does Nina Turner..

N.Y. gubernatorial challenger Cynthia Nixon gains backing of Bernie Sanders' progressive group Our Revolution

snip//

Our Revolution President Nina Turner called Nixon "a bold progressive who is running in the spirit of Bernie Sanders."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/gov-challenger-cynthia-nixon-gains-backing-bernie-sanders-org-article-1.3989434

Mahalo, Jackie!

[IluvPitties]

39. These are people that are as out of touch as rich Republicans themselves.

[Cha]

42. I agree, ILP

[peggysue2]

51. Oh well that's . . .

the kiss of death right there. Open mouth, insert foot. Sarandon is the best teacher in the 'how to make a fool of yourself in 30 seconds or less' department.

Reparations. Really?

Maybe she needs a dictionary. Or a history course.

[Cha]

54. Hey Aloha, peggysue!

Thank you! Definitely a "history course".

[marylandblue]

3. I didn't know what an idiot she is

[Cha]

8. This is certainly not showing wisdom.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. What the heck?

[Cha]

9. Exactly, Catherine. :(

[HopeAgain]

5. This is why actors/ Actresses are not good candidates

they confuse fame with intelligence.

[Cha]

12. There are some great activist actors who

are intelligent.. but evidently Cynthia Nixon is not one of them.

[misanthrope]

14. And we have a winner!

When will we learn?

[tonedevil]

108. If it was just them...

living in their own delusions it would be no big deal, but what happens is other people start to mistake their fame for intelligence and vote for them or listen to them for political insight.

[LanternWaste]

131. I think Al Franken was an exquisitely fine candidate, as well as senator...

I think Al Franken was an exquisitely fine candidate, as well as senator... despite being an actor.

[RhodeIslandOne]

6. We are finding out what a lightweight Cynthia Nixon is.

Just like Susan Saranwrap, she has lived in a very different world than the rest of us too long.

[George II]

23. Susan Saranwrap..................

[sheshe2]

28. To much sex in the city.

[Cha]

65. Fraid so..

[MustLoveBeagles]

7. I like her but what a stunningly stupid thing to say

[Me.]

10. Oh For God's Sake

Just how stupid are people, Ms. Nixon in particular? I thought she might be a possibility but tonight has been presented me with 2 facts about her which have assured me I could never vote for her. I have never heard of such an idiotic, insulting and harebrained thought and we all have heard plenty of them lately...

[Cha]

16. But, "our revolution" endorsed her!

N.Y. gubernatorial challenger Cynthia Nixon gains backing of Bernie Sanders' progressive group Our Revolution

snip//

Our Revolution President Nina Turner called Nixon "a bold progressive who is running in the spirit of Bernie Sanders."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/gov-challenger-cynthia-nixon-gains-backing-bernie-sanders-org-article-1.3989434

I don't know who told Cynthia this was a good idea?

Mahalo, Me

[Me.]

19. Hah That Was The Second Thing I Learned About her Today

another automatic disqualifier as far as I'm concerned and certainly a kiss of death. She might as well withdraw now. Thanks for all the info Cha.

[Cha]

21. You're Welcome, Me.. All good information

to get out there to the public!

Mahalo!

[sheshe2]

30. OR?

OMG.

[Blue_true]

43. Our Revolution she is, that explains it.

They don't have a freaking clue about what go on in communities that don't have 24 hour security.

[BannonsLiver]

44. They don't know how to win elections either

A big 0fer if you’re scoring at home.

[jrthin]

77. I am starting to think that "Our Revolution" is

against poor people, people of color, and disenfranchise groups. For certainly, they help to elect people (republicans) who will work aggressively against those groups.

[BannonsLiver]

47. I get the feeling Our Rev will eventually fizzle out

They’re not winning any elections and you need momentum to sustain a fledgling organization. Soon the finger pointing will begin among the ranks, if it hasn’t already. Then it’s all she wrote. I’d wager in 5-10 years it’ll be the People Express or MySpace of the poltical world. An answer to a trivia question.

[Cha]

52. I hope so.. because

I don't think they're good for our Democracy.

[George II]

22. Even Al Sharpton, no friend of Andrew Cuomo's, blasted her? This is a classic example....

....of how to destroy a campaign before it even started.

She's been "in the city" for quite some time, does she understand who she's insulting here?

I can see Cuomo winning this primary by about 80-20%.

[Cha]

24. I didn't realize that about Al Sharpton..

Thank you, George!

I read she was going to be on the GE ticket anyway 'cause of the Working Families Party.

[Gothmog]

26. K&R

[LisaM]

27. Not ready for prime time.

I found her campaign annoying without being able to come up with a good reason. She just handed me one.

[George II]

31. More like ready for cable reruns.

[Glamrock]

29. Killer Mike said this same thing just the other night...

[mcar]

74. So it's an actual Our Revolution talking point

[Glamrock]

75. He didn't say that.

Nor has Our Revolution.

[ProfessorGAC]

83. Actually He Pretty Much Did

When he was on Maher. It was an idea he floated on international television.

[Glamrock]

93. That's where I saw it too.

Don't remember him saying O. R. supported the idea.

[Cha]

105. Cynthia is endorsed by OR so

they must go along with it.. haven't heard them speak out against it.

[Glamrock]

109. I don't think that's how it works.

Connor Lamb is against an assault weapons ban, but that doesn't make it a talking point for the groups that endorsed him I don't think.

[Cha]

112. Yeah, Maybe Nina Turner doesn't buy it.. just Killer Mike.

Maybe.

[ProfessorGAC]

115. Did Not Mean To Imply It Did

If i phrased something that way, my fault. I just meant the Mike definitely said what he said about the legal pot thing being a form of reparations.

[Glamrock]

122. Cool,cool.

Thanks!

[YOHABLO]

32. I suspect that will be the beginning of the end of Cynthia.

[RandySF]

33. WTF?

[sheshe2]

35. Tone deaf.

Stupid stupid woman. Her comments on reparations is off the charts dumb.

[Cha]

45. Yeah, Cynthia sure came up with

a way to offend the Black Community.

Mahalo, she!

[sheshe2]

50. She sure did.

[DonCoquixote]

38. this is the sort of arrogant statement

about black people that made the "Bernie left" lose.

[BannonsLiver]

40. Killer Mike, renowned literalist moron, was on Real Time last week promoting this idea

It sounded just as dumb then.

[Cha]

46. Good to know.. I don't think too much of him.

Thanks!

[JI7]

48. Maybe that's where they got the idea from

[BannonsLiver]

49. I was thinking the same thing

It’s possible she was watching the show and thought it sounded hip.

[Cha]

53. That's right.. I've

been asking who advised her on that.. or did she come up with it herself.

[mercuryblues]

71. Killer Mike said that on RT with bill

on Friday, May 4th. Nixon then said it at the cannabis parade in NYC on Saturday May 5th. You were spot on.

[SunSeeker]

127. Yep. Doubt that's a coincidence. nt

[lunasun]

41. Insult some voters that now won't even listen to what ever else you wanted to say Ms Nixon

[JoeOtterbein]

55. I don't get it. How can ANY Dem candidate who is pro-repaying back slaves AND pro-MJ be bad????

We need to stand up for Dem progressives! ALWAYS!!!!

Go Pro Dems in Nov!!!!

[Cha]

56. The Black Community doesn't think much

of her idea. And, they're the ones it will affect.

If you read the responses in the OP you'll find out why.

[JoeOtterbein]

60. Even IF she is the best candidate in Nov?

Then we very might lose. Again. Dang.

[Cha]

61. Not every one in New York thinks she is

the "best candidate". I know of a lot of Good Dems who don't..

[RhodeIslandOne]

66. Andrew Cuomo has zero chance of losing come November

I doubt he really has any chance of losing in the primary either.

[JoeOtterbein]

67. PLEASE don't forget 2016!!!!!

GULP!!!!!!!!

[RhodeIslandOne]

68. Do you even know who the Republican candidate is?

[ehrnst]

84. In what way is the NY Governors race like the Presidential Race of 2016?

I'm assuming that's what your implying.

It certainly wasn't a popular Democratic incumbent going against a Republican, like the NY race is.

[RhodeIslandOne]

96. If I was the GOP in New York....

.....I’d be more worried about retaining any Republican Congressional seats than defeating Cuomo.

[JoeOtterbein]

119. Very good point!

[JI7]

124. Clinton won NY in 2016

[brer cat]

73. Is she pro reparations

or is she pandering? She fell flat on her face because she clearly doesn't understand the concept of reparations or the voters she is trying to reach. Perhaps she needs a listening tour to learn something about her potential constituents before she shoots off her mouth and confirms her ignorance. That was monumentally offensive.

[NCTraveler]

106. So having a jack ass conflate POC, drugs, and reparations...

is a good thing?

And she is getting her ass kicked to the point that there are rumors she will be switching parties. Polls are now even including her as a third party spoiler. She is so far behind that Cuomo still wins big if she goes third party.

She has shown she doesn't know what reparations are. Opportunity does not equal reparations. Thinking the two are equatable is ignorant, at best.

[Tavarious Jackson]

117. Repay them with POT?

This is a loud dog whistle

[jmowreader]

57. Is she TRYING to lose?

This comment should piss everyone off.

[Cha]

58. It pisses me off. Someone said

that killer mike was pushing this on Bill Maher's show.. so maybe that's where she got it from?

[grantcart]

59. That didn't last long

[Cha]

63. I hope so.. it sounds like

it might have been killer mike's idea.

But evidently not vetted.

[romanic]

62. Stop putting these celebrities on a pedestal.

They are out of touch, too out of touch to be leaders or politicians. Learn from Trump and what he's done to the right, Democrats need to divorce itself from these over-paid celebrities and put real people in charge.

[mvd]

64. I do like her and thought she might be a better than average celeb candidate

This statement though makes my assessment look wrong. I love her positions (and Our Revolution) and am no Cuomo fan, but it doesn't sound like she has good political instincts. Statement makes no sense.

[Squinch]

69. Ewwww.

[TheSmarterDog]

70. Thus proving just how much of a fool she always was.

[mcar]

72. What?

[treestar]

76. It will be legal though, right?

And capitalistic. What would be wrong with going into a legal business? You know white people will.

[CentralMass]

79. Is this just anti-Sanders politics ? She seemed to have had great support at the rally.

http://bedfordandbowery.com/2018/05/at-the-cannabis-parade-cynthia-nixon-rolled-with-new-yorkers-fired-up-about-legalizing-weed/

If you click on the image thumb nails it is apparent that the Black and Latino community attended the rally in pretty big numbers and marched with banners and signs.

The emerging legal marijuana industry took in 9 billion dollars in sales in 2017 and provides some good paying jobs..
Are Nixons comments unpopular with Black residents in New York ?

[ehrnst]

82. In the OP:

Manhattan Democratic Party Chairman Keith Wright, a former long-time state assemblyman from Harlem, said Nixon's comment "is ill-informed, lacks understanding of the greatest crime in history, and should cease and desist."

"Reparations is a repayment for the free labor that built this country," said Wright, a former state Democratic party chairman under Gov. Cuomo.

"Ms. Nixon should relegate her comments to legalization, pro or con," he said. "I believe social equity should be a part of licenses to sell marijuana, if and when legalization does occur. However, it is insulting to my soul, that the free labor that my ancestors gave to this country would be equated with the selling of marijuana."

Black Lives Matter of Greater NY blasted Nixon's comments as "offensive and ignorant."

I would say that BLM of Greater New York includes black residents.

[CentralMass]

87. Thank you for the references. Nixon is behind by double digits and this

does seem to have been a ham handed attempt by Nixon to grab Black votes.

However if I recall Cuomo has been against legalization of pot but it apparently has not hurt him in the polls. I've also read that he has been working hard to maintain support In Black communities.

[NCTraveler]

95. Opportunity does not equal reparations.

What does Sanders have to do with this? I doubt Sanders would say something so ignorant.

[NastyRiffraff]

80. That's as stupid as it gets

Yes, legalize marijuana, but it's NOT a "reparation." Not even close. I don't often agree with Sharpton, but he's right; health care & education. Plus economic opportunities.

[ProfessorGAC]

85. The Notion. . .

. . .was not that the legalized pot was reparations, but that the legal merchants could show high preference (or exclusivity) to that community. That's how i heard it posited on TV.

IOW, when it is legalized, only black owned business would get licensed.

I'm not opining on the merits of the idea, only what was actually tossed out there as an idea.

This would BE the economic opportunity. (The obvious risk, of course, is that only people already rich would get the licenses, and then, so much for expanding economic opportunity.)

[NastyRiffraff]

128. "Only black owned businesses would get licensed"?

That's iffy, to say the least, and I'm not sure it would even be legal. I'm all for economic opportunity, but barring any group or groups based on race (or any other group) is a bad idea. I'd rather see the SBA expanded to help all those in need to start up any business, including marijuana merchants.

I know you weren't weighing in on the merits, but the idea of only (fill in the race or group)-owned businesses can get licensed really isn't a good idea.

[ProfessorGAC]

129. We Agree

I don't really care for it either. Was positing what might be the motivation of someone like Killer Mike.

[Cha]

102. Mahalo, Riff! Yes, Health and Education!

[ehrnst]

81. K&R

[NCTraveler]

86. This is an Our Revolution candidate.

Nothing shocks me when it comes from their ranks anymore.

And she has the gall to call Cuomo a "fake Democrat". Just sick.

“If Washington is a swamp, Albany is a cesspool,” Nixon

Seems to be a fan of Trump style campaigning.

[MineralMan]

89. I liked her in Amadeus, but it doesn't seem as though

she's right for this job. She did make a good spy for Salieri, though.

[GaryCnf]

90. While the attempt to spin this into

yet another attack on the left is just sad (and old),

this is the single most offensive thing I have heard from someone in our party for literally decades. It invokes identical racist imagery to white supremacist memes. It is oblivious to the concept of reparation. Finally, although the list actually goes on, it minimizes the damage done by slavery and the various institutional progeny it has left behind.

It is beyond stupid.

Ms. Nixon needs to withdraw.

[MineralMan]

91. Well, since Our Revolution is backing her, she's sure to lose,

so it doesn't really matter if she stays in the race to contribute more stupid statements like that.

It is, however, indicative of the poor candidates being supported by that group. They are losing across the board in most primary races where one of them is running. It's a remarkably poor showing, really.

[GaryCnf]

94. Even though

the primary results show the centrist/pragmatist wing is still the majority wing in our party, having someone from ANY wing of our party saying this outright racist s**t (and that is what Nixon's "plan" is) hurts all Democrats.

I like our big tent image as much as anyone, but it can't be big enough to tolerate this.

[Cha]

97. It's exposing Cynthia Nixon's

Last edited Wed May 16, 2018, 02:03 PM - Edit history (1)

less than brilliant idea.

And, of course those who endorse her.. you call it "an attack on the left".. I'm left.. I don't even know what these people are.. who are spouting this nonsense.

[TheSmarterDog]

110. Thank you

[Proud Liberal Dem]

92. I guess that she is not quite ready for prime time

[oberliner]

98. This Cynthia Nixon Marijuana-Reparations Drama Is Dumb

There are a lot of issues on which you can challenge Cynthia Nixon, but chiding her for saying that weed legalization should be considered a form of reparations for black folks shouldn’t even register. Not only that, she clarified her words last week. Yet, a group of black pastors felt the need to call out Nixon again Monday in a letter published in the New York Daily News.

“Your comments make clear that you have no idea of the history and meaning behind the reparations debate in this country,” the pastors wrote, according to the Daily News. “It was a clueless, uninformed remark that did a disservice to black people who have fought for centuries for equal justice and basic human rights.”

Really, y’all? Is it really that deep?

You’d think she’d gotten caught slipping saying the n-word or something. Nope. The New York gubernatorial candidate used the words “marijuana” and “reparations” in the same sentence. Beyond the fact that people are adding their personal commentary to what she said, there is nothing wrong with exploring what reparations in the form of marijuana legalization looks like.

https://www.theroot.com/this-cynthia-nixon-marijuana-reparations-drama-is-dumb-1826020763

[Cha]

99. Don't care what they have to say.

I care what the Black Leaders have to say about it and that's why I posted my OP.

[oberliner]

100. Terrell Jermaine Starr is a Black Leader

Are you not familiar with his work?

[Cha]

101. Don't care. Don't need him to tell me

not to talk about something important to Black Leaders.

[oberliner]

125. He raises good points

I think they are worth considering.

[Marcuse]

104. I concur.

This is not about reparations for 500 years of slavery and Jim Crow. Some unliquidated debts cannot be repaid.

This is about the racist wars declared by Anslinger Rockefeller and Nixon in the 20th Century and is worthy of discussion.

Legalization legislation should address the expunging of cannibus related criminal records and a wider distribution of profits beyond Big Pharma and Tobacco.

[oberliner]

126. Thanks for sharing that

I agree with your points.

[nini]

103. Oh Good Lord ........

[Dave Starsky]

107. It is long past time that the "Celebrity Politician" thing DIE.

If we didn't learn our lesson with Ronald Reagan, we sure as hell should have with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, and now with the God King of idiot celebrity politicians, Donald Trump.

Being a public servant who can get good things done for the people who vote for you requires a skill set like no other. It is hard to be a President, a Governor, a Mayor, or even a City Councilperson. It SHOULD be hard. These are complex jobs, with a lot of intelligent negotiation and compromise. The people who run for these jobs should absolutely know how things work in government.

[Cha]

111. Mahalo, Dave Starsky!

[Dave Starsky]

113. You're welcome.

I had to get that off my chest.

[Cha]

114. What you said is so true..

Feels good to get it off our chests.

[Tavarious Jackson]

118. I have a lot of friends in New York who were ready to vote for her

Until this.

[Cha]

132. Wow.. the deal breaker, huh?

Mahalo, Tavarious

[lapucelle]

120. In her campaign commercial, she said she wants

"to fix our broken subway".

There's more than one subway, dear.

[jcgoldie]

121. So I'm not defending her but...

The word choice was obviously terrible given the much deeper political meaning of the word "reparations" especially in regard to race... but when you read the entire quote I'm not sure that it was much more than a boneheaded choice of words...

“Now that cannabis is exploding as an industry, we have to make sure that those communities that have been harmed and devastated by marijuana arrests get the first shot at this industry,” Nixon told Forbes. “We [must] prioritize them in terms of licenses. It’s a form of reparations.”

The context seems to imply she means reparations for the unfair way marijuana laws have been enforced, and not reparations for slavery... I don't have a dog in the fight and I'm from the midwest, not New York, but that's the way the quote reads to me. Tone deaf and terrible word choice yes... racist? probably not.

[Cha]

123. Well, so many leaders in

the Black Community took it the way it sounds. And, they're the ones who are affected. So there's that.

[northremembers]

130. I agree with you

When marijuana was originally banned in the 1930's it was meant as a way to legally harass blacks and Latinos who were the primary users at that time. Drug laws have always been enforced more heavily on ethnic minorities while white stockbrokers on Wall Street use drugs in public. Cynthia's statement was too short and assumed a context most people don't know. She could turn it around by emphasizing the inequitable treatment of African-Americans and Latinos by the criminal justice system. An important message to make considering how ICE is being used and how police officers treat black suspects.

It's also worth pointing out there are lots of other types of businesses that can succeed in black neighborhoods that are not pot dispensaries and we should invest in those businesses, too.