In a February 2015 televised encounter, CNN morning anchor Chris Cuomo displayed his ignorance about a fundamental assertion clearly provided in our nation’s Declaration of Independence. Right at its beginning, the document provides the philosophical basis of our nation when it states “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights….” Could there be a more forceful assertion that rights are given by God Almighty?
But in the informal debate where he jousted with Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore (later defeated in his quest to win a place in the U.S. Senate), Chris Cuomo insisted that rights “do not come from God.” With his foot already in his mouth, he explained further that rights “come from man…. Our laws come from collective agreement and compromise.” That could hardly be a more stark departure from what is truly a most basic tenet of Americanism.
Not to be outdone by younger brother Chris, New York’s current governor Andrew Cuomo issued his own foot-in-mouth pronouncement on August 15. In a speech aimed at President Trump and the Trump slogan “Make American Great Again,” the governor stated: “We’re not going to make America great again — it was never that great.” In case listeners missed his point, Cuomo added, “We have not reached greatness. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged.”
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Calling the Cuomo statement “a total meltdown,” President Trump quickly tweeted, “Can you believe this is the governor of the highest taxed state in the U.S.?” Republican Marc Molinaro, a Cuomo opponent who will contest the governor’s reelection this November, stated, “America with its imperfections has always been great. Mr. Cuomo owes the nation an apology, He should be ashamed of himself.”
Cuomo press secretary Dani Lever quickly sought to provide “clarification” of the Cuomo remarks. “The governor believes America is great and that the full greatness will be fully realized when every man, woman, and child has full equality.” Lever then attacked President Trump by adding that the president “ignores the pain so many endured and that we suffered from slavery, discrimination, segregation, sexism and marginalized women’s contributions.”
It is quite ironic that a defender of Andrew Cuomo, one of the nation’s leading advocates of aborting children in the womb, would speak out in favor of the rights of “every man, woman, and child.” In America, millions of children in the womb have been slaughtered and New York even began allowing the grisly process prior to 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision. Regarding Lever’s assertion that her boss believes everyone in America deserves full equality, she and her boss seem not to realize that the most equal of all Americans are those in prison where they are equally (and justly) denied most rights.
Andrew Cuomo, whose aide insists for him that slavery is an example of our nation’s lack of greatness, never cites the salient fact that America should be congratulated for doing away with slavery. Discrimination? Only fools and prostitutes fail to discriminate. All others discriminate numerous times every day with their choices of jobs, clothing, speech, residence, meals and more. That’s so obvious it shouldn’t have to be stated.
As for segregation, Cuomo and his spokesperson ought to consider what has been called “the fence test.” A nation can build a fence around its borders to keep people from fleeing, as did all the communist-controlled nations in recent history. Or it can build a fence to keep entrants from massively and illegally crossing the border into its space. The millions willing to risk their lives and face possible prosecution to enter our country are obviously choosing the greatness of America, not a land where the fence is designed to keep people in slavery. And they could add that those claimed to be victims of discrimination aren’t fleeing from America.
Andrew Cuomo’s contentions about America are full of erroneous claims. Even his spokesperson, a female, is obviously a beneficiary of the overturning of what she termed “marginalized women’s contributions.”
Andrew and Chris Cuomo need to return to school — but not to the ones they have already attended. Schools that teach America’s greatness and the brilliance contained in America’s founding document can be found, even if they happen to be of the home-schooling variety.
John F. McManus is president emeritus of The John Birch Society.
