These racist statements are far more than thoughtless words from people who constantly talk about the virtues of equity, diversity
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Righteous indignation over the racist remarks and derisive statements made by three Latino members of the Los Angeles City Council and a labor official in a conversation October 2021 about their council colleagues is certainly warranted. However, elected Democrat lawmakers and candidates in California should be calling on LA Council President Nury Martinez, council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León to resign immediatel
Instead, this morning, Council President Nury Martinez resigned as President of the Council, and not from elected office. And her apology was hollow.
Instead we are hearing the media report that there are “calls for resignation,” and we see a lot of finger wagging, Twitter posturing, and social media rant statements – or conspicuous silence.
“We don’t want your thoughts and prayers, we want action,” people on the right are told when they offer condolences and solace after a high profile tragedy. Okay. So where are the calls for action by California’s elected leaders given the vile and hateful remarks by Martinez, Cedillo and de León?
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti? Anything?
How about the 24 elected Assembly members of Los Angeles County? Thoughts?
Have any of the 15 elected State Senators of Los Angeles County suggested immediate resignation of the LA Council members?
These racist statements are far more than careless or thoughtless words – from people who constantly talk about the virtues of equity, diversity, people of color, dignity of communities. Just imagine if it was Republican council members who got caught on this recording making racist remarks about a council colleagues’ adopted child of color. The Globe reported:
“Bonin thinks he’s f—ing black,” Martinez says in the audio. “He handled his young Black son as though he were an accessory. They’re raising him like a little White kid. I was like, this kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner and then I’ll bring him back.”
Martinez then proceeded to use slurs against the eight-year-old child, saying in Spanish “Parece changuito” or in English, “He’s like a monkey.”
Councilman de León added, “Bonin handles the toddler like when Nury brings her little yard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag. Su negrito, like on the side.”
The Los Angeles City Council has been quite odious for some time now. Three members are under indictment.
Mark Ridley-Thomas was indicted on corruption charges.
José Huizar and Mitch Englander, were both implicated in an FBI probe of corruption at City Hall.
Now three more council members are embroiled in this latest racist screed, and could be forced out.
When is enough going to be enough? The Globe doesn’t believe for a nanosecond that the voters of Los Angeles thought they were voting for corrupt or racist representatives. But short of elected “leaders” discovering some testicular fortitude and calling for the latest three to resign, it will be up to the people of Los Angeles.
And what about the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera on the same audio recording?
California Labor Federation leader Lorena Gonzalez had this to say about the racist remarks of the council members:
Righteous indignation over the racist remarks and derisive statements made by three Latino members of the Los Angeles City Council and a labor official in a conversation October 2021 about their council colleagues is certainly warranted. However, elected Democrat lawmakers and candidates in California should be calling on LA Council President Nury Martinez, council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León to resign immediately.
Instead, this morning, Council President Nury Martinez resigned as President of the Council, and not from elected office. And her apology was hollow.
Instead we are hearing the media report that there are “calls for resignation,” and we see a lot of finger wagging, Twitter posturing, and social media rant statements – or conspicuous silence.
“We don’t want your thoughts and prayers, we want action,” people on the right are told when they offer condolences and solace after a high profile tragedy. Okay. So where are the calls for action by California’s elected leaders given the vile and hateful remarks by Martinez, Cedillo and de León?
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti? Anything?
How about the 24 elected Assembly members of Los Angeles County? Thoughts?
Have any of the 15 elected State Senators of Los Angeles County suggested immediate resignation of the LA Council members?
These racist statements are far more than careless or thoughtless words – from people who constantly talk about the virtues of equity, diversity, people of color, dignity of communities. Just imagine if it was Republican council members who got caught on this recording making racist remarks about a council colleagues’ adopted child of color. The Globe reported:
“Bonin thinks he’s f—ing black,” Martinez says in the audio. “He handled his young Black son as though he were an accessory. They’re raising him like a little White kid. I was like, this kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner and then I’ll bring him back.”
Martinez then proceeded to use slurs against the eight-year-old child, saying in Spanish “Parece changuito” or in English, “He’s like a monkey.”
Councilman de León added, “Bonin handles the toddler like when Nury brings her little yard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag. Su negrito, like on the side.”
The Los Angeles City Council has been quite odious for some time now. Three members are under indictment.
Mark Ridley-Thomas was indicted on corruption charges.
José Huizar and Mitch Englander, were both implicated in an FBI probe of corruption at City Hall.
Now three more council members are embroiled in this latest racist screed, and could be forced out.
When is enough going to be enough? The Globe doesn’t believe for a nanosecond that the voters of Los Angeles thought they were voting for corrupt or racist representatives. But short of elected “leaders” discovering some testicular fortitude and calling for the latest three to resign, it will be up to the people of Los Angeles.
And what about the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera on the same audio recording?
California Labor Federation leader Lorena Gonzalez had this to say about the racist remarks of the council members:
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