Growing up in New York during its worst time in history is a badge I wear proudly. As a boy of 5, I was propositioned by a hooker, watching as my Nanny hit her with her purse to get her away from me. I watched as this city tore itself apart during the crack epidemic. By the time I was a very young teen, I was running the door at a nightclub. I’ve seen fight rings, drag races, street carnage, endless debauchery and borne witness to events that would make your skin crawl. Yes, my upbringing was vivid. It was also dangerous. But despite all of those experiences, there is one lesson I have taken away from all of it; the human condition may be flawed, but it is relentless in its survival and power to do good.
Yes, I know how that sounds. How could anyone who has experienced the worst humankind has to offer possibly believe this? How could someone who has seen so much senseless death and destruction possibly think there is hope we won’t annihilate ourselves. It’s actually very simple. Faith.
The Ability to Believe in Humanity
No, I am not talking about my Roman Catholic faith. I am not talking about a kindly white man in the clouds who grants miracles. I am not referring to any religious or existential belief of any kind. I am talking about faith in what humanity is, and has proven itself to be, time and time again.
Last month, we honored the 24th anniversary of September 11; a day when exactly what I am talking about was witnessed by all humankind. While a tragic, disgusting and glaring example of what humans are capable of took place, so did what New Yorkers have long been known to do; step up in the face of evil. We as a city, as our towers burned down to the ground, rose from the ashes, for a brief moment in time, to unite. Not as Democrats. Not as Republicans. But as Americans. As New Yorkers. As people concerned about our fellow men, women, and children. In other words, we stood united, side by side, to fight the very evil that tried to divide us.
Hate as a Way of Life
Yes, eventually the human condition we are all too familiar with reared its ugly head again; division, hate and vitriol. And in the 21st century, we have proven more often than naught, that humankind has its issues. From wars around the world to assassinations to greed under the guise of concern from our political elite, we have seen the ugly side of humanity far too often in the last 25 years. Just look at the rise of antisemitism coming back full steam.
Yet, I firmly believe that those moments in history, when hope has shown like a beacon of light at the end of a dark tunnel, is where we will finally end up. You see, everything in life is cyclical. It is built into our DNA, our human nature. We have seen darker times (ever heard of the Dark Ages?).
We have seen the near destruction of our planet (remember WWII and the Cold War?). Yet somehow, we survived. Somehow, our world continues to spin on its axis.
The Truth Shall Set You Free
The fact of the matter is that there are powers on this Earth that fight to keep us divided.There are people, who for their own personal gain, will continue to play to humanity’s weaknesses in order to achieve personal wealth for themselves. Just look at our latest Mayoral race in New York City. Zohran Mamdani is anything but a prophet. He preaches that he believes in the Qu ‘ran, yet his actions prove different. He comes from a wealthy family but proselytizes that the wealthy are the root of all evil, that only government can save the People, and that its okay to sell your body for money. Last time I checked the Qu ‘ran says exactly the opposite of what this charlatan speaks. Therefore, he is the perfect example of what I am talking about.
The Final Word
We need to stop listening to those who seek to do us harm, feigning to only have our best interests at heart. We need to stand, as one People, to fight the relentless onslaught of dishonest politicians, and finally focus on electing people who genuinely care about the very constituency that elects them.
In other words, we need to stop the nonsense, bring about peace through strength and fortitude of character, and remind people why New York is truly known as The Melting Pot and that We Will Never Forget.