Letters

Generational differences may explain the wide range of reactions to the sex scandal of Governor Andrew Cuomo.

For those who came of age in the late 1960s and early 1970s, or earlier, such behavior was considered acceptable, and all women, age notwithstanding, had to figure out how to navigate it. It was based on the presumption that men could say, and do, whatever they wanted because of their privilege and women’s second-class status. It was completely offensive then, and it is as disgusting and unacceptable now.

Fast-forward to 2020 and the year of the pandemic. Andrew Cuomo saved New York from disaster. He provided leadership, direction and consolation, all wrapped up in a communication style that people could understand.

Nowadays, leadership like that is very hard to come by. Our own president was leading us to our deaths by his inadequate response and outright denial.

So, rather than a full-throated condemnation, I, and many of my peers, are having difficulty with this scandal. How do we reconcile dumping Cuomo when we still need him? We don’t condone what we consider to be, at the very least, reckless and stupid behavior — but we don’t want to lose him. We lived through a similar dilemma when Bill Clinton was impeached, and we remember it well.

Here is the quandary: Do we make a moral accommodation for Cuomo for our own selfish yet survivalist instincts?

Few would consider Cuomo morally bankrupt, unless they are a political enemy, so are we really ready to give up on him? The ethical and practical question that I believe everyone has to ask themselves is, what price are we willing to pay to hold on to those who we consider to be effective leaders? Which moral rules are we willing to break? And is it really worth it?

Paula Angelone, Ph.D.

Southampton Village