Adams & NYC Council plan to counter the Supreme Court's SCOTUS gun ruling
New York City — "Men lie ... women lie ... numbers don't!" Jay-Z's famed mic-drop moment reflects having a New York State of Mind. And as far as such mindsets go, the rap icon's fellow Brooklynite, Mayor Adams, knows a thing or two about staying "woke" in the City That Never Sleeps.
"A textbook case of theory colliding with reality," Adams said, in response to the Supreme Court's latest ruling. Indeed, given that NYC is the most densely populated area in the nation, council members were left scratching their heads.
On Thursday when the Supreme Court overturned New York's law on carrying concealed weapons, perhaps Justice Clarence Thomas, and the other justices that ruled in favor of the 6-3 majority, overlooked why it's long been said "there are exceptions to every rule."
In theory, the Second Amendment outlines a fundamental constitutional right. Ah, but in reality, as the former police captain, Eric Adams, knows all too well — edgy New Yorkers "carrying around guns is dangerous."
Eric Adams: a native New Yorker armed with a New York State of Mind
Last year during the heated mayoral race, I asked a pal who's getting his vote. "That's easy ..." my pal said. "Adams! I mean, he's the only candidate that knows what time it is."
To successfully serve as the CEO of Gotham City, the mayor has to "know what time it is." Back in the 90s, when NYC's crime rate shot through the roof, Giuliani proved he knew the clock read "tough on crime" time.
Any New Yorker that lived through the graffiti-riddled subways and crime-ridden NYC streets of the 70s and 80s understands why Mayor Adams, a lifelong New Yorker, warned of the possible dangers of this new ruling.
"I'm like a Brooklyn dude straight out of Brownsville," Jay-Z once rapped. Indeed, Brownsville birthed the likes of iconic boxers named Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and Shannon Briggs. As for Adams, he's literally — "a Brooklyn dude straight out of Brownsville."
From having survived growing up in what some call NYC's "roughest neighborhood" to becoming a police captain, Adams understands his hometown better than most. He understands how dangerous Gotham City can be.
In short, Adams is adamant that the justices are viewing the Second Amendment as "a textbook case of theory [which] collides with reality," reality as seen through his New York State of Mind.
Mayor Adams wonders if the Supreme Court really wants to risk citizens carrying around loaded guns in over-populated areas such as this.(City Clock Magazine/Flickr)
NYC Council plans to counter ruling
City Council is banking on the idea that state lawmakers will expand NY State’s list of “sensitive locations.” In these locations, a Supreme Court ruling left the door cracked for restricting handguns in the City That Never Sleeps.
Given that of the 19 million residents in New York State, half live in New York City alone, it's apparent why in response to MSNBC's Willie Geist noting "the subway is a dangerous place, unfortunately, right now for many people and that folks ought to have a right to defend themselves," Mayor Adams said the following:
Well, this is New York City and not Dodge City – and certain parts of the country where you are not as densely populated as New York. I don't think when people hear about New York City and 8.8 million people, congregate settings in our subway system, millions of riders [...] We had over 350,000 people in Times Square last Monday. This city is a unique place. And if you state any and everyone that is a law-abiding citizen can carry a gun, that's problematic. A simple traffic dispute, a simple dispute on the subway system...
In short, in light of the above, no wonder Mayor Adams calls the Supreme Court's SCOTUS gun ruling "dangerous."
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