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THE VIEW FROM HERE - On second look, like many Jews, he’s short. Los Oaxaqueños, la gente hermosa, are also short. Kevin is a tad darker than many Anglos. So too with many Jews, like the Beverly Hills Iranian Jewish family whose Chanukkah Menorah was vandalized a few days ago. Maybe, it’s Kevin’s ½ Chinese ½ Guatemalan background which lends him a Jewish hue.
If Kevin isn’t Jewish, why he is facing anti-Semitism?
Some people may be upset that I raise the possibility that Kevin might be Jewish or that he is subject to anti-Semitism, but here’s the perspective from one Gay, Jewish alter kocker.
The Talmud says, “If you save one life, you save the world.” Among other lessons from this verse is the fact that all humans are part of a single whole. If one saves a Jewish life, one does not save just other Jews, but saves everyone. If one saves the life a Christian, the entire world is saved. Like the Declaration of Independence, all men have inalienable rights and we’re thusly all bound together. An attack upon one is an attack on all. If Kevin de Leon is not safe from a thug at a Christmas party, Jews are not safe during Chanukkah, nor are Ukrainians safe from Putin’s missiles.
Of the three Mexican councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo who have been falsely defamed by bogus charges of anti-Black racism, only Kevin de Leon remains on the council.
1) The racism attacks are based on the big lie that their conversation was anti-Black.
The LA Times, which is seldom a paragon of journalistic integrity, constantly publishes the falsehood about the “racist tape.” It has gone past the point where Sullivan vs New York Times, 376 U.S. 254 (1964), protects the LA Times. When a newspaper recklessly or intentionally publishes materially false stories about a public figure, the newspaper may be sued for defamation of character. The LA Times’ and other LA Media’s malice can be inferred from their refusal to use the word “allegedly” before “racist tape.” It is standard practice of journalists of integrity to place “alleged” before opinions accusing people of bad conduct. However, using “allegedly” did not fit the political end game. (A few in the media now use a new modifier like “infamous” or “controversial.”) This hyperlinked article has the transcript.
(2) Why the LA Times and Other Media Omit “Allegedly”
If people read the transcript, they’d see it was not anti-Black. Three councilmembers had a meeting where they expressed concern, inter alia, about the legal jeopardy of (Black) councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. They also supported (Black) Heather Hutt to be the new councilperson for CD 10. Nury Martinez related a conversation which she had with Danny Bakewell, publisher of LA’s renown Black newspaper, The Sentinel. Here are excerpts.
Nury: “But he (Bakewell) also was asking me about this redistricting bullshit because he's very frustrated. Because Mark, because Mark has his fingerprints on this shit that Marqueece [Black councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson CD #8] is trying to do. So even among them three [Black councilmembers], it's problematic because they're fucking each other.”
Oh, so the tape relates that the publisher of LA’s leading Black newspaper does not complain about Mexicans’ causing trouble, but rather it’s the in-fighting among the Blacks. Let’s see what else Nury and Bakewell discussed.
Nury: “And so he [Bakewell] met with Marqueece and Curren [LA city councilmember Curren Price CD #9] separately to try to figure out what, if they can slice the baby in half. Curren's not about that. So they're trying to figure out how to split Expo Park. I don't think that's a good- That's a raw deal for Curren. What I told Danny was this. I said leave Curren alone because he needs those assets to run for re-elect. That's his platform: job creation, economic development, todo eso. Leave him alone.”
Thus, Nury suggests that they leave Black Curren alone as he needs those assets to be “re-elected.” OMG, how racist is that?!? Why didn’t the LA Times print that to show how racist Nury Martinez was, her suggesting that the Blacks help a Black councilmember so that he can be re-elected. Pero, hay mas.
Nury: “I told Danny, tell Marqueece [CD #8] to go after the airport. You got the People Mover, whatever that shit is called, you've got the modernization projects coming down.”
Nury suggests how to also help councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson [CD #8], “go after the airport.” CM Prince and CM Harris Dawson were fighting with each other. BTW, redistricting is not only about voters, but it is also about what assets are in a council district. Yes, this is the vile anti-Black re-districting conversation – how to stop Black in-fighting and how to allocate assets to benefit the Black councilmembers. Gee, I wonder why the LA Times has never mentioned this? What about KNBC Channel 4's Conan Nolan, who not only calls De Leon a racist, but Nolan is perhaps LA’s most ardent cheerleader for Kevin to resign.
Re-Districting is About Voters and Assets
As Nury shows, re-districting is about both the voters and the assets one gets in their district. In a city where each councilmember is the absolute ruler in his fiefdom, it is important that each district contains important assets. The entire sports complex around USC is important as is LAX. Thus, Nury suggest that CM Prince [D #9] gets USC-Exposition Park to the East and CM Harris-Dawson [CD #8] then take LAX on the West.
What did Nury ask for herself? Nada! What did she ask for Cedillo? Nada. What did she aks for Monica Rodriguez? Nada. What did she ask for de Leon? Nada.
These are the actual facts on which the LA media have been broadcasting the false narrative that the Mexicans are attempting to stick a shiv into Black councilmembers? Now, one can see why the LA Times and the media constantly refer to the “racist tape” rather than urge people to assess the conversation for themselves.
The Changuito Lie was Debunked
It is interesting how all LA media simultaneously promoted the same False Narrative that Nury had called the Black toddler son of CM Bonin [CD 11] “a little monkey” parece changuito. That False Narrative became a Lost Cause, when people reported that Nury actually referred to him as “this child” (este niño.)
“Ese niño” (this child) and “parece changuito” (looking like a little moneky) are not interchangeable. Here’s an example in English, “I saw this child” vs. “I saw appearing like a little monkey.” Your ear immediately tells you that something is amiss. Try this, “This child was hanging from the railings like a little monkey.” Oh, now it makes sense. If the LA Times and the other media had published the actual sentence, they could not have tricked the world into thinking that Nury had called a Black toddler a monkey. Let’s be blunt; the media lied when it said Nury called the toddler himself a monkey. In Spanish, parece changuito has no race connotation.
Parece Changuito Was Taken out of Context to Defame the Mexican Councilmembers
In fact, the defamation is greater since the child’s adoptive father is White, and Nury was criticizing his lax parenting skills and how he treats his Black son like some token or trophy. In fact, any implication that some how Nury was saying anything negative about the child himself was dispelled by her saying, “They're raising him like a little white kid which I was like this kid needs a beat down. Like, Let me, let me take him around the corner and then I'll bring him back.” [00:35:36]
Sounds bad unless you realize how Nury talks; “shit” and “fuck” are her two favorite words. She plans no violence; many Mexican families do not believe in “spare the rod and spoil the child.” When I was young, I heard, “Zets im kopf” (“a hit in the head”), but does not mean to give the kid a concussion. The more important point is that Nury’s attitude towards the toddler was the same she’d have with her own child. It was the White father whom she was criticizing. How’s that anti-Black?
The Duck Test Applied to Kevin
Since Kevin looks Jewish, people talk shit about him like he’s Jewish and he is treated like he is Jewish, then Kevin must be Jewish. Or, maybe anti-Mexicanism and anti-Semitism are a distinction without a difference. One cannot criticize anti-Semitism while promoting anti-Mexicanism.
From Whence Did Anti-Mexicanism Spring
Let’s not forget Rick Caruso’s bigoted attacks on Scientologists to discredit Karen Bass. When had anyone, who was running for mayor in the past, used religious bigotry? Karen Bass immediately stood up to Rick Caruso and admonished him for defaming an entire religion for what a few members may or may not have done – NOT! Rather than defend fellow Angelenos, Karen Bass quickly adopted Caruso’s prejudice, saying she had not known how bad the Scientologists were. Then, about a month later, this anti-Mexicanism tape jumps into the headlines – all the lies go unchallenged. Instead, it’s feeding time in the Piranha tank. Then, there was Kanye, followed by Kyrie Irving, Nick Fuentes, Jason Reedy, the attack on Chanukkah menorah. . . .
When one is not safe, no one is safe.
(Richard Lee Abrams has been an attorney, a Realtor and community relations consultant as well as a CityWatch contributor. You may email him at [email protected]. The opinions expressed by Mr. Abrams are solely his and not necessarily those of CityWatch.)
