VOTE FOR JOE CONCANNON ON NOVEMBER 3RD!
The major theme of Joe Concannon’s campaign for the City Council race in District #23 is to “send de Blasio a midterm message.” This message is boldly emblazoned on all campaign signs and literature. The notion that de Blasio is taking NYC in the wrong direction is shared by voters of all political affiliations. Some are asking what is the message? In answer to the question, here’s some recent history.
With his two year campaign vilifying the NYPD, and a promise to “end the era of stop-and-frisk policing,” Bill de Blasio was elected mayor of NYC by a narrow slice of voters that morphed into the “Black Lives Matter” movement. 76% of the electorate stayed home on Election Day 2013. The apathy and pessimism of the voters provided a vacuum that was filled by an all-out assault on our police and the very institutions that have made NYC the greatest and safest large city in America.
After a couple of unfortunate fatal encounters with unarmed civilians, de Blasio linked the police with “centuries of racism” and brought charlatan and racial arsonist, Al Sharpton center stage to pour gasoline on the flames. The mayor gave free license to professional agitators to instigate a war on the police, as protesters took to the streets shutting down streets, tunnels and bridges, while some even chanted “What do we want? Dead cops!” New York City Council members staged a die-in at City Hall to protest police abuse. The unrelenting police bashing and praise of the anti-police protesters coming from City Hall, led to violence, riots, assaults on police and the assassination of three NYPD officers in cold blood.
New Yorkers were mortified by these unspeakable murders and the unrelenting assaults on our police by our mayor and elected officials. Unlike the deafening silence from any elected official in Queens, one courageous person stood up to deliver a message of unity, not division, and support for the men and women of the NYPD who put their lives on the line every day to protect us and keep our communities safe.
That person was retired NYPD Captain Joseph Concannon, who was the Deputy Director for Public Safety under Mayor Rudy Giuliani. New Yorkers needed a spokesman, and Concannon stepped up and filled the need with an avenue for decent hard-working people to express their mutual love and respect for our police.
Concannon organized the series of city-wide rallies, to support our police, beginning in mid-January 2015 on the steps of Queens Borough Hall, with one in each of the City’s five boroughs, and converging at City Hall in March with a crowd of thousands chanting “We support NYPD!” Concannon mobilized New Yorkers to host Candlelight Vigils at every NYPD Precinct in NYC, in coordination with the nationwide observance for National Police Week in May. A special vigil and community march was held at the 105th Precinct in Queens Village in memory of assassinated Police Officer Brian Moore. This was NYC’s very first year to participate in the nationwide observance and it is hopeful that the police vigils will become an annual staple of NYC community events in solemn memory of our fallen heroes.
At every event, in defiance of the anti-police rhetoric emanating from City Hall, Concannon expressed the consistent theme that the majority of New Yorkers support our police:
“We’re here today, united as New Yorkers together as Americans, citizens of the world. Public safety is the cornerstone of civilization. Law and Order, the rule of law is the very fabric of society whether you live in NYC, Main Street USA or any street in the world. The vivid images of the men and women who put on the public safety uniform have shown us the valor, courage and bravery of Law Enforcement professionals from around the world. My voice and your voice will be OUR voice from New York City to the world as we say SUPPORT OUR POLICE.”
Then he asked, ““Who speaks for us?” … Who speaks for the vast majority of New Yorkers; people who live here, who work here, study here, and raise families here. Who speaks for the police officers and firefighters, who put their lives on the line every day to protect us? Does the Mayor, the City Council, truly speak for us? We hear lots of dangerous rhetoric, which can lead to division and violence, rather than respect and unity. OUR voices must be heard!”
Six months later, as we reach the threshold of a likely upset victory on Election Day, we see the answer to the above question is very clear. By electing Joe Concannon to City Council we will be sending de Blasio a midterm message. We will be sending the mayor and City Council the message that the city is headed in the wrong direction and that by putting a former Police Captain on the City Council, he will prevent NYC from going backwards to the bad old days of rampant crime and chaos. The voters of Council District #23 will have their voices heard on November 3rd. The answer to the question is that Joe Concannon speaks for us!
