Beware of False Profits
A silver tongue and bible quotes don’t equate to truth
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Eric Adams, after being indicted by the Southern District for five separate federal charges, including “bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations,” did what he always does in times of political challenge: run to the Black church for cover. That’s how we get the image plastered above of NYC’s embattled mayor, standing next to his closest advisor while four pastors from “Changing Lives Christian Center” pray to protect him from “Forces of Evil.” Since the indictment and ensuing mass exodus of senior officials from his administration, Adams has insisted the Biden Administration is targeting him for his very public criticism of their handling of the ongoing migrant crisis. He’s now taking that message to his most vital constituency, Black voters.
At the Christian Center, he didn’t just claim to be targeted; he compared himself to the biblical figure, Job. In the text, Job is seen as a morally just man who experiences extreme suffering, through no fault of his own, it is simply a test of his faith. Despite the trials and tribulations he experiences, Job never turns away from god and is eventually rewarded for this loyalty. By using this sermon, Adams attempts to paint himself as a tragic hero who needs his community to rally behind him. The sermon and the prayer are visually powerful; they highlight the mayor's greatest strength, using and maximizing political theatre to shift the narrative in his favor. It’s a farce.
I’ll be honest: I have not always been a fan of Mayor Adams, but when I heard the way he connected his personal story to that of Job. I found myself questioning the validity of these charges. How could a man who speaks eloquently and passionately be guilty of these accusations? You don’t need to be Black to understand how racist our Justice system is, and how it can punish those who push back against it, we watch those in power over step every day, why can’t Adams be another victim in our unjust system? The thought lingered until I remembered who we were dealing with. Eric Adams is not a victim of our unfair justice system; he actively participates in injustice. His words may be flowery, and the optics may be powerful, but they do not erase the record of a man who’s spent his time in office, making it easier to brutalize and incarcerate poor Black and Brown people.
For the first two years of his administration, Adams claimed crime was up significantly because of the 2019 Bail reform law. He continued to do this, even after it was proven that this wasn’t true. Instead of taking in the new information, he worked with the New York Police Department and conservative media to build up panic around the law. The most egregious example of this is when he and the NYPD singled out a Bronx teen who they claimed shot an officer.
They did an entire press roll-out to demonize this kid, only for the body camera footage to show that the police escalated the entire encounter. When this was reported, Adams did not apologize to the young man or his family; instead, he defended the officers and demanded changes to New York’s Bail laws. To make matters worse, the only people who suffered any consequences were the young man who was arrested and the judge who called the police out for lying.
When he wasn’t actively fighting for the right to incarcerate more New Yorkers, he was dismissing the growing crisis at Rikers Island and refused to implement a law by the City Council to reduce the use of solitary confinement. A tactic that has been described as causing extensive harm to people confined. Despite claiming to be a champion of working people, Adams's decisions and governing style have made it harder for all New Yorkers. And this says nothing about the people he has empowered to help run the city. Before he resigned, the Adams-appointed police chief, Edward Caban, watered down police misconduct rules in order to protect officers under investigation.
His now retiring Senior Advisor Tim Pearson is facing multiple lawsuits suits, including one from a female Security guard who claims he attacked her when she asked him to show ID at the entrance of a migrant shelter.
No one is perfect, but during his time in office, Adams has consistently avoided accountability, defended the poor behavior of his closest allies, backed up a police force that has become increasingly unhinged, and governed in opposition to the needs of Black voters. And now, when he and his closest allies are tied up in a federal probe, he wants to run back to the same communities he’s failed and cry persecution. Good leaders understand that they aren’t perfect; they’re willing to learn from other people and learn from their mistakes. Good leaders hire intelligent people and give them the space to be effective, and when they do fall short because we all will fall short, they are willing and able to own it. No matter how he tries to spin it, this man is neither a leader nor a profit.
Finally, the Mayor loves to reference his deep love for God and how he believes the Lord told him he would be mayor; it’s a story he has told many times. Eye too have a story to share. It’s from Matthew 7:15-20, and it say’s,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”
Our systems are deeply flawed, and because of that, thousands of people are currently suffering under our “justice system.” We should fight hard to free those people and reshape the world into a better one. But as we commit to that fight, we can’t be fooled by those with silver tongues and shaky ethics.
You made it to the end; thank you for reading! Since you have already made it this far, let me know what you think:
Do you disagree with my analysis? If so, say why, let’s argue!
Do you believe the Biden Administration is unfairly targeting Mayor Adams?
Is he wrong for using religion to defend himself?
Why do you think so many politicians get in trouble with the law?
Should religion be a part of our political discussions?
Becoming an adult and realizing just how corrupt most politicians are in some way and playing into corporate greed was such a disappointment. I don't even understand how he's allowed to still be mayor with mounting evidence of these charges. It grinds my gears when folk invoke religion when they're experiencing the consequences of their own actions and unfortunately folks eat it right on up.
I really appreciated this piece, and frankly, I think I needed it. Despite knowing full well Adams long history of causing harm, whether through policy or his own time as NYPD, it's hard to watch a Black man being targeted and not feel deeply uncomfortable. But then I think of this most recent incident at the Brownsville subway station, where cops went insane (again) and critically injured innocent people, including one man who now has brain damage (and who knows btw, what the consequences will be for his life), and Adams only response was to say the cops acted with restraint. Despite all the compassion he seems to have for himself, he has nothing left for others. Whether homeless New Yorkers, desperate asylum seekers, or bystanders shot in the head, he's only got space for his own victimhood.