East Haven,CT. Mayor Joseph Maturo Shouldn’t Resign Because of “Taco” Comment!
By now, everyone knows about the arrest of four East Haven police officers following a federal investigation into years of profiling and brutality. And anyone with half a brain can see that this situation is not simply about a few “rogue” officers who got “out of line”. No, this is a result of a culture within the police force that says it is OK to treat residents as less than human beings. That is, of course, if those residents are people of color. The tactics of the East Haven police officers did not develop in isolation. They are a result of hundreds of years of the “white is right” mindset and its dehumanization of non-European people. And they are the result of a law enforcement community that operates not to serve the PEOPLE, but rather to serve white supremacy.
The comments of the East Haven mayor, Joe Maturo ignited a firestorm of controversy on top of an already volatile situation. Maturo’s infamous “taco” comment rightfully sparked rage among the people of Connecticut and of the entire country. Calls for his resignation have been made based on his racist remarks. The thing is, Joe Maturo should NOT be forced to resign because of a single interview.
Joe Maturo made a blatantly racist comment, one that construes an attack on the entire Latino population. That is an egregious offense and Maturo needs to suffer the repercussions. However, Maturo committed far more dangerous and insidious acts of violence against the Latino community of East Haven. If Maturo should be removed from office, it should be because he allowed a culture of violence and brutality persist in his police force. He should be removed from office because he re-appointed police chief Leonard Gallo (a co-conspirator in the crimes of the officers who were arrested) while there was still an ongoing federal investigation.. He should be forced to step down because he has blinders on when it comes to the racist practices of his police force, and has proven to be a staunch defender of white supremacy in East Haven. The “taco” comment, while extremely offensive, only serves as confirmation of Maturo’s disdain for the Latino community in East Haven.
Maturo has proven through his actions that he is unfit as a leader. Calling for his resignation based on ONE COMMENT he made is the wrong tactic. Simply put, if the focus is on ousting Maturo because of a single comment, rather than on his abysmal record concerning the people of color in his community, then Maturo gets to play the victim. He gets to sit back and claim he was pushed out because he “misspoke”. He gets to play the victim, to be a “martyr”. If we call for Maturo to be removed from office it should be based on the entirety of his behavior as mayor, not on a single remark, as offensive as it was.
