My Message To Mayor Zohran Mamdani
“Us vs Them” Won’t Work!
That’s my message to the newly elected Democratic Socialist Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani.
Mayor Mamdani (...I like the sound of that) won a highly contested election.
He explicitly ran against the “establishment.”
He ran on a People First agenda.
And he united half of the city to stand together for a more affordable and fair New York that everyone can enjoy living in.
And while he has the support of a majority of New Yorkers, he also has to govern amidst the fears of nearly half of the city’s people and the entrenched interests of the business community and their political arms.
So I want to remind Mayor Mamdani to stick to the spirit of his campaign.
A spirit rooted in Nonviolent principles.
A spirit rooted in focusing on and addressing needs rather than wants.
For we can all agree on our needs.
But we will forever have different wants and desires.
It will be easy to diverge from this spirit while confronting the virulent voices of your opponents and their actions.
It will be easy to feel your ideas are superior and just at times.
And the opposite at other times.
But, know that what is required to navigate this moment is to humbly bring all along on the journey of change with a steely resolve.
Know that “winning” IS NOT the goal.
Change is.
CONGRATULATIONS Mayor Mamdani!
