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CCNY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER   MAY 2000 VOLUME 2, NUMBER 5

Rudy’s Get Well Card
by Hank Williams

Some of the more surprising recent developments are the revelations that Mayor Giuliani a) has prostate cancer, and, b): is getting divorced from his wife. The news was apparently quite a shock to the mayor’s wife, who seemed much more upset at the declaration than Rudy did. While it would be easy to say he is getting what he deserves, I’ll say that I don’t wish cancer on anyone, even as evil and heartless a bastard as Giuliani.

It does bring to mind something that I heard my mother say quite a few times while growing up: “God don’t like ugly.” The point is, if you don’t treat folks right, you might find yourself in trouble. My mom’s a small, outspoken, devoutly religious Jamaican woman and practices pretty much what she preaches.

I’m not religious and never thought that God dealt in Sopranos-style eye-for-an-eye vengeance, but there’s an interesting point here. Rudy’s done his best to attack the poor and vulnerable in this city and done so with a particularly smug, sneering gusto.

The mayor was lucky also, having had the advantage of a test that detects cancer in the very earliest stages—way before a standard prostate exam would have, and early enough to give him a good chance at a full recovery. He’s lucky—and lucky to have good health coverage. He’s also lucky to have the very good female friend with whom he’s reportedly spent a good deal of time lately. I’m not quite sure that soon to be ex-wife Donna Hanover and his son are quite so fortunate.

So I wish Rudy the best. I hope he gets the same quality medical care any of us ordinary uninsured New Yorkers would after strolling into Bellevue (or any of the other few remaining public hospitals). I wish him the same condolences he offered to Iris Baez, Mrs. Diallo, and Mrs. Dorismond, after their sons’ brutal murders at the hands of his own stormtroopers.I wish him the same compassion he’s offered to cabbies, street vendors, squeegee men, and CUNY students.

If Rudy’s the devout Catholic he claims to be, he might want to think about some of the things he’s done and said; maybe make peace with the powers that be. As he goes for treatment, he might do well to remember the words of my mom: “God don’t like ugly.”

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