X

Dems accuse Massena supervisor of 'racist' online statement; Gray says claim is inaccurate, 'a smokescreen' from real issues

Posted 11/2/17

By ANDY GARDNER MASSENA -- The Massena Democratic Party chairwoman is criticizing incumbent town supervisor Joseph Gray for “racist” and “insensitive” remarks on social media, and the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Dems accuse Massena supervisor of 'racist' online statement; Gray says claim is inaccurate, 'a smokescreen' from real issues

Posted

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Massena Democratic Party chairwoman is criticizing incumbent town supervisor Joseph Gray for “racist” and “insensitive” remarks on social media, and the supervisor says she is creating a distraction from the real issues at stake in the upcoming election.

On Tuesday, the Democrats’ Cortney Deshaies released a statement including screenshots from two posts Gray made last fall.

The first shows a story from usatodayhss.com titled "High school players taking knee for national anthem across country." On Sept. 10, 2016 Gray shared it and commented “we used to call this money see, monkey do,” the screenshot shows.

Deshaies said she believes the word “money” is a typographical error and Gray intended to say “monkey.”

“Referring to black athletes as monkeys cannot be interpreted any other way than being racist. This is unacceptable behavior from a person representing our community and in a position such as Supervisor,” Deshaies said in a prepared statement.

She also lambasted Gray for a second post from Oct. 31, 2016, a CNN story captioned "Reid on Trump's birther response: 'What a liar.’” Reid refers to former Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, who for a time was Senate majority leader. On the post, the screenshot shows Gray commented "This senile old bastard can't be gone soon enough. Totally useless for decades."

“Dementia is a sad, debilitating disease of the mind. Most of us either know someone who has been inflicted by it or know someone whose loved one was. We should want and expect more of our leaders. When we call upon people to represent our community as a whole we expect them to lift us up, and move us forward. These controversial and insulting comments about others drag us down and set us back,” Deshaies said in her statement.

Gray is running against Democrat challenger Steven O’Shaughnessy for the town supervisor’s seat. Gray says he does not want to make Facebook posts from his personal page an election issue and sees it as a deparate Democrat attempt to distract from substantive town issues.

“Where does Steve O’Shaughnessy stand on the hospital? Where does Steve O’Shaughnessy stand on the economy? Where does Steve O’Shaughnessy stand on the issues?” Gray said in a Tuesday phone interview. “This is all a smokescreen for the complete lack of substance for Steve O’Shaughnessy’s campaign … I’m not sure he understands the issues.”

Gray said some of what he posts on social media is what he refers to as “political theater.”

“Some of my personal posts on Facebook are political theater as well,” Gray said.

Gray said he would welcome a chance to debate O’Shaughnessy in a public forum.

“Let’s talk about issues. I’m not going to hide behind party operatives and he shouldn’t either,” Gray said Tuesday. “It’s not about Facebook. It’s not about posting. It’s not about personal opinions. It’s about what can you do and what have you done for the Town of Massena.

“How about Cortney produces some of that stuff for us.”

Gray on Thursday morning took to his campaign Facebook page to address the accusations of racism.

"Steve O'Shaughnessy, Cortney Deshaies and Sam Carbone say I'm a racist. People usually sound foolish when they try to defend themselves when falsely charged with racism. So, I suggest Steve and Cortney reach out to my black college roommate who was born in Trinidad and ask him if I am a racist. Or ask the dozens of Mohawks I worked with at the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. Better yet, bring forth one person who says I have ever demonstrated racist tendencies. When your campaign is empty, hollow and devoid of any ideas other than a 'workstation' in the Town Hall for Councilmen like Steve and Sam who are rarely in the Town Hall, you attack your opponent personally. In debate and rhetoric circles it's called an 'ad hominin' argument. Definitions: 1. appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect 2. marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made. I'd say that about sums it up," the incumbent wrote.