IF I WOULD HAVE HAD BEEN THE JUDGE

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
District 32 Bronx County, New York
Tel 718-991-3161 

IF I WOULD HAVE HAD BEEN THE JUDGE

You should know that if I had been the judge who sentenced Sheldon Silver, I would not have sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

It is important for you to know that in my political life, I have been a conservative democrat, with pro-life, anti-gay marriage, anti-gambling, anti-mixed martial arts, and anti-marijuana positions.

Sheldon Silver was my worst nightmare because he stood for everything I was against.

We all know that Sheldon Silver was arrested, indicted, and found guilty of extortion, fraud and money laundering, but in all of my political life, I have not seen anyone who has done more for senior citizens, women's rights, unions, funding for health care for the poor and needy, funding for public school education, and social service programs for straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers.

I don’t know anyone who has fought harder in government for the legalization of gay marriage than Sheldon Silver.  Sometimes I think that Sheldon Silver even put aside his Jewish religious beliefs in order to help the liberal movement and its causes.

It is true that he violated the law, and he should be punished, but where are all of the people he has represented and done so much for?

Sheldon Silver has experienced a public stoning in the media. He was berated and paraded in handcuffs, and forced to experience humiliation. For such a powerful person, he was forced to endure tremendous public shame.

Sheldon Silver lost his license to practice law, and lost his title as Speaker of the Assembly. He was forced to pay a $1.75 million dollar fine and forfeit $5.3 million dollars. His family has been put through hell. 

My prayer is for Sheldon Silver, who is also battling prostrate cancer, and for his family. This is a very painful and difficult time for all of them.

We all know about Sheldon Silver’s miserable failings, but is everyone forgetting the good he has done for so many years? Where are all of the people he fought for? Where were all of the demonstrations and letters appealing to the judge for leniency before Sheldon Silver’s sentencing?

Sheldon Silver stood in the public arena and fought the good fight for liberal causes and rights, and I don’t see anyone who benefitted from those fights anywhere, but I do see a public pile-on to completely destroy any memory of any good Sheldon Silver ever did for them.

For the record, Sheldon SIlver's fights were not for me, not for my beliefs, and not for my conservative democratic ideals.

After all Sheldon Silver has gone through: after being publicly stoned, punished and practically destroyed, after being handcuffed and humiliated, after having to lose his law license, title and Assembly seat, after all of the money that he had to pay back, and after putting his family through shame, I cannot comprehend the sentence he received. 

The judge sentenced Sheldon Silver, a 72-year sick old man to 12 years in prison.

I believe that after all of the punishment described above, a few years would have been enough. Why have him die in prison?  I have seen murderers receive less time in prison for their crime .... as I always say, God hates ugly.

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.