Saratoga Springs Mailer Debate: Is it Racist or Just Politics?

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a rather baffling spectacle in Saratoga Springs, New York. We've got ourselves a press conference organized by the Democratic Party of Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County, and they've brought along a few comrades from Kristen Dart's campaign and Saratoga BLM. What's all the fuss about? Well, brace yourselves, because it's nothing less than a declaration that the mailer distributed by the Montagnino campaign is, wait for it, "racist."

Now, I've been combing through this, trying to make sense of it. The claim seems to be that the imagery on the mailer is racially offensive because it supposedly perpetuates stereotypes about black people not being able to control their emotions. At least, that's how Dart and co. explained it.

Here's where it gets interesting: the images used in the Montagnino flyer were taken straight from the pages of the Times Union. That Dart image? It's from an article published on September 12th, 2023, titled "Saratoga Council Dems Reject Montagnino As Ballot Mate." The snapshot was captured at a 9/11 memorial event, where Dart was officially endorsed by four members of the Saratoga Springs City Council.

And then there's the Figuereo image, which hails from an article in the Times Union on July 31, 2023, entitled "Saratoga Activists Say Police Need Reform Or Need To Be Abolished." This picture was snapped during a press conference at Saratoga Springs City Hall, where Saratoga BLM organizer, Lexis Figuereo, openly called for the abolition of the police. Isn't it intriguing that the very mailer that's stirring the pot here suggested that Dart was "generally sympathetic to Saratoga BLM's ideology." A fact which her campaign has not denied. One can't help but wonder if that includes supporting the abolishment of law enforcement.

So, here's the question that nobody seems to want to answer: If these images are so darn "racist" when Montagnino publishes them, why isn't there outrage when the Times Union does the same thing? The intensity of the press conference seemed as heartfelt as a Hollywood awards show acceptance speech, complete with scripted tears and rehearsed emotion.