NY governor curtails free speech over BDS

Progressive Americans would have been rightly outraged had the Governor of Alabama in 1955 issued an executive order to punish black groups and individuals boycotting the Montgomery, AL bus company which led to integration on the buses and sparked the modern civil rights movement.

Progressive Americans would have been rightly outraged had the governor of California in 1964 issued an executive order to punish migrant groups and individuals boycotting California produce growers which led to contracts finally giving migrant workers fair wages and working conditions.

Progressive Americans would have been rightly outraged had an American president issued an executive order to punish groups and individuals boycotting the Apartheid government of South Africa which led to the end of Apartheid and freedom for South African blacks

Yet, there is much progressive silence over the executive order issued by progressive NY governor Andrew Cuomo to punish NY groups and individuals who boycott Israel over their colonization and subjugation of Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza. Depriving Palestinians of basic services, food and water, while displacing Palestinians to build illegal settlements and inflict collective punishment such as the current water reduction over a recent terrorist attack, is reviled around the world. Collective punishment is considered a war crime.

Cuomo's order directs all agencies under his jurisdiction to discontinue all dealings with companies and organizations that support BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions). It also mandates that Cuomo's commissioner compile a list of institutions and companies that support a boycott of Israel. The blacklist will be publicly posted. The burden of proving that these entities do not support the boycott is on the companies and institutions themselves. Cuomo issued the executive order because the NY legislature rightly refused to enact laws stifling the free speech of participants in BDS.

Cuomo's directive is an unconstitutional infringement on free speech as well as being cruel and immoral in furthering Palestinian suffering. It must be opposed by every American who values free speech; and justice, citizenship and statehood for Palestinians.

My 50 year old membership card in the American Civil Liberties Union doesn't make a free speech exception to perpetuate man's inhumanity to man.