Thousands expected to participate
Civil-Rights Leaders Linking Two Deaths -- Eric Garner's in Staten Island and Michael Brown's in Ferguson -- Staten Island rally to protest "homicide" of man in police custody will now include issue of black youth killed by police in Ferguson, Mo. -- Michael Brown's family might attend event in Staten Island
Congressman Grimm Opposes Demonstration -- Says it's an attempt to portray Staten Island as racist
According to Marcia Gay, writing for the Wall Street Journal, "A Staten Island rally for a man who died in an apparent police chokehold will include protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Missouri, march organizers said, as civil-rights leaders have begun linking the two deaths. *** A spokeswoman for the Rev. Al Sharpton said the family of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was killed Aug. 9 by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer, is considering attending the rally [this coming] Saturday, which originally was planned to focus on the issues surrounding Eric Garner's death on Staten Island. Mr. Brown's family's presence will depend on the timing of his funeral, which is contingent on the completion of several autopsies, the spokeswoman said...." (See "N.Y. Rally to Include Protests Over Shooting in Ferguson, Mo." by Marcia Gay, 8/17/14, Wall Street Journal [http://online.wsj.com/articles/staten-island-rally-to-include-protests-over-shooting-in-ferguson-mo-1408326192]).
Ms. Gay's article also included a critique of police policies and practices by Civil rights leaders such as the Revs. Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. They have said both deaths are tied by a combustible alchemy of race, a focus on low-level crime and the excessive use of force by the police. "Both of them were victims of this aggressive policing of low-level crime," Mr. Sharpton said [this past] Saturday of Messrs. Garner and Brown. "There's a pattern here. And the pattern is a predisposition toward disproportionate force, toward violence, on black men," Mr. Jackson said in a telephone interview from Ferguson. "Other march organizers say anger over the death of Mr. Brown will be as visceral a presence at the rally as that of Mr. Garner's. Hundreds of people filled New York's streets last week to protest Mr. Brown's death in mostly peaceful demonstrations that resulted in a few arrests. Several thousand are expected Saturday."
Mayor DeBlazio has called upon the protesters to demonstrate peacefully (See "Mayor Bill de Blasio calls for peaceful protest as Rev. Sharpton's Staten Island march over Eric Garner's death nears" by Eddie DAnna, 8/18/14, SI Advance/ silive.com [http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2014/08/mayor_bill_de_blasio_calls_for.html]).
Local Conservative-Republican officials initially opposed the proposed demonstration when Rev. Sharpton had wanted to march over the Verrazano Bridge; but now, several of those Staten Island elected officials oppose the march completely. For example, U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a Conservative-Republican, said the event will give credibility to an "all too convenient stereotype that Staten Island is racist."
15 comments:
Of note is that Staten Island is largely Roman Catholic. Back in the 80's the fourth Bishop of Brooklyn was instrumental in having local pastors and curates out in the streets diffusing the numerous racial tensions in Howard beach and Bensonhurst. He was known to welcome local agitators and community organizers into Saint James Cathedral to speak while Cardinal O'Connor voiced public opposition. Bishop Mugavero even went out to stand in front of New Park Pizza on Cross Bay Boulevard. I suspect next Saturday if alive he would be standing somewhere on Staten island - praying for peace. Is there a correlation between the number of practicing Catholics in a neighborhood and the level of racial animus? I am not sure. Did the nuns ever get permission to sell the convent to the Muslim community or did the pastor over rule that? I never followed up.
Did anybody notice that all the cable news coverage last night, treated the police as the enemy aggressors in Ferguson, Missouri. That would include Fox News anchor Shepherd Smith and at least two correspondents on the street, who from 11:30 to midnight commented on how stupid and inflammatory the police tactics of occasionally rushing forward into the crowds of protesters. to make single arrests were. Sometime during the Fox coverage there were even comparisons to the armed invasion of Gaza City by Israeli soldiers. The other stations also repeatedly said that the police were inflaming rather than helping the situation in Ferguson. CNN interviewed a teargassed news photographer from New Mexico who said cops are like this everywhere and that he'd been hit with teargas back home in Albuquerque.
RESPONSE: THE "GOLDEN NAME IS 'GOLDEN' " EDITION
Hmmmm ! My guess is that you were referring to somebody named "Sgt. Patrick Golden," whose name appeared in the blog, "Photography is Not a Crime" with a notation that he is an officer that has been named in six lawsuits.
Thanks for the heads-up.
Of course, it's a popular name and it's a very big police force....
Don't get distracted here. The only Golden that is an elected official is State Senator Martin Golden. He has spoken out about Eric Garner and he said that Garner needed to be held to account. Marty Golden probably believes that Michael Brown should be held to account too. Unfortunately, they can't be held to account because they were killed on the spot by the first cops on the scene. So Marty Golden needs to shut up about holding a dead black man like Eric Garner to account, that account is closed.
Recchia seems to be awfully quiet lately.
Isn't Patrick Golden also the "owner" of the Bay Ridge Manor, a popular catering hall?
Can't we all just get along ?
dibasio and Stringer arent going to march. Than Tish James just announced she cant make the march because of vacation plans.
Are our leaders trying to tell us its a good time to get out of town?
wait to see the march on Staten Island on sateurday is going to be a circus and everybody involved will be clowns or wild animals
UPDATE & BACKFILL: THE "CARDINAL MAKES A BIG MISTAKE" EDITION
DOLAN MEETS SHARPTON, MAYOR, POLICE COMMISSIONER AND OTHERS IN “COMMUNITY POLICE ROUNDTABLE”
COVERAGE SHOWS THAT SHARPTON WAS ABLE TO EXPLOIT THE EVENT
Cardinal Dolan never disappoints when it comes to making his selection to be the top dog of U.S. prelates look like a huge papal blunder. Yesterday’s meeting with the mayor, the Police Commissioner and Al Sharpton was no exception. For some reason the Cardinal-Arch Bishop of New York decided that he needed to put himself in a political clown car with the likes of an Al Sharpton and other professional rabble-rousers and haters.
The coverage in the Daily News shows why this was such a terrible idea for Dolan (See “Religious and city officials have closed-door meeting in wake of Eric Garner’s death” by Jennifer Fermino, 8/20/14, NY Daily News/ Daily Politics [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/religious-city-officials-meet-wake-eric-garner-death-article-1.1910622]). Between a few tepid remarks by the Cardinal and the Mayor, the article was largely taken over by the remarks of Sharpton. “...Attendees talked about Saturday’s planned march in the city against police brutality. *** ‘I do not believe I will be stabbed,’ Sharpton said about the upcoming protest, referring to the 1991 march through Bensonhurst, honoring the memory of Yusuf Hawkins, where he was knifed in the chest by a drunken assailant. *** Hawkins was shot to death on Aug. 23, 1989 after being taunted by a mob of bat-wielding white men in Bensonhurst. Saturday's march will honor Hawkins on the 25th anniversary of his death as protestors demand justice for Garner. *** The meeting was called in response to the death of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by cops on July 17. *** The meeting was called in response to the death of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by cops on July 17. *** At Wednesday’s interfaith meeting, those coming to the table agreed to disagree on some points, but wanted to work toward some kind of reconciliation. *** ‘America must show the world that we are mature enough to allow a citizenry to question those in authority while respecting them at the same time,’ said Sharpton....”
Once again tying together the Eric Garner and now the Michael Brown killings with Yusef Hawkins, who was killed in a gang fight in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, Sharpton has his sights set on New York City’s largest white working class stronghold, Staten Island.
It was a sad spectacle and instead of validating the rev. Al Sharpton it diminished our Cardinal across the river. His Eminence would have done well to study the actions of one of his predecessors John Cardinal O'Connor. After the Amoudou Diallo shooting Sharpton tried the same thing prodding the Cardinal to march and publicly requesting meetings. Cardinal O'Connor did not oblige. Instead he held a special Mass at Saint Patrick's - a Mass of healing and invited the Holy Name Society as well as others. He instructed Pastors too to speak at Sunday Mass of the tragedy. Also, Mr. Massey, your our own Ordinary was there too yesterday. Bishop DiMarzio is in the photo ops in some papers. Can't figure that one out. Lastly, I am sure you noticed first the absence of women religious at the table. This is ironic since every congregation of women religious in both dioceses has as its charism the commitment to peace and non-violence. Perhaps a few nuns present at the Cardinal's residence yesterday would have enriched the dialogue.
A CSJ friend of mine told me that a contingent of priests and sisters is boarding a Justice bus at 100th street in Bay Ridge tomorrow to participate in the We Will Not Go Back Rally. This along with Cardinal Dolan's embrace of Sharpton at his residence is perhaps an effort to send Catholic Staten Islanders a clear message of where our institutional Church stands on this issue.
Thanks for the warning so we can lock up all our altar boys onStaten Island for their own safety.
Anyway WHo cares about the institutional church, whatever that is? This is a political blog not "Catholic New York".
On Staten Island the only thing that matters is that thanks to Guy Molinari - Congressman Grimm and Nicole Malliotakis is supporting the cops in this and that means Grimm is going towin in the elections against Recchia with even more votes. And
Tirone will beat Cusack in the COnservatives primary.
"This is a political blog not Catholic New York." A distinction without a difference if ever there was one . . . just ask Father "I wanna be a Monsignor" over at Saint Finbar's, he'll agree.
Addendum to my above comment: It is interesting that the commenter states this is not a Catholic blog when the most recent post by the blog administrator mentions in it three men who are or were at one time board members of The Cathedral Club - our Bishop's very own PAC. Last February Hynes could not attend the annual dinner and the executive floor campaign committee was tripping all over themselves trying to find someone to fill in for him - because it was a campaign year and he had to be represented.
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