Election Day Wrap Up

It's time for THE NO CHILL ZONE Election Day Wrap Up.

I will start in my city of residence, Bridgeport, Connecticut, where voters re-elected former mayor and convict Joe Ganim.  Ganim had served as mayor in the 1990s until 2003, when he was sent to prison for seven years for various corruption charges.  Voters believed that Ganim deserved a shot at redemption, and chose him in a rout over several other candidates.

I actually met (and shook hands with) the outgoing mayor, Bill Finch, who lost to Ganim in the Democratic primary.   He seems like a nice guy, and he brought many projects to the Park City.  But my view of Finch wasn't shared by other residents, who decided they needed to bring back a former convict.   I can only hope that Ganim continues the good work that Finch put in.

In Ohio, voters shot down a proposal to legalize medical and recreational marijuana.  This would have been huge, in my honest opinion, if this would have passed in the red state.

In Houston, Texas, voters repealed an ordinance that many said prevented discrimination about the LGBT community.  Opponents of the ordinance said it gave men an excuse to use the women's restroom.

I guess that there are people who are still stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to social issues such as LGBT rights.

Finally, in Kentucky, voters elected a tea party Republican businessman to be the next governor of the Bluegrass State.  Which really doesn't surprise me, and shouldn't have surprised anyone.

Are there any other big Election Day stories that I may have missed?  Leave them in the comments section.

On White Privilege

The topic of white privilege has been discussed in various forums, whether in newspapers, where I read a column in the New York Daily News about a politician from the state of Rhode Island who claims that it doesn't exist, or in online media, which has very expansive on the subject.  For those who may not know what the hell I'm talking about, white privilege is the belief that white people have benefited greatly not just by the virtue of their skin color, but by virtue of having a system in place that oppresses people of color.

I have read up on white privilege and cannot deny that it exists.  In my current job, I deal with many privileged (I also use the term spoiled) white people, who travel from various upper class suburbs.  Obviously, they think they are better than everyone else, and some don't even try to hide that, at least not from me.

Many white people believe that they earned their privilege from hard work and dedication.  But how can deny that part of their privilege may come from keeping the so-called "other" down?  I, for one, have two college degrees (and am trying for a third as we speak).  But I can't find a decent job that fits my education, experience, and skills.  A family member even asked me if that might be attributed to discrimination.  While I do not have a real answer to that question, it has crossed my mind as of late.

I also find that it would be very difficult to talk to white people about their privilege.  Like the politician from Rhode Island, many don't think that it exists (Some also feel that way about racism).  Some end up getting very defensive about it, and try to turn the tables on anyone who brings it up.

A honest conversation on race relations is exactly what this country needs right now, especially given recent events that have made the news.  Let's not wait until there's a so-called "race war" to hash out our differences.  The time for this conversation is now.

On Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The following passage comes courtesy of a Facebook friend from New England, Chaunty Spillane.

"#‎coffeestatus‬ I was thinking and you cannot help those who don't want help and just want to do things in their own self-destructive ways. That's fine. I'm letting it go. You cannot help someone who constantly puts you down and who constantly breaks every boundary you set. You cannot help someone who uses you for things that cost money and never "pays their way". You cannot help someone who does not respect you. You cannot help someone who does not love you. They need to learn to love themselves first BEFORE they can truly love anyone else otherwise it is just infatuation. That could be dangerous. That could come from both sexes in many ways. You cannot help someone who turns totally cold hearted for no apparent reason--that usually indicates PTSD and YOU CAN HELP WITH THAT!!! BECAUSE NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS! And it is NOT SCARY!!!  And everything I've described above are also PTSD symptoms that you can help with once you diagnose it or someone you trust or a medical professional does. Then you can start to know what triggers them and just show them love. Love them from afar if they are too much of a danger to your own person and life. JUST LOVE THEM. They need it. And show them that it feels nice to be loved. Don't turn others against them, INSTEAD maybe help them make a Facebook or go onto some social network that they find amusing and that will help unbelievably because then THEY CAN RECLAIM THEIR LIFE AND FREEDOM FROM TRIGGERS. Suggest psychotherapy with an actual psychologist, maybe group therapy too, and definitely help them get some relief with a psychiatrist. And when they reclaim their life, it's like they are screaming: "I want to live this life the best I can and I want to have love for myself and others." They at least want to try because you've helped add purpose to their life and so have their old reunited connections and new connections. This disorder is far too common these days leaving families and friends shattered and dysfunctional---a quality of life that no one deserves. It undermines you after a while. This is why it is so urgent that we care for those we love and who mean something to us or should mean something to us. And it never hurts to look at ourselves too. Do the right thing, it doesn't take a lot of effort. I know you can do this and straighten out things as I believe in you always in everything. I love you and let's cure PTSD with LOVE and CARE. XOXOOXO"

I agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Spillane's statement.

Post traumatic stress disorder can be triggered by many things, such as being the victim of a violent attack, or being at war and seeing horrible events during one's service.  PTSD, like some mental illnesses, doesn't have a cure, but if properly treated, the symptoms can be minimized.  It also helps that those suffering from PTSD have a strong support system including family and friends as well as a treatment team.

As someone who suffers from another mental illness, major depressive disorder, I believe that we have to do more to help those who suffer from depression, PTSD, and the like.  Sadly, we only seem to talk about this when something violent occurs (and even then, mental illness is not the root cause of the violence).  We need to talk about this every single day.  We need to improve treatment, as well as access to treatment.  We can't just hope for the best.  We need to take serious action.  And the time to take action is NOW.

Again, thanks to Chaunty Spillane for her thoughts on this issue.

Write a comment...

On Gentrification

Ladies and gentlemen, I have just finished reading a rather interesting article in The Atlantic magazine.  The article is basically a defense of gentrification, as we are seeing in neighborhoods such as Harlem and The South Bronx.  The writer of the piece believes that we have the narrative of this subject wrong, and that not as many people are displaced by gentrification as we may think.  This is according to studies that are highlighted in the piece.

This may ring true (at least to the writer of the piece) that neighborhoods that are seeing gentrification may see some progress.  However, when neighborhoods are left out of the planning to bring in people with higher incomes, understandably, controversy can ensue.  There are articles on http://welcome2thebronx.com/ that detail the borough's struggle with gentrifying neighborhoods.

While gentrification may make some neighborhoods get better, they also bring amenities that are fiscally out of reach to the poor residents.  And while I have read articles about upper class people appreciating the culture of neighborhoods like Harlem and The South Bronx, and saying that they are not trying to push anyone out, I don't see these folks really interacting with people who spent entire lives there.

I also see a bit of irony in gentrification.  Yes, I find it ironic that wealthy white people (and yes, most of them are white) suddenly want to live in neighborhoods filled with people of color.  After all, wasn't these same people rushing to get the hell away from us, by moving to more "racially homogeneous" parts of cities?  Or the suburbs?

I most certainly hope that upper class folks have good intentions when deciding to move into neighborhoods that others might have deemed too seedy before.  But now we have local media and real estate firms declaring that "Neighborhood X" could be the next Williamsburg, or SoHo.  While some may see this as a good thing, longtime residents have plenty of reason to worry.  Because with a change of people, comes a change of character, and possibly erasure, to a neighborhood.

On "Respectability Politics"

Over the last few days, America has heard about the high school student who was tossed across a classroom by a "school resource" officer.  The video of the incident has led people to take sides.  There are those who say that the officer used excessive force in his handling of the student.  And then, there are others who believe that the student got what she deserved, for being disruptive in class, and not following the orders of the officer.  The officer was fired following a review of his actions.

But what if the student in question did what was asked of her by the officer?  I wonder now if that would have changed the outcome of this whole situation.  Keep in mind that the student is Black, while the officer is White.  Meanwhile, at least 100 students led a protest to have the officer reinstated, which included some black students.

This brings me to the issue of "Respectability Politics," which dictates that if a person of color (specifically, a Black person) acts in a manner that is "respectable," then (s)he should little to nothing to worry about when it comes to interactions with white people (specifically, white police officers).  Some people, mostly political and social conservatives, hold this to be true.  Others, though, don't think that respectability matters, especially if some white people already hold negative views about people of color.

Count me as one of those who don't seem to think that respectability matters.  Having lived in New York City, which is supposed to be a beacon of tolerance (it's not; the City can be just as racist as any other city in America), I have some experience with this.  When I was in high school, I was stopped by a police officer inside a train station in The Bronx.  After showing him my high school identification card, he made the claim that I looked older than I actually was.  In another incident, this time in Manhattan, in 2006, I was stopped by another police officer as I was leaving Grand Central Terminal, and I was detained for about twenty minutes while they verified my identification.  I would be told that I looked like someone who passed through there earlier.  In both incidents, I was "respectable," but as I mentioned before, if someone has a negative view of people of color, it doesn't matter how "respectable" one thinks (s)he is.

I always carry myself in a civilized manner, but if I learned anything from my time in the so called "greatest city in the world" (it's not), it's that racism exists even in the most "liberal" or "progressive" of places.  Wherever I go, I know that I will be scrutinized more become some people think that I don't belong in certain areas because of my skin color.  No amount of "respectability" will ever change that.

Comment...As you see fit.

On Urban Crime

Let me start this latest blog post in THE NO CHILL ZONE by strongly denouncing the killing of Randolph Holder, an NYPD housing officer in East Harlem last night.  He is the fourth New York City police officer to die in the last eleven months (barely a year!) Now we know that the suspect in the officer's death was a hardened criminal who had no business being out on the streets.

I am going to reiterate what I said after the deaths of two other officers, killed in an ambush just days before Christmas last year...  Things are going to get harder for people of color in New York City.  And you know why?  Because it is the few idiots in our communities that ruin things for the majority, who are decent, law abiding citizens.

I personally don't get the allure of gang life.  As a post on Facebook I've seen says, "The streets don't love you.  They just take you away from people who do."

I grew up in the South Bronx, in the late 1980s and throughout the 90s.  The neighborhood was awful with violent crime rampant in the streets.  One day, some knucklehead pulled out a gun and started shooting in the air inside a playground adjacent to the housing project I was living in, with no regard to the children playing outside whatsoever.

One night, when I was little, some thug shot his gun off the roof of the building across from mine, and one of the bullets struck the kitchen window.  If the window wasn't double sided, there is the possibility that someone could have been hurt or killed.

Last night's tragedy should be a wake up call to all those who embrace the thug culture and stereotypes.  They could end up in jail, or dead.

It is a shame.  Another family without a husband, a father, a son, and why?  Because of criminals ruining neighborhoods and communities of color.

We must take our communities back from those wanting to cause trouble.  We must send a clear and strong message that this behavior will not be tolerated.  Lest we hear of more tragedies such as the passing of Officer Holder.

On Immigration

The subject of immigration has been in the news a lot over the past few weeks, particularly with business mogul, reality star and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump making it the centerpiece of his campaign.  He has derided illegal immigration from the southern border of the United States, to the point of sounding racist (which he is, but that's for another day).

This blog post isn't about Trump, however.  Immigration has been a hot topic for several years, with an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants calling the U.S. home.  President Obama signed an executive order to deal with this issue, bypassing a far - right Republican Congress who wants to send the immigrants packing.

At my current job, I deal with undocumented immigrants every single day.  Many of them speak little to no English, and it is hard to serve them properly when they don't understand what the hell I'm talking about.

But it's not just immigrants from south of the border.  I have noticed that some Caribbean, and even some European immigrants, don't speak the English language.  This morning, I had to help a Haitian national who couldn't speak the language, and needed someone to translate information for me.  Also, at one point, a European customer who couldn't speak English got irate, and since there was no one there to translate, I couldn't figure out why.

Even a Haitian coworker turned to me one time and asked, "How the f--- are you living in America and you can't speak English?"  I didn't answer, but we all know the answer...Most of these people are not here legally.

I often wonder how undocumented immigrants get by without speaking English.  The social circles of these individuals and their families must be extremely small.

I am not a Republican.   Not by any stretch of the imagination.  But sometimes, being frustrated with the trouble I have serving the undocumented, I could appreciate the party's stance on the issue, as sometimes I think they are living better than I am.  Back in the 1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suggested that immigrants learn English within five years...Or leave.

Now, before you go accusing me of being a racist or xenophobe, let me say that I am all for legal immigration, provided that people who want to live here meet certain prerequisites, like having a job and paying taxes.  Oh, and, they know how to speak the King's English.

All this being said, I honestly don't think that the undocumented have anything to worry about, not at the present time.  Let's say that Donald Trump actually pulls off a miracle and wins the presidency.  He'd have a hard time sending them back...it would be too time (and money) consuming.

Comment...As you see fit.