COMMUNITY UNITES TO CALL ON ELECTED OFFICIALS TO STOP SPIRALING VIOLENCE ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE
LOWER EAST SIDE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS JOIN TOGETHER TO PETITION ELECTED OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENT TO WORK TOGETHER TO STOP THE VIOLENCE, PROVIDE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND RESTORE FUNDING TO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 11 a.m.
At
CAMPOS PLAZA TENANTS’ ASSOCIATION
205 AVENUE C at 12th STREET
(ENTER THROUGH THE ‘L’ on 12th and C)
9 comments:
did you see this?
and this?
and these comments? e.g. "The problem we have in our neighborhood has NOTHING to do with nightlife. Old people need to realize this!!! If anything nightlife helps keep Ave. A busy and I feel rather safe walking on the populated street at night. If you start getting deeper and deeper into Alphabet City the less safe you will feel because at night there is nothing going on. No way would I be caught wandering around Ave. D at night alone…and maybe not even Ave. C for that matter.
damn yunnies
Yeah, Anon. Those damn yunnies, calling on the community to join together and stop the violence. Not all of them are out to ruin this neighborhood, you know. Unless you really miss gangwars and gun violence at your doorstep.
EastVillageIdiot said:
"At the same time, however - not 10 hours after Taz Pagan was shot and killed - neighbors along Avenue A were shamelessly harping on his death as another example that East Village nightlife has gotten out of hand. As family members and friends were mourning Pagan’s death at a makeshift memorial outside Forbidden City, cranky neighbors hopped on their soapbox to complain to the press about the noisy bars on Avenue A and the 4am closing time of these bars, and attempted to make the case that it contributed to Sunday morning’s shooting."
Chris, the argument you're making would have a lot more merit if your essay had linked to even one of these allegedly soapboxing cranky neighbors. The only two EV blogs that seem to be giving this much coverage are this one (EV Grieve) and Jeremiah's, and in my opinion the reaction (both in the posts and in the comments) has been quite subdued. You're the one who sounds cranky, brother.
Anon: I wasn't speaking of these blogs at all in that.
Did you happen to go over to Forbidden City on Sunday afternoon? I did. Around 2pm, as family and friends talked to reporters, neighbors of the bars tried to get face time with the reporters, too, to complain about the noise on Avenue A. It was one of the most despicable things I've ever seen. These people were IN TEARS, and they felt it was appropriate to try to make a connection between this incident and the noise outside their homes. They have every right to complain in a public forum, but they could have at least shown some respect. That was what set off my essay.
It wasn't this blog or any other. I think EV Grieve has done a fantastic job covering this story with the respect it deserves. I just wish everyone in the community did the same.
By the way, for a perfect example of what I was talking about, listen to the end of this report on 1010 WINS. Sorry I wasn't more specific. I guess I need to be more careful in using the term "the press" in the age of blogging.
Thank you for clarifying, Chris. That you heard the inappropriate complaining first-hand wasn't really clear (to me) in your original essay.
And no, I wasn't there Sunday afternoon. I found out about 8am Sunday morning, when I left my building and saw the block was cordoned off (I live on it, so I was able to move somewhat freely on the sidewalk) and I talked to a shop owner and saw the blood in the street. It is an absolute senseless tragedy. I agree that the immediate aftermath is no time to restart complaining about the problems on upper A as of late. Forbidden City in particular has always been a good neighbor and is hardly new, but regardless I agree that respect should have been shown. There is always another time for arguments about the bars.
In regards to the first comment, its pretty much standard thinking about these things that having lots of businesses and people along a street makes it safer. More pairs of eyes. I don't see what is yunnie about thinking that Avenue A is safer at night than Avenue D.
Now Avenue D is quieter than Avenue A, so there is a trade off. And you can want there to be fewer bars along Avenue A, and not want the street gangs to come back. Its not like a street has to have frat bars or heroin dealers, those are your two options, it can't have anything else.
I also agree with the comments about people using a personal tragedy to push their agendas.
As commentor said up top, Avenue A is a busy street; and this person feels safer with so many people around. Avenue A was busy when Taz was murdered, you know. Busy doesn't mean safer.
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