So, I live on Staten Island. Not only do I live on Staten Island, I live a block and a half from the spot where Eric Garner died. The park in which he sold "loosies" is catty-corner from my building. This neighborhood, where I purchased a condo, is undergoing a sort of revival, and I have to admit, that not only I, but other condo owners in my building and folks in the surrounding area have in the past called the local precinct complaining about the sale of narcotics in said park. And I will agree that Mr. Garner was involved in illegal behavior, but certainly behavior that could have been handled in a much better way that would not have resulted in his untimely death. I also agree that Mr. Garner had health issues, and who does not? I am sure his were more serious than even he knew.
I am also no fool. I have lived in this city my entire life, the last forty years on Staten Island where I taught in private, parochial and public schools for twenty eight years. And it was in the public schools on this island where I saw institutional racism up close. How could a school that was almost 35% African American only have four or five students of color in honors programs? How could the overwhelming majority of students who were suspended be African American and Hispanic? How could the vast majority of students in our Special Education unit, which was at one time by choice 25% of the school population, overwhelmingly be made up of young men of color? Now, by the time students reach the secondary level, most of the educational decisions in their lives have been either made or put into motion. Many of our students did very well and succeeded with the support of a wonderfully caring staff, but others struggled to get by due to circumstances beyond their control, and beyond the control of the concerned adults who strove each day to do the best they could with limited resources in a system bogged down by bureaucracy. And just in case you did not know it, the New York City public schools are the most segregated in the country according to recent reports, and Staten Island is the "whitest" district in the city.
There is good reason for this. This is the borough in which an overwhelming number of civil servants reside. New York City has a residency rule for members of the uniformed services, so many firefighters, police officers and sanitation workers live here. Ask any Staten Islander if he or she knows a city worker, and the odds are they themselves are, or they are related to an employee of the City of New York. At this moment, I am currently employed part time by the city and my three children work for the city full time in three different municipal agencies.
Real estate prices here are a bit more reasonable than in the rest of the city. Coop apartments, condos, town houses and single and multiple family homes are spread out across the island and offer a plethora of housing alternatives not found in the congested grid that is Manhattan. In addition, we are just a mere 25 minute ferry ride from the hustle and bustle of "the city" where so many of us work.
And so, I have to admit that I am very much dismayed and upset at the reaction others have to us and their perceived perceptions of who and what we are.
First, let me note that I was more than shocked when the Grand Jury's decision was announced. I thought that at the very least, there would be an indictment so further investigation would go forward. I also know that our current District Attorney is a man of professional integrity, and intellectually understood that there was a process that was followed very deliberately. Since the D.A. petitioned to have the Grand Jury's evidence made public, I thought I would reserve my final decision until I read what the jury had as evidence as well as what we had all seen in the media.
I am upset when I hear or read on social media outlets of how reactionary, racist and conservative Staten Islander are. I am upset when I see demonstrators from elsewhere making rash statements about the place I call home. I am upset with people from other boroughs who make unfeeling and uninformed remarks about the borough in which I have chosen to live. If I hear one more so-called "friend" asking if I have my passport to get to Manhattan or how NYC sends its garbage to Staten Island, I may just have to slap them silly. By the way, I travel freely back and forth to Manhattan on a weekly basis, and NYC's solid waste goes to a landfill in Pennsylvania, not here.
Just to set the record straight: Eric Garner's death was a tragedy; the Grand Jury reached its conclusion with the evidence it was given; a civil suit can follow, and it should; all lives are important; no young man should be stopped because of his color, his clothes or the length of his hair; all of New York's citizens have a right to use public spaces without fear. And Staten Islanders should not all be painted with one brush; we are as diverse as most American villages, towns or cities. We want a better life for our children and all children on this piece of New York City...and we deserve the respect and help of the rest of this great city.
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