Open Thread

“ENY – what do you write?”

When I was younger, I wrote for the Brooklyn Heights Press. I’ve worked as a news reporter for the N.Y. Post (which I now boycott). I’ve written magazine articles about jazz, Negro League baseball and the travel industry. I’ve also been a reporter for trade magazines covering the retailing and travel industries. I’m a PR guy now, and mainly write press releases, speeches, etc. for clients of my firm and for a few of my own clients (outside work). I also write for myself, and have been working on a book (on Negro League baseball) for a while now.

benson, it’s possible nobody (with the exception of DIBS) has had more unpleasant words exchanged with The What than I have. But I decided to look past our fights, which were nothing more than ridiculous insults and threats exchanged on a daily basis with no substance behind them and listen to what he was saying and try to state my case. Since then, we have been civil with each other.

But to your points.

Regarding segregation – I am trying to put myself into the shoes of someone who grew up, likely less advantaged than me, as an African American at a time when they were treated even more as second class citizens than they are now. He has an insight that I don’t and I am respecting his opinion on how things were since I wasn’t here at the time. Having said that, my lengthy post above does state that I don’t find it entirely fair to question people who buy into neighborhoods out of a love for the house and the area and without the intention of trying to make a quick profit out of it. I’m talking about those who truly want to make an investment in their neighborhood and deal with all the good and bad that comes with it. I also referenced changing neighborhoods and how people of many different backgrounds have been priced out of them by newcomers.

Regarding his views of others, specifically those like Montrose and wasder. I specifically mentioned that I would like him to back off of her. I think he has unfairly attacked her, but I hope with civility and reason he can see that. And you know what? When cobblehiller was interacting with him, I held it against her. I thought she should be attacking him like I did. But then I realized I had the problem, not her. I’m trying the approach of giving respect to get respect. And What has shown that he can respond non-violently when spoken to. Perhaps he has a lot of misplaced anger and maybe it’s justified. I’m trying to understand where he’s coming from and hear what he’s saying. I clearly asked him to back off with the bocce balls and other such talk, but it’s a blog and ultimately he can say what he wants (and DIBS has shown he can competently defend himself).

You can disagree with my approach and I will understand that.

I have an excuse here at work…I’m on a PC. At home I’m on a Mac and the spell checker is automatic.

Miss Pell is good.
Please conitnue.

Biff;

I have to say that I’m disappointed in your response to the What. I’m all for civility – that is fine. However, the man does not deserve legitimacy, for several reasons:

-he is basically advocating some type of new segregation based upon a combination of nativism, color and economic status.

-he has no respect for the views of others. Did you see his recent posts to Montrose? Vile and disgusting.

-why does his opinion have some type of legitimacy, because the world he grew up in is vanishing? This is the US, where we believe in social mobility. Furthermore, in a dynamic city like NY, this is to be expected. I grew up in an area (Gravesend) that slowly morphed from the one I knew to another of primarily Asian and Russian immigrants. We all would like to see our “hometown” stay the same, if for nothing more than sentiment. So what??? Does that give me the right to hate on Chinese folks, to call them all types of vulgar names, to hope that they lose their shirts?

-anybody on this site who would argue that we should put a baseball bat to the head of people who are changing the color or religion of a neighborhood would be hounded off. Likewise if someone complained about lower-income folks moving into a neighborhood and changing its character. Why, therefore, is it OK for someone to argue that if wealthier folks are changing the character of a neighborhood, it’s Ok to take a basball bat or bocce ball to their head?