Proposed Ban Roiling Park Slope Co-op
A neighborhood institution known for its earnestness and political correctness, the Park Slope Co-op now finds itself at the center of a mounting media circus revolving around a recent proposal by a member to ban products from Israel as a statement of protest against the state’s recent actions in Gaza. About 10 people reportedly support…
A neighborhood institution known for its earnestness and political correctness, the Park Slope Co-op now finds itself at the center of a mounting media circus revolving around a recent proposal by a member to ban products from Israel as a statement of protest against the state’s recent actions in Gaza. About 10 people reportedly support the measure; the Co-op has about 15,000 members. While on a practical level all that’s at stake here is a few boxes of peppers and persimmons, the symbolism is causing controversy throughout the neighborhood and beyond. There are so many Jews who shop there, there are so many Israelis who shop there, there’s a huge number of frum people from all over Brooklyn who shop there, said Rabbi Andy Bachman of Beth Elohim in the original article in the Jewish Daily Forward, so my guess is that if it passes, and I want to emphasize that I don’t think it will, they will lose a lot of members. Assemblyman Dov Hikind echoed these sentiments: “[The co-op would] lose a great number of people,” he told The Post. Even TimeOut New York has chimed in: “The motion feels born from the very stiff and self-righteous soapbox awareness that many naysayers feel makes the Co-op unpalatable under normal circumstances,” writes TONY, making to sure to add “we support the Co-op’s open forum for this kind of divisive dialogue.” Still no word on where Adrian Grenier stands on the issue.
Food Fight: Brooklyn Co-op Mulls Israel Ban [Forward]
Park Slope Co-op to Ban Israeli Products? [TONY]
‘Ban Israel’ Bid Mushrooms Into B’klyn Food Fight [NY Post]
Photo by pseudoreal
Heather. My dear Heather….One must live with the decisions that they make. My question to you is why didn’t you buy a real Moroccan pouf??? The global business of fake goods is one we must put a stop to.
Besides, being a pouf in Egypt is illegal and you can get imprisoned whereas it is not in Morocco and the guys are better looking.
More consumers should think before they act. 🙂
How about banning U.S. products because the U.S. promoted torture during the Bush administration, at least until Obama indicates that he will prosecute Bush administration officials? I’d be in support of that. How about banning U.S., products because, unprovoked, the U.S. invaded Iraq?
Humboldt County gets my vote for the best weed. Legalize it, then sell it at the Co-Op. California needs all the help it can get.
Dave, I bought some lovely leather ottomans from Egypt on ebay. Are you saying this was wrong? It felt so right! 36.95 and free shipping for a real leather faux morrocan pouf!
The article says the issue was raised by “Hima B.” Perhaps Hima is the sort of Park Slope resident who is a busybody with nothing to do. I think there are more than a few of those in PS.
personally i dont think marijuana or any drugs should be legalized. why? cuz i dont think they should be overly taxed. ill get flack for this, i dont care. i dont buy drugs really, but i know for a fact that if i did id rather have the money go into the pockets of people who need it. not the government. also i feel like it would overly expensive in certain areas of the country like here in nyc. hello cigarettes are almost 10 bux a pack! wtf? so annoying. yeah yeah i know you all hate smokers blah blah blah. whatever i smoke, i enjoy it, i dont have kids so i dont care about shaving those last 20-30 years off my life anyway. (tho i do get my newports for very very cheap by a kick ass bike messenger who delivers in soho! woo woo).
but yeah my point is that i dont think drugs should be legalized. also it would totally take the fun out of doing them.
*r*
Egyptian cotton dave- there go those nice shirts and bedding. (Of course depends on the thread count)
Yes they do- but at the same time it is obvious that the issue is one designed to upset and offend quite a few co-op members. Seems to me that undermines the concept of the co-op. First, because the co-op is not a political action committee, and second- the issue seems specifically designed to cause conflict and controversy. third- it’s hypocritical- as other , and you have noted, by these lights we should then ban imports from everyplace we disagree with.
so my question is- what was the real purpose of raising this issue in the co-op anyway?
The crux of this Palestinian/Israeli thing is actually Egypt. We should ban imports from Egypt but other than mummies for museums and camels for zoos I don’t know of any.