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shadowkatWhat can I say? Except to continue to report on what is unfolding as I see it day by day. To give you a sense of what it is like to live here in Brooklyn and New York City during a pandemic.
We are currently under a curfew citywide. I'm told it is nation wide by friends on FB. 8pm to 5am. I got an emergency alert on it around 8PM and at 5PM.
I read an article in the New York Times today that stated Where the Virus is Growing Most - Countries with Illiberal Populist Leaders - The US, the UK, Russia and Brazil.
Accomplished very little today - my mind refused to focus. And sleep is filled with jagged nightmares as the days flow tirelessly into each other.
I signed petitions online and tried to text - the text didn't work. And I've donated.
So this is the fifth day of protesting in pandemic central despite an 8pm curfew...actually they are kind saying "fuck that curfew".
Millions of young people are protesting, of all races and creeds. It is not just people of color. The protesting is peaceful, the looting has happened after 8pm each day - usually closer to eleven, so all the cities have imposed an 8pm curfew. We got an "Emergency Alert" on our phones. Today, my church advised me that they were opening it up as a sanctuary spot for the protestors and in need of volunteers and supplies. (I can't help. I want to help. But I can't. For oh so many real reasons that I can't go into...no car, no way to get there safely, not enough supplies to lend...I feel so impotent.)
If you want to see what it's like - my friend posted the peaceful protest march through Brooklyn tonight on FB - HERE. They are deliberately avoiding Brooklyn Bridge tonight. To give you a context of where this is taking place? It's about thirty minutes from where I live by subway - my church is located nearby. I know this area very well. During the fall - the Brooklyn Book Festival is located here. It also shows that everyone is wearing masks, the stores are boarded up but there is no looting. The woman commenting is my friend, who is six feet tall and a belly dancer, IT professional, and Doctor Who/Trek fan - she is about three years younger than me and in much better shape. She fled the Sunday protest in fear for her life. These protests are being held near where I go to church and commuted for work prior to March 18.
Also, we've all begun to suspect that the undercover cops infilerated the protests after dark, along with members of various racist and white supremacist organizations and criminal elements - and they "hijacked" the protests. The protestors themselves aren't violent and peaceful. This is important to know.
The music and entertainment industry declared an online blackout in support of the protestors today - all day I listened to For Us By US on apple music - which was posted in place of all music on the platform. Hearing about this - it kind of went viral and the city blacked out all its lights in silent support. Apparently everyone is supporting the protestors except for the Republicans, the Federal Government, the President and certain people in the police department. I'm waiting for our Governor or Mayor to fire the current police commissioner if he doesn't get his act together.
The news is all over the place. ABC News is depicting unity - police officers, white people, black people, nurses, doctors, all unified in protesting for change. While others depict the looting and violence and the pain. NY1 pissed me off for misquoting the Governor of New York in regards to deployment of the National Guard. So much so, I wrote them a letter. Irresponsible journalism makes this situation worse. [Note - they are not deploying the National Guard. The Governor offered the National Guard to the Mayor of New York City - he didn't accept it. When Reporters pressed the Governor on it - the Governor stated that he didn't have the legal authority to deploy it without the Mayor's approval - to do so would require deposing the Mayor and he couldn't even come up with a precedent for doing that.]
It's a gray day here, but not cold. No rain in the forecast and an imposed curfew of 8PM to 5 AM for the first time since the 1940s in New York City.
My neighborhood facebook page requested that no one order anything to be delivered after 8PM.
And I sit alone in my apartment, with only myself and the television for company. The last time I interacted face to face with another human being who knew my name and said it was on March 17.
My shoulders ache, and I'm not sleeping well. According to my phone, I'm exercising and walking less than I did last year at this time or even in early March. I feel confined and somewhat stir crazy.
Meditation helps. As does writing. I think I'm also moving into menopause.
The anger and pain seems much like the virus to be outside the window, this invisible threat I can't see until I turn on the tv or the internet. I live in a racially diverse residential area that is largely middle class. It's not a wealthy area, or a poor one, really. It's kind of working class to middle class range, with essential workers. And my apartment complex is all races.
I don't understand racism any more than I've ever understood sexism, homophobia, or the rest. For me, black men and women always seemed safer than white men and women. I spend most of days with people of color at work and on the commute. At work the cubicles around me are all people of color, my boss is a black man. And when I take the train, I'm often the only white person on it - to and from Jamaica, Queens each day.
If I was prejudiced against anyone it was the pristine white blond with blue eyes and straight white teeth, female, or the big white guy, who turns bright red with the sun. These folks seemed to be born bullies in my opinion. Someone like Trump automatically breed distrust in me - I see him, I see a bully.
I tan easily. My skin is a peach olive tone. My eyes disappear when I smile. I'm too tall. Too big. With large hands and large feet. I remember going to a school in the fifth grade and becoming friends with two black men - the only two in the school, they took me under their wing. The reason - I was at that school in the mid-seventies - is important, it was due to de-segregation. They were de-segregating the schools. That same year, we moved to a suburb of Kansas City. The new school was head and shoulders better in education than the one I left - yet the kids were nasty entitled brats. All white. All varying degrees of middle and upper class. I got bullied and I struggled to make friends. There were no people of color in that school - everyone looked alike.
And this is a pandemic. People are dying daily. And the police use their power to kill? Really?
It makes me so angry, but it is impotent rage. I can't take it anywhere. I tried to apply to vote by absentee ballot online and it didn't work - will try to mail it in tomorrow.
I don't know.
I leave you with flowers.
We are currently under a curfew citywide. I'm told it is nation wide by friends on FB. 8pm to 5am. I got an emergency alert on it around 8PM and at 5PM.
I read an article in the New York Times today that stated Where the Virus is Growing Most - Countries with Illiberal Populist Leaders - The US, the UK, Russia and Brazil.
Accomplished very little today - my mind refused to focus. And sleep is filled with jagged nightmares as the days flow tirelessly into each other.
I signed petitions online and tried to text - the text didn't work. And I've donated.
So this is the fifth day of protesting in pandemic central despite an 8pm curfew...actually they are kind saying "fuck that curfew".
Millions of young people are protesting, of all races and creeds. It is not just people of color. The protesting is peaceful, the looting has happened after 8pm each day - usually closer to eleven, so all the cities have imposed an 8pm curfew. We got an "Emergency Alert" on our phones. Today, my church advised me that they were opening it up as a sanctuary spot for the protestors and in need of volunteers and supplies. (I can't help. I want to help. But I can't. For oh so many real reasons that I can't go into...no car, no way to get there safely, not enough supplies to lend...I feel so impotent.)
If you want to see what it's like - my friend posted the peaceful protest march through Brooklyn tonight on FB - HERE. They are deliberately avoiding Brooklyn Bridge tonight. To give you a context of where this is taking place? It's about thirty minutes from where I live by subway - my church is located nearby. I know this area very well. During the fall - the Brooklyn Book Festival is located here. It also shows that everyone is wearing masks, the stores are boarded up but there is no looting. The woman commenting is my friend, who is six feet tall and a belly dancer, IT professional, and Doctor Who/Trek fan - she is about three years younger than me and in much better shape. She fled the Sunday protest in fear for her life. These protests are being held near where I go to church and commuted for work prior to March 18.
Also, we've all begun to suspect that the undercover cops infilerated the protests after dark, along with members of various racist and white supremacist organizations and criminal elements - and they "hijacked" the protests. The protestors themselves aren't violent and peaceful. This is important to know.
The music and entertainment industry declared an online blackout in support of the protestors today - all day I listened to For Us By US on apple music - which was posted in place of all music on the platform. Hearing about this - it kind of went viral and the city blacked out all its lights in silent support. Apparently everyone is supporting the protestors except for the Republicans, the Federal Government, the President and certain people in the police department. I'm waiting for our Governor or Mayor to fire the current police commissioner if he doesn't get his act together.
The news is all over the place. ABC News is depicting unity - police officers, white people, black people, nurses, doctors, all unified in protesting for change. While others depict the looting and violence and the pain. NY1 pissed me off for misquoting the Governor of New York in regards to deployment of the National Guard. So much so, I wrote them a letter. Irresponsible journalism makes this situation worse. [Note - they are not deploying the National Guard. The Governor offered the National Guard to the Mayor of New York City - he didn't accept it. When Reporters pressed the Governor on it - the Governor stated that he didn't have the legal authority to deploy it without the Mayor's approval - to do so would require deposing the Mayor and he couldn't even come up with a precedent for doing that.]
It's a gray day here, but not cold. No rain in the forecast and an imposed curfew of 8PM to 5 AM for the first time since the 1940s in New York City.
My neighborhood facebook page requested that no one order anything to be delivered after 8PM.
And I sit alone in my apartment, with only myself and the television for company. The last time I interacted face to face with another human being who knew my name and said it was on March 17.
My shoulders ache, and I'm not sleeping well. According to my phone, I'm exercising and walking less than I did last year at this time or even in early March. I feel confined and somewhat stir crazy.
Meditation helps. As does writing. I think I'm also moving into menopause.
The anger and pain seems much like the virus to be outside the window, this invisible threat I can't see until I turn on the tv or the internet. I live in a racially diverse residential area that is largely middle class. It's not a wealthy area, or a poor one, really. It's kind of working class to middle class range, with essential workers. And my apartment complex is all races.
I don't understand racism any more than I've ever understood sexism, homophobia, or the rest. For me, black men and women always seemed safer than white men and women. I spend most of days with people of color at work and on the commute. At work the cubicles around me are all people of color, my boss is a black man. And when I take the train, I'm often the only white person on it - to and from Jamaica, Queens each day.
If I was prejudiced against anyone it was the pristine white blond with blue eyes and straight white teeth, female, or the big white guy, who turns bright red with the sun. These folks seemed to be born bullies in my opinion. Someone like Trump automatically breed distrust in me - I see him, I see a bully.
I tan easily. My skin is a peach olive tone. My eyes disappear when I smile. I'm too tall. Too big. With large hands and large feet. I remember going to a school in the fifth grade and becoming friends with two black men - the only two in the school, they took me under their wing. The reason - I was at that school in the mid-seventies - is important, it was due to de-segregation. They were de-segregating the schools. That same year, we moved to a suburb of Kansas City. The new school was head and shoulders better in education than the one I left - yet the kids were nasty entitled brats. All white. All varying degrees of middle and upper class. I got bullied and I struggled to make friends. There were no people of color in that school - everyone looked alike.
And this is a pandemic. People are dying daily. And the police use their power to kill? Really?
It makes me so angry, but it is impotent rage. I can't take it anywhere. I tried to apply to vote by absentee ballot online and it didn't work - will try to mail it in tomorrow.
I don't know.
I leave you with flowers.