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9/08/2003
1st Edition
by, Danny Contreras
 Shelter
in Carroll Gardens. Part III.
Residents
speak out at the second community meeting in Saint Paul's Episcopal
Church...
My fellow Carroll Gardens residents, first of all allow me to
apologize for this tardy article regarding our last community meeting
held at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, September 4th, 2003
at 7pm. Many of us who have committed ourselves and have been
consistently active in resolving the ‘Transient Shelter’ location
situation (Clinton Street, Brooklyn, NY), have found ourselves a bit
busy in organizing and strategizing methods to have the shelter moved
away from our neighborhood. It’s crunch time folks, and the clock is
ticking faster than we’re used to. There is not much time left before
we start to physically visualize the changes which may occur in our
neighborhood when the proposed shelter has its grand opening.
 Many who attended the
meeting, over 150+ would have to agree that it was definitely an
interesting one. The topics ranged from Anti-Semitism to immigration
to racism and even psychological tips on mental health. One gentleman
found that the issue at hand has actually helped him cope with his own
mental health problems. It was surely an open forum, and many seized
the opportunity to voice relative and irrelative opinions.
 “Why
do you refer to the residents of the shelter as they, like they’re
aliens” one person shouts to
Mr. Salvatore Russo (right) an attorney
who resides in Carroll Gardens, and who also moderated the meeting.
“It’s simply a pronoun referring to the ones who will reside in the
shelter” replies Mr. Russo as he gets closer to the microphone
assuring everyone can hear him. Personally I don’t see how Mr. Russo
would have referred to a group of any sort without using the pronoun
“they”. It was simply a cheap shot to convert the meeting into
what we have predicted would surface, racism and discrimination.
Once again readers,
racism, nor discrimination have a role in this film. Humans have
morally and instinctively evolved away from this because of the
negativity it can bring and the harm it can cause. There might be
isolated incidents every once in a while, but not here. Prove it! Some
might say. Fine, just look around. The only reason why we don’t see
green people in Carroll Gardens is because of the time and space
theories which won’t allow aliens to come to earth for another few
thousand years, but there might come a day where you see one buying
some property in Carroll Gardens. Seriously folks, let’s stick to the
real issues while trashing and not recycling what we know to be the
non-issues.
More publicity! More
Media! The New York Times made its presence felt after attending the
meeting and writing a short but semi-descriptive article released on
Sunday, September 7th, 2003
(read article). Unlike the article written in the Brooklyn Papers,
there was a bit more fairness and balance to the story. The New York
Asian Women’s Center (NYAWC), are now in a panic state because of the
attention and the coverage this story is receiving. It is the complete
opposite of what the organization wants and stands for;
confidentiality.
The NYAWC feels that
a compromise can be reached by offering possible alternatives which
can potentially bring a positive outcome for both the residents of
Carroll Gardens and the NYAWC.
Quite honestly I
believe that the opposed majority for the location simply do not want
to compromise about anything other than keeping the location out of
Carroll Gardens. This leaves only one solution to the problem, and a
suggestion to the NYAWC…
Find another location
outside of Carroll Gardens that makes real sense. A corner building on
Clinton Street in a historic section of Brooklyn, NY is hardly a top
secret, at least not anymore.
-dc 03' |
