by Eric Wolf Schoen
A friend had a dental appointment on the east side of Manhattan Tuesday. Another friend had a business appointment right near Trump Towers Tuesday. Should they go to their scheduled sessions?
The New York Police Commissioner ordered every Police Officer on duty and in uniform this week. 35,000 dedicated men and women. Never before in the history of New York City was this type of directive made. Many Officers hadn’t warn their uniforms in years. Little time to go to the tailor for alterations, as if there were tailors available at a moments notice to alter 35,000 uniforms, take away the ones that still fit their occupants.
Yes friends, the occasion was the arraignment of the former President of the United States on 34 felony counts. All along since the announcement of the indictment the number was 30, misdemeanor or felony accounts. On judgement day, it was announced that the number of counts was 34 and they were all felony counts. So much for the media that was projecting incorrect numbers and types of charges for several days.
Step back for a minute. 35,000 Police Officers on duty. I can’t even estimate the cost but some child won’t get the proper education he or she deserves because money went to pay 35,000 police officers most of whose services were not needed. All to protect Donald. Isn’t that sad!
The predictions were like the world was coming to an end. Marjorie Taylor Green, the representative from Georgia was coming to town with her MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat on Tuesday. She encouraged all Trump supporters from Yonkers to Alaska to come to the Big Apple to protest against former President Trump’s impending indictment. Few came. Like my friend, they may have had a dental appointment they needed to attend where they lived. 35,000 police officers to protect the city that never sleeps from a crazy lady wearing a hat who ended up speaking to a smattering of Trump Supporters. For a measly 10 minutes. More journalists than protestors were in attendance.
I didn’t have press credentials to cover judgement day, the day of indictment for Donald Trump. So I spent the day (at least up to press time) viewing the circus on television and listening on the radio. Hey, did I hear the Wolf Blitzers of the world say that my Congressman, Jamaal Bowman was leading a group of people who had the goal of drowning out the words that MAGA Marjorie and her tiny group of supporters were proclaiming regarding Donald’s innocence?
I think before Congressman Bowman beats drums and blows whistles to drown out MAGA Marjorie, he should make himself visible in the Yonkers part of his district. And meet with his constituents who have broad national and international issues to discuss. Bottom line…Neither Bowman nor Brown had enough supporters to warrant 35,000 uniformed police officers and the enormous cost to the taxpayers of New York City!
So as of 5 p.m. Tuesday everything in New York City was as normal as it was all day and everyday. The men and women vendors sold pretzels and dirty water hot dogs from their carts. The fruit vendors sold their bananas and grapes, and the $1 slice of pizza was still available if you could find it.
I have an idea. Maybe as punishment for his alleged crimes former President Trump and his supporters can lead business classes to help the pretzel man and dirty water hot dog man increase business and become rich like him. Sure accomplishes more for the taxpayer than to have Donald making license plates.
By the way, my friend with the dental appointment cancelled it. Let’s hope that the matzah balls on her Passover plate are soft enough so she can enjoy the wonderful holiday feast. And let’s save the circus like we had Tuesday for a day when it truly is a reality. The little boys and girls who have the money for their education redirected for unnecessary Police overtime send a big thank you Mayor Adams.
Passover. Are we really celebrating Freedom?
Rabbi Benjamin Berger, vice president of Jewish education at Hillel International, said Passover is known as the “festival of freedom.” It’s a celebration of not only the freedom of the Jewish people emerging from slavery in Egypt, and a tradition that results that is about remembering, and really putting ourselves in the shoes of those slaves and those who experienced the release from bondage, but also it reminds us of the freedom of all people,” he said. “Anyone who’s experiencing oppression of some sort, whether it’s external, from other people, or internal, from our own sense of the things that oppress us internally,” he added.
Rabbi Maya Zinkow, senior Jewish educator at UC Berkeley Hillel, told USA TODAY Passover “celebrates the movement from slavery to liberation.””So, we commemorate the time when the Jewish people really became a Jewish people. It’s really the story of the birth of our peoplehood,” she said.
Do we really have freedom when we have to post security guards at the entrances to synagogues and temples? Check identification? Take down collection boxes for fear their contents will be stolen?
Final thought: Should a well qualified, newly appointed Yonkers City Judge have on her list of supporters for her fundraiser a woman who stole food from the hungry from a Thanksgiving fundraiser? Just like in the case of George Santos, politicians need to vet the names and backgrounds of the folks that they put on their campaign lists as hosts for political events!
A joyous Passover and Happy Easter to you and your families!
Listen to Eric Schoen on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge. Reach him at thistooisyonkers@aol.com.
