This too is Yonkers–By Eric W. Schoen
Things got a little too close to home. The Stop and Shop where I bought broccoli crunch salad earlier in the week gets evacuated on the premise that protestors were getting ready to loot it. Store windows at Cross County Shopping Center, where i sat on Santa’s lap as a child (i told him I was Jewish when he asked me what I wanted for Christmas) are broken and boarded up. McLean Avenue businesses, across from the Kent Cinema where I sat as a child watching movies and as an adult in the balcony waving away the cigarette and other smoke, broken into with shards of glass all that is left separating the street from the inside of businesses built by immigrants and hard working businesspeople.
And oh my god, OMG in computer lingo, the iconic Macy’s on 34th Street in Manhattan where to this day at Christmas time I still visit Santa and the Christmas Village riding my favorite wooden escalators from floor to floor bringing memories of a time long ago has its windows smashed and it’s store looted. The windows dressed all year year but especially at Christmas with decorations that get more magical every year broken, shards of glass all that remains. Macy’s always looks so nice on television on Thanksgiving Day even if you can’t be there in person.
But friends, I ask you what were you expecting? A Minneapolis Police Officer pressing on George Floyd’s neck with his knee ultimately killing the poor man. A world disturbed by the behavior of a few rogue police officers when our communities invest so much money and training to prevent such events from occurring.
People prisoners in their residence for over 2 months, scared by the authorities to come out and get a breath of fresh air. Then we find out that 60% of the people infected by the virus were those who followed the authorities orders staying in their domicile. In New York City and many places in Westchester these ‘homes’ are small, in need of repair, not livable for a day let alone 2 months.
Folks told to eat sauerkraut, kimchi and take drugs unapproved for use and liable to kill by a rogue leader of the free world. This same leader gassing people to get out of the way for a photo shoot with a bible in front of a church he has never set foot in. The leaders of the church calling him out for his horrific behavior.
26,000 people die in the Nursing Homes in our country. Our friends, our relatives, our family. Many fault orders given by the directors of the Centers of Disease Control that patients not needing the high level care of a hospital but requiring nursing care be put in the nursing homes of our country. We see it once, we see it twice, but it takes two months to see that we have a problem here, people are dying and must stop the practice. Will anyone go to jail, the CDC Director, the President who he works for, the State Commissioners of Health or the Governors go to prison for killing 26,000 innocent people. Outside investigations beyond the reach of government bureaucracies are what is needed.
Baseball. America’s past time. Something young and old look forward to every year having a tough time deciding whether to play an abbreviated season. Do you enjoy watching baseball games from 1976? I say discontinue the sports channels on your cable television system, don’t support companies that advertise on them, don’t buy those overpriced jerseys and t-shirts and other Major League Baseball paraphernalia and you’ll see how quickly the umpires say, ‘Play Ball!’ The same goes for football, basketball and any other sport with problems getting back on the air.
Where else can these sports heroes, rather figures make the money they make? On the McDonalds grill line flipping burgers? I don’t think you!
In the midst of a pandemic the government cuts jobs for young people. Do they really cost that much money, or isn’t their enough competent bureaucrats to get these programs started for our young people? There certainly is enough work to be done.
Look at our Board of Elections on the state or the county levels. Upstate they can’t get ballots printed in time for School Elections. Only one company can produce them. How much money did that company give to political candidates and their parties. Downstate like here in little ‘ol Yonkers we receive a letter that says the mail in ballot application is only good for the Primary this month. The application (praise the lord they put postage on the return envelope) says the application is good for the Primary and General elections and those in between. The letter to voters, well let’s just say a 2 year old could do better. The same two year olds learning to wash their hands in a pandemic.
We are trying to get over a pandemic and protestors, mostly peaceful ones not social distancing or wearing masks. And they are marching with the very politicians who are on television encouraging, no pleading with you to wear a mask.
The weather is getting hot, People are told not to leave their apartments, a member of the family has virus symptoms but no place to isolate, family members have lost their jobs, after 3 months the New York State unemployment system is filled with glitches and people not getting Their unemployment benefits from a system run by those who are supposed to be the finest computer experts in the world. No thought of people being able to be free to go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather and ‘free world.’
If I think of people like my grandmother who was perfectly coiffed at the beauty salon on Friday, i have to think of Black and Brown women who spend a lot more money than grandma did getting perfect hairstyles. Black and Brown men who sit for hours in the Barber or Hair Salon vs. me, 10 minutes in the chair getting the little hair I have perfectly groomed. Sometimes grandma would miss a week and be in an uproar. How do you think my black and brown brothers and sisters feel 3 months without getting their hair done?
In this pandemic fewer kids are getting the childhood injections they need for school as well as life. The threat of CVS being closed due to looting and not being able to get medications. Journalists as well as some black and brown people targeted by a small group of police officers. Politicians crying their community has no jobs when their husband and wives and same sex partners sit in jobs they are unqualified for and/or don’t have the ability to do!
We all miss our church and synagogues dearly, But are you seriously going to follow the advice of Dr. Trump and fill the aisles and pews without social distancing? Are all these protestors and soon to be shoppers going to cause the threat of another pandemic.
So now good people you see why I say, ‘And what were you expecting?’ Put it all together, and while going to space is the hot thing now we can say, ‘Houston, We have a Problem!’
County Executive George Latimer appointed a Back to business, Back to Work, Back to Basics’ task force. George, you must show leadership and tell the business leaders what the rules and laws are for reopening their businesses. They are professionals. They want to get back to making money and serving their communities. They have enough brain power to get it together. But please, don’t be like the ever poor Yonkers and charge a cash strapped business for a damn permit!
And remember, the money used for overtime policing our streets can be used to educate our children and provide services for our seniors!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy 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.
