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Culture on the Cheap
New York Shitty Photos Du Jour: The Word On The Street
Filed under: 11222, Fuck This Shit, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Wow, WTF
As spotted today, June 4th, on McGuinness Boulevard. While I am on the subject of dissent I would like to share with you, gentle readers, my latest snow globe project! While not yet complete I think you will agree it is quite wonderful.
It was recently brought to my attention that our Mayor had a press event at Rockaway’s brand-spanking new boardwalk. This is in and of itself not interesting. Rather, what is that he/his created a “Free Speech Zone”. This was well removed from said “event” and therein any/all protesters were “free” to exercise their First Amendment rights.
Well, I have a problem with this kind of thing and, more importantly, the NYCLU and New York Press Club did as well. (You can read DNA.info’s article by clicking the image to the left or by clicking here.) I am not an attorney. I do not portray one on television. However, I do not think I am incorrect when I write that by creating a “Free Speech Zone” there is an implied message that everywhere else is not a “Free Speech Zone”. The First Amendment is pretty straight-forward. So much so even a “snow globe artist” can grasp it. So…
last weekend I embarked upon a “Free Speech Zone” snow globe. Today I sealed it. Tomorrow, hopefully I will fill (READ: finish) it.
Side one is pretty straight forward: referencing a photo taken of Mayor DeBlasio’s press event, I replicated it.
Side two is the “Free Speech Zone”. For logistical reasons I had to employ a metaphorical brick wall.
Some of you may recall that Ron Kuby (Yes, THAT Ron Kuby) purchased a “Stop & Frisk” snow globe from yours truly some time ago. Well, a mutual friend brought my latest project to his attention. And Mr. Kuby brought the above article (wherein he is quoted) to my attention. Note the category under which DNA.info has categorized this tome. “Crime & Mayhem”. I have to say the gentlemen featured (and I encourage each and every one of you to read their profiles) do not strike me as being purveyors of “mayhem”— but what do I know?
In closing I will leave you with this (closing) passage from the above-mentioned article.
Lawyer and radio host Ron Kuby said it’s hypocritical of the mayor to crack down on protests considering his crticisms (sic and emphasis mine — Ed. Note) of former Mayor Bloomberg.
“To come into office riding this wave of disapproval at Bloomberg over policing and contempt for dissidence, to be on the crest of that wave that says ‘no more,’ and [then] to banish a couple of people … it’s unconstitutional, it’s bad policy, it’s stupid,” Kuby said. “And it makes the mayor look very very thin skinned.”
He added that public spaces in the city are, by nature, open for free speech.
“We are all free speech zones in NYC,” Kuby said. “I am a free speech zone and so are you.”
BINGO.
Those who are interested in seeing the photo set I have created documenting the creation of the “Free Speech Zone” snow globe can do so by clicking here.
From The New York Shitty Photo Pool, Part IV: Help Orlando
Charles Le Brigand (AKA: Stephane Missier, whose coverage of the devastation in the Rockaways in the wake of Sandy has been nothing short of phenomenal) writes:
I was taking pictures in The Rockaways last Saturday when I met Orlando. Orlando Fernandez lost everything in the fire that took place after Hurricane Sandy tore through The Rockaways. The blaze destroyed an entire block on Rockaway Beach Blvd and burned down the apartment where Orlando was living with his wife and his two young daughters. He was renting a two bedroom apartment above a laundromat for the past 9 years. Rockaway “era un lugar hermoso, a beautiful place to live” before “Sandy came and destroyed everything” he said.
Orlando was standing stoic amongst the ruins of his vanished shelter pointing at his burnt belongings. “I am tired of crying, I don’t have tears anymore”, he said before picking-up his daughter’s coloring books.
“The city should have shut down the power” to avoid the flames; “firefighters did not arrived on time to save the building because of the flooding” he said. Sandy took away “my whole life, my wedding’s pictures, everything”.
Orlando and his family are safe and sound and dry and are living with a friend in Jackson Heights temporarily. But to this date, Orlando has no news from the owner of his house nor news from the insurance company.
Orlando NEEDS our help!
If you want to donate money, please visit the fundrazr page
If you want to donate blankets, clothes, food, water, milk for his daughters please contact me at charleslebrigand@gmail.comYou can also help by sharing or tweeting his story.
Thank you.
New York Shitty Day Ender: Stars & Stripes
Charles Le Brigand (who took the above photograph) writes:
I went to the Rockaways in Queens yesterday. I have no words to describe what I saw. I have posted more pictures of the surreal scenery that hurricane Sandy’s left behind on my blog : wp.me/p15ejd-fW
NYS Flickr Pool
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