A City Out Of Control, and On the Verge of Disaster

In Moby Dick, Herman Melville wrote “There is no folly of the beasts of the earth, which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men.”

The headlines in the New York City hometown newspapers cried out “Enough,” and “When is it going to end?” I ask what the residents of this city, the media, mayor, and the city council expected the consequences would be. When you attack, undermine, slander, and then defund the Police; create bail reform that releases criminals back on to the streets to prey on the innocent; a mayor that reached his level of competence the day after he took office; a selfish devious governor who is incapable of humility, decency, and truthfulness; and a compliant leftist and biased media, with few exceptions, that usually reports favorably on both these two political malefactors, all the while the innocent are being slaughtered, even a one-year-old baby. 

Meet Davell Gardner, a 22-month-old innocent bouncing baby boy. Little Davell was sitting in his stroller in a park during a cookout when two gunmen stepped out of an SUV and opened fire sending a fusillade of bullets that wounded three men, and Davell fatally. Davell’s mother is quoted as saying, “They need to stop this gun violence. I feel like this; you are ranting and raving about black lives, but you take a life that was only a year and a half old; it’s not fair. When is it going to end?” Davell's grandmother was much more pointed in her anger, and in part said “I hope they catch these bastards and put them 'under' the jail cell.”

In the week ending Sunday, July 12, while the mayor, his wife, community activists, and the grievance industry were painting graffiti on city streets, there were 60 shootings, as compared to the same period last year when there were 17 people shot. On Monday, July 13, the same day little Davell was killed, six more people were shot in drive-by shootings - all will survive; however, six others were killed. Most, if not all the victims and villains, were black or minority. Here’s an update, as I write this the BLM graffiti on Fifth Avenue that I wrote about in the last article has been defaced three times since it was originally placed. And several of the ‘culprits’ were black females; there is hope out there.

Police brass and union leaders have all expressed outrage and discontent with the political establishment and their criticisms and disrespect of the NYPD. They cite bail reform, and just as significant, the disbanding of the elite 'Anti-Crime Unit’ of 600 plainclothes detectives that were in the forefront of confiscating weapons from the criminal element. The results of this grievous mistake is that shootings have increased by 277%, and gun arrests have decreased by 72% over last year.

On Wednesday July 15 there was unity prayer march composed of members of the Sergeants Benevolent Association and supporters. As they headed over the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side, they were assaulted by what were termed as “peaceful” anti-police protesters. One of these thugs, wielding a cane, leaned over a fence and began hitting officers over the head as they passed by. Seven officers suffered multiple injuries, one sustained head wounds that would require stitches, a lieutenant a broken finger, and another was hospitalized with a broken eye socket. Forty people were arrested.

The NYC version of an autonomous zone, right outside City Hall, was a nesting place for radical elements. The occupiers of this lawless shantytown erected makeshift tents out of tarpaulins and created a squalid environment, unfit for decent people. Aside from the usual protest, they would yell out profane insults at police, and vulgar sexist remarks at female officers; all the while, officers could only stand their post.

What New York and many other Democrat-governed cities are intent on doing is to limit police involvement in community affairs when dealing with nonviolent incidents, and establish a social network that would have activists and residents confront wrongdoers and try to quell what could turn into a volatile situation.

One young woman took this new approach to heart, and attempted to intervene in such a situation that would have been handled in the past by a call to 911. On July 4^th Shatavia Walls, 33 years old, confronted a group that were setting off fireworks in the courtyard of her building close to where children were playing. The Brooklyn Borough President had previously announced, “Don’t call 911 over illegal fireworks; talk to your neighbor.” Shatavia took this advice, she was shot to death.

This is a small fraction of what life in the big city is today. It would take me at least five installments to cover the full extent of the carnage. So the question is, when it will end, if ever? I believe it will help when the voters come to their senses and the realization that you cannot elect Democrats into public office and positions of power, authority, and leadership. They are reckless, and untrustworthy, weak of mind and character, devoid of principles and ethics, and have no respect for the dignity and sanctity of life. They are incapable of governing and maintaining a stable, economically secure, and peaceful existence for the people.