after reading the New York Magazine article in the library about persons trapped by ICE. Horrible! For cityboy, everything stopped---he felt a tremendous sense of sadness and total frustration at only being to do small things to help. For cityboy, it is so easy to take refuge in anything else, any other interest, but the horror of what he read is excruciating. Leaving the library, I determined to give myself to "service', that is helping others. At least that is what I planned. And then what about art, theater art, music art, whatever. In the face of this sadness does it have any meaning? While this is going on, there is more art, more ways of escaping the horror, in this city, then ever before. Some questions are unanswerable. The longing for power when one does not have any.
Cityboy's main event today will be joining other BAN and MTopp members in confronting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden re its acquiescence to a large residential building that could be built on land one block away that would cast an enormous shadow on the garden. Of course, the developers will do whatever they please, and the city does not want to stop them. More totally aggressive behavior from the development class. I am reading High Rises, a history of Cabrini Green, the project that stood in Chicago for many years. Same thing---the city is irresponsible in protecting its poorer residents---they were hurt and their lives made worse by the Green's tear down. And the city behaved despotically in breaking down any strengths that the tenants showed. Same thing going on here, as the current mayoral administration allies itself with developers to harass lower paying tenants (mostly people of color) and champions high rises in all neighborhoods that will include much market rate housing. Despotism all around. Can I make a difference tonight? Will I be responded to, will my arguments be cogent and convince Botanical Garden members that they should fight against the irresponsible development on Franklin Avenue that will blot out much needed sun? Can't tell, I am approaching this assignment with some trepidation, but must go and do it.
Yesterday evening, did spend a few hours at Dive Bar 96th street---kept my activism quiet (checked it at the door) and had some good conversations and touched base with my friend, bartender Brittany.
A nice way to spend the evening.
So here we are, morning of August 1st. Summer half over--everything changing very quickly, lots of challenges...
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