A Tale of Ignorance and Stupidity

A Response to a facebook Post

Just after Thanksgiving, 2015, I saw this post on my timeline, shared by one of my FB friends. It went viral, eliciting a half-million shares and at least that many comments on various users' pages. I seem to recall, rather dimly, that this may have appeared one Monday some years ago under the "Metropolitan Diary" subsection of The New York Times. Still, it is as relevant today as it was then and, unfortunately, maybe more so.

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"The man" has an obvious, pathologic need to control others. He is also ignorant and wasn't educated in a manner that resulted in a respect for people from other cultures, nations (incl. Navajo, Six Nations, Inuit!), and countries. He could have been of any race, but the writer chose "white" to emphasize that there is indeed some sad truth to the stereotype of Caucasian ignorance in the U.S. But please: Let's understand from the get-go that white folks in the U.S. don't have a local, national, or worldwide monopoly on these traits... right?

It's not enough to "wipe the slate clean" periodically or daily, like one facebook comment stated. That's like erasing a hard drive of all of its data. It ignores history and degrades our ability to build healthy relationships with our fellow humans. What is necessary is for all of us to work toward making our society here in the United States (note that I didn't say "America" — a continental label that is much more inclusive!) one where we all embrace knowledge, fairness, inclusion, kindness, and respect, one in which everyone is motivated to constantly reevaluate their own weaknesses and endeavor to correct them (see why you can't "wipe the slate clean"?), and one in which each person — citizen or not — cultivates an inquiring spirit ("the man" would have realized that Mexicans speak Spanish... but, like us, as their national, official language, maybe not as their native tongue!).

This is what I get out of this reported encounter. Fight ignorance. Be inclusive. Explore other [U.S.-resident] cultures. Here in NYC, every country in the world and many sub-cultures within these countries, including our own, are represented, replete with their sometimes rare and "dying" languages. What a wonderful experience — every day! And, even though New York City is extremely rich in racial, cultural, and language diversity, it doesn't mean that other regions of the U.S. are diversity deserts.

Yes, we can encourage or even require everyone to attain a certain level of fluency in English; after all, that is our official language. It brings us all together as one nation and enables us to successfully perform governmental and commercial transactions. But we cannot be "whitewashed" anymore — although we've certainly tried, mostly unsuccessfully, in the past. Whatever we call ourselves — a vast and multicolored mosaic, a melting pot, a smorgasbord, a potpourri — it must be fully realized, preserved, and nurtured, so that we can get around to the important business of building a better world for everyone — now and for future generations.

Now:

►          Turn down the volume.

►          Gather ample data and evidence.

►          Think rationally.

►          Respond not with cynicism, anger, vitriol, or disrespect, but with kindness, respect, levity and, especially, understanding.

►          If we are to have a productive conversation, we need to keep on subject and listen and think before responding.

By and through these logical and thoroughly moral techniques — probably often used by our country's founders in conceiving this nation — we can be a great people, because we can be a sum of all of our parts — one with a good head on our shoulders!

Police Brutality in Long Island City This Morning

I observed what I believe was excessive force from two policemen on the platform, Queensboro Station (Ditmars-bound N, Flushing-bound 7) from ~4:20am to 4:38am.

I got a flat tire on my bicycle, cutting short an early morning ride, so I went to Queensboro Station to take the N-train back to my home. The time was around 4:20am.

When I got onto the platform, a few men who were waiting for the train told me of a man that was being "beat up bad" by two policemen. I went to the east end of the platform and observed one higher ranking officer (lieutenant was what one witness told me, a.k.a. "white shirt") and a uniform officer struggling with a man who was down on the ground. When the man who was being restrained would wriggle (and even when he didn't), the "white shirt" would hit him forcefully with his nightstick. I was at an angle at which I could see the "white shirt" strike the restrained man's torso at where the liver is and close or on the bottom of the left ribcage. This went on for about eight minutes before the uniform officer used his radio. A couple of minutes later, about ten uniform and four plain-clothes officers arrived to assist. The N-train arrived at that time (4:38am), and I boarded the train. The man ("suspect") was not moving, and I heard the sound of a fire truck, possibly arriving at the station.

Two witnesses spoke to me at length, including one who was there when the "white shirt" and the uniform officer approach the suspect. They told me the following:

 

There was some talking to the suspect from the "white shirt", and after a bit the suspect started to walk away. One of the officers sprayed mace toward the suspect at close range and the suspect put his arm up to shield his eyes and tried to run away. The uniform officer put the suspect in a "choke hold" — both witnesses demonstrated and described to me the type that is banned by NYPD policy. Both witnesses recalled that the suspect was hit numerous times and specifically mentioned that the blows to the legs seemed to be hard enough to break them.

I asked another person who was observing the struggle whether there was blood and he said, "Yes — a lot." When the N-train arrived, two witnesses entered the train car with me; Both of them were able to get a good look out the window at the suspect, and both of them said it "looked bad".

One of the witnesses took pictures during the first part of the incident. Some others who were waiting for the Ditmars-bound N-train or the Flushing-bound 7-train saw another person taking a video of the incident, but they said that person got nervous and left.

One of the witnesses also recounted a few times when the "white shirt", who often strolled through the train, would address passengers on the N-train: one he told to move his feet out of the aisleway, another couple of passengers were told to adjust how their smartphones or purses were situated so that "some young guy doesn't come in and snatch it" (quote from witness). The witnesses' impression was that the "white shirt" "must be crazy."

I asked the man who took pictures to send them to me and that I would make sure they got to you and other news outlets. I haven't received them yet, and I don't know whether he will send them, but if and when I received them I will immediately send them to you.

I believe that Queensboro Plaza is served by the 117th Precinct.

I have lived at my address in Astoria for over 25 years.

Personal thoughts: This is the sort of incident of police behavior that I thought I would never witness. However, I also have never been terribly impressed by officers that I have encountered who are stationed in the 117th Precinct. Although I have never seen something as bad as what I saw this morning, I don't trust at least some of those who are work out of that precinct. I also am not happy with their patrol and enforcement priorities, which to me seem to favor roaming around the projects and not preventing crime in my neighborhood. This incident I describe is also not the first over-reactive police event that I have heard of; a couple have occurred in my area, too. Unfortunately, the details have faded from my memory with time.

Let's hope that those who took pictures and the video file complaints, post the photos, and send the photos and their observations to news outlets and civil-rights organizations so that the officers involved can be dealt with and disciplined for their excessive and improper behavior.

The Death of Gary Kaufman — Of Mouse and Man

I was resting in my apartment on a Saturday after having arrived back home from a horrible experience at a "rehab" center. Here's some background: Last Sunday, I had fractured a part of my femur very near the hip socket, had surgery to repair it Monday, and was discharged from the hospital on Thursday (I was treated, fed, and cared for quite well at the former Astoria General Hospital, now part of Mt. Sinai, Queens). So, I was away for six days, and my neighbor, Rich, took care of the cats. When I returned, I noticed a weird stench in the apartment, but couldn't quite identify it. It wasn't the cats, tho'.

I mentioned this to Rich, who was in my apartment helping me. He replied that he had noticed it too, and that it was especially strong right in the area of my front door, where there are two other apartment entrances. Immediately, I was struck dumb with the knowledge of what was coming from my neighbor's door, an apartment next to my bedroom: My neighbor was dead... and had been so for a while. I — and then my neighbors at the other end of the hall — called 911, and after a couple of hours the police came to check it out.

Not long into the New Year of 2015, that neighbor, Gary Kaufman, had called 911 with a health emergency, but EMS and police were unable to enter the apartment and Gary did not come to the door. The superintendent of our building didn't have copies of the keys and (with good reason) didn't think our management would appreciate the door being broken down. The super was asked to peek through an outside window of Gary's apartment off of the fire escape to observe if he was there. However, he could not see Gary in the apartment (or, rather, in the bedroom of his apartment), so the police and the EMS emergency medical technicians came to a decision to leave — which they may do at their discretion and which, I think, could be considered a reasonable action at that time.

Not long after that, I had my six days away as a result of my accident. During my time away however, Rich and I turned out to be not the only ones who noticed the stench that I observed on my return — a stench similar to the smell emanating from a dead mouse, a smell that I had experienced a few times not too long ago in my apartment (partly in thanks to my curious, playful, and rather deadly cats).

But this was no dead mouse, or pile of dead mice. On this second visit, the officer who rings my doorbell knows what several-day-old rotting human flesh smells like. Later, a Sargent arrived and asked if they could go through my bedroom window to enter the apartment from an outside window. This time, I quenched my fear of cats escaping (thankfully, both cats are still with me), and I allowed the super, the super-on-duty, the Sargent, and an officer to use my window to access the fire escape and enter Gary's apartment. A few minutes later, I received word that Gary was, indeed, very dead.

Rich and I later identified his face by a photo that the Coroner's Office crime-scene technician took; even though badly decomposed, I could identify enough of Gary's features to testify in writing that it was he. The Coroner's Office tech mentioned to me that Gary may have had a bad fall, and also mentioned that there was evidence of a table and other items having been broken as a result.

It's going to be a breezy night in my apartment. I have two windows wide open to clear the smell. I will have to keep them open until the security seals placed by NYPD are taken away and the windows next door can be opened to air out the place. Fortunately, the heat is going gangbusters, so I have heat at my feet in bed, and the riser in the bathroom plus the living room radiator will keep the rest of the apartment liveable. But the stench has thoroughly permeated much of the building's structure. In spite of fans, windows, and deodorant spray, it is still noticeable, and later in the year from time to time it will probably seep through the walls, especially on damp days. I hope it will remind tenants and visitors of both the folly and the triumph of human nature.

I very much wish I could have done more for Gary, but he was a very troubled survivor of 9/11, beyond my ability to comfort. I think the last time I talked with him he said he had cancer; if true, we still probably won't know if it at least had a direct physical/medical link to environmental conditions on 9/11. Although Issac, his brother, was unaware of any serious medical illness that Gary may have had, he confirmed that Gary did have a history of mental disorder and disease and mentioned that it existed in rather less severity before 9/11. Gary had already told me that he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, among other things.

But during the first police/EMT visit, mentioning these things probably didn't help get him aid. Management of my building was more interested in saving a door than in saving a life. I know from personal experience that the owner and the management of my building are more interested in appearances than fixing the hole in my bathroom ceiling, among many other defects in several tenants' apartments. Maybe it could be said that greed got the better of Gary Kaufman both in life and in death. After all, his company "outsourced" its internet technology jobs overseas, and this occurred during the economic depression of the early 2000s. For many years, these two things put Gary at a great disadvantage when trying to find work in his field.

But maybe Gary gets the "last word" after all — all of this does not keep him from being a hero. Please don't be turned off by my use of this word, "hero" — I assure you that I use it sincerely. The following was recalled to me by Issac, his brother, and paraphrased by me below, during what he thinks is the only time that Gary told the whole story of his experience on 9/11 to any friend or family member. I am very grateful to Issac for sharing it with me:

Gary noticed paper flying around outside his window at work on the 80^th floor. To him, it seemed to be more than one might expect of, let's say, a disgruntled coworker tossing stuff out a window (rather hard to do through those narrow WTC-tower windows). Not long after noticing that, he felt an impact and the swaying of the tower. He came down the stairs amid a toxic shower of sheet rock and other debris and met a coworker at the entrance to the building.

Gary's coworker at Morgan Stanley's offices in 2 World Trade Center — who also happens to be a neighbor of Issac and family on Staten Island — was going to go back into the South Tower of the World Trade Center after an "all clear" was sounded on the alarm system. Gary convinced his coworker not to do so, and the two of them started away, then quickly rushed away from the collapsing building. It turned out that the two of them were among the last few who made it out alive from the first tower to fall that day.

If not for Gary's prodding, there would have been one less survivor that horrible day.

On the anniversary of 9/11, we always remember those who died that day in 2001. Many of us who live in and around New York City know someone who died either in the event itself or later as a consequence of that tragedy. I add one more person to my list today — a short but now even more meaningful list.

Gary's action on that day was a seemingly simple and small, yet profound act of loving kindness that is well worth remembering. Maybe, just maybe, recounting it will make the existence that we inhabit in this life a little more tolerable. It could rend our hearts just enough to let the light of Grace enter in and enable us also to do good. I hope this is not the only reason that we remember a somewhat shy, very intelligent, and humble human being. I hope that his brother and relatives and friends will remember all of Gary. Personally, I will strive so to do. It's the right thing to do.

Although the coroner may do some additional investigation, his brother hopes that, in accordance with his family's orthodox Jewish tradition, Gary will be buried tomorrow, Sunday January 25, 2015. May he be remembered for a blessing. May memory of his acts rend our hearts to use our intelligence and enable us to be kind, loving, humble, and giving, buoyed by the boundless grace of The Eternal One.

Rest in peace, Gary Kaufman, where there is no sorrow nor pain — but life eternal.

A Potpourri of Song℠ — Mozart in the Middle

Here's a concert I'm presenting this Saturday afternoon as part of my A Potpourri of Song℠ concert series:

This Saturday, Trinity will be filled with the music of Mozart, surrounded by Bach and Schubert on one side and Gilbert & Sullivan and "Songs My Mother Loved and Sang" on the other. "Mozart in the Middle", with Soprano Paula Jean Rocheleau and Trinity member Mark Victor Smith on piano and organ, takes place Saturday October 4 at 4:00pm. Join the artists and each other for a "meet & greet" reception after the concert. The suggested donation is $15 (or as you are able).

Proceeds from this hour-long concert, part of Trinity's artistic outreach to our wider community, will benefit the piano fund and Trinity's general fund. Come and enjoy the music, enjoy the company of your neighbors, and then maybe visit a local restaurant or café nearby!

Contact me at potpourriofsong@verizon.net if you have any questions. Hope to see you at the concert!

Saving Net Neutrality, Economic Equality, and the Open Internet

To the Federal Communications Commission during this Open Comment period debating proposed rules regulating use of the Internet. Submitted on July 15, 2014.

I am a broadband user (3kbps DSL provided by Verizon) who believes strongly in the importance of a free and open Internet. As an ordinary citizen of very modest means who uses the internet every day for essential communications in my work, for access to the free press, for entertainment, and to keep in touch with acquaintances, friends, and family, I urge the FCC to reclassify broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service, thereby ensuring and supporting the concept of Net Neutrality.

The Internet is, by nature and by design, a public utility. When the Internet was opened up by the United States nearly forty years ago for public use, the expressed intent was to provide equal access to all. The development of new and increasingly less-expensive technologies to use this now essential part of our systems of communication, up to this point in time, has had a positive impact on every citizen of this country and, most notably, on billions of people on our planet. The Internet must be allowed to continue to be this beacon of light to all.

There are many examples of pubic services that through competent regulation by public service commissions provide equal access to the essential needs of our citizens. Among them are electric, water, and gas utilities — all of which are regulated so as to not discriminate against any one class of people, including discrimination by economic class. Telephone and cable services are also regulated by government in various degrees for exactly the same reason. The Internet must not be an exception to this model.

Most notably, government agencies like the State of Michigan, public schools, and state colleges and universities have a history of providing equal Internet access to all of its constituents — free of charge or at a fee affordable to all — further supporting the concept of government guarantee to open access to public services like those named above. FCC regulations must not interfere with state’s interests. Furthermore, a history of government support for fair and open access to the Internet also supports the concept that equal Internet access is a constitutional right for every person in this country.

The concept of "equal" may be debated; however, given the Internet’s history of original concept and intent, current regulatory protocols by various local governmental agencies, and the need for the ordinary user in this country to have timely access to a reasonable bandwidth (i.e., the current reliable service that I enjoy for $36.99/mo. plus tax), I submit that folks like me have as much of a right to immediate access to our email as a stock trader (virtual or human) has to immediately make split-second transactions. The FCC must reject proposed rules that would allow Internet service providers to divide the Internet into fast lanes for wealthy corporations and slow lanes for the rest of us. Those rules are simply unfair, unwise, morally wrong, and constitutionally unacceptable.

Do the right thing. Do not support the continuing division of this country into economic castes. Insure equal access to the Internet in the U.S. and, for that matter, for everyone on this planet. Keep the Internet free and open by declaring it a "Public Utility/Telecommunications Service" and by devising wise regulation that supports Net Neutrality.

Mark Victor Smith

Queens, NY

mv.smith@verizon.net

What’s in a [her-ricane’s] Name Anyway?

What’s in a [her-ricane’s] Name Anyway?

Apparently, we have yet another issue with female names. A study by social researchers from the University of Illinois and the University of Arizona compiled evidence showing that hurricanes with women’s names cause more deaths than do “male” hurricanes. Although the authors of the study do not consider their conclusions to be the final word — indeed, one of the researchers went out of her way in a BBC interview to invite others to follow up with their own studies — it might not be a bad idea to check our gender biases. How will we respond to “Hanna” if “she” hits us — or to “Gonazlo” if “he” makes landfall?

The list of named storms for 2014 include two which may be considered “gender-neutral”. Yet I wonder how one might compile a list of gender-neutral names for upcoming hurricane seasons. Take a look at the list below. Which of these names do you consider male, which do you consider female, and which do you consider gender-neutral?

Addison Adrian Ainsley Alex Alexis Angel Arden Ashley Aubrey Avery	Bailey Beverly Blair Brett	Cameron Casey Cassidy Chance Chase Cherokee Cody (Codi) Cory (Corey, Cori) Courtney	Dakota Dale Dana Darby Darcy Devin (Devon) Dominique Drew Dylan	Elliott Ellis Emerson (Emmerson) Emery Evelyn
Finley Fran	Gale Grayson (Greyson)	Hadley Harlow Harper Hayden Hayley Hillary Hollis Hunter	Iman	Jamie Jayden (Jaden, Jaiden) Jocelyn Jordan Joyce
Kai Keegan Kelly Kelsey Kendall Kennedy Kim Kimberly	Lee (Leigh) Leslie (Lesley) Lindsay (Lindsey) Logan London Luca Lynn (Lin)	Mackenzie Madison Marlowe Meredith Micah Morgan Murphy	Noel Noor	Parker Paris Peyton (Payton) Phoenix
Quinn	Reese Reilly (Riley) Remy River Robin Rory Rowan Ryan	Sage Sandy Sawyer Shannon Shelby Shirley Sheridan Shiloh Sidney (Sydney) Sky Skyler (Skylar) Stacy (Stacey)	Tamara Teagan (Taegan) Terry Taylor Tracy (Tracey)	Vivian Whitney

Click here to see where this list of names came from. You might be surprised.

A list is only as good as its creator, and what defines “gender-neutral” is unique within the mind of that creator . Maybe you can add or subtract names from the list above and come up with a list that is more universally gender neutral. Or... can you? There are other “gender-neutral” lists in different languages at the link above; do other languages have the same problems with gender and names as English does?

One reason given for naming tropical cyclones with human names is that the general public seems to react better to news, forecasts, and warnings of storms with these labels than to labels like “alpha” or “#1". (By the way, Greek letters are used when the National Hurricane Center runs out of proper names, like we did not too many years ago.) Because of this (proven?) benefit, we probably won’t discard the practice of using proper names for these storms.

One name not on the list above is “Sandy.” The international committee of the World Meteorological Organization permanently retired this name because of sensitivity to this named storm’s unique destructive power in 2012. (A record five Atlantic-hurricane names were retired in 2005, a season that included Katrina.) But although the cost of the physical damage Sandy wrought on us is many billions of dollars, relatively few deaths occurred. (Of course, only minutes before the center of Sandy crossed the shore of New Jersey, it was reclassified as a “post-tropical storm.” That’s little consolation to those who experienced it’s 100-mile per hour winds and 14-food storm surge — but great consolation to those who didn’t have hurricane insurance...!!)

Still, I wonder how many people thought that “Sandy” was a male name. It wasn’t. The lists produced by the committee alternate between male and female names, and the committee also alternates the gender of the first name on the list each year. Sandy’s spot on the 2012 list was a “male” spot.

Gender-neutral lists for the naming of tropical cyclones should be accepted as the protocol — sooner rather than later. It would at least remove one probable variable that affects public reaction to warnings and forecasts, it might save lives, and it will remove one more debate over gender equality.

“Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie...”

Today is the anniversary of when the music died. More than just a President died on this day, at this hour, fifty years ago.

President John F. Kennedy for many was special — an icon, an idol, seemingly worshiped like a god in published and broadcast media — even before he seemingly single-handedly averted nuclear destruction of living beings from this earth by successfully negotiating with Russia the removal of missiles from Cuba. He was portrayed in photos and written accounts as a loving father and as an engaging conversationalist with an easygoing personality.

This President’s death seemed to unleash an obsession for subculture exploration — a probing, searching, investigative, serious inquiry into the life behind a veneer — not just of a President, but of our very existence. We changed — big time.

John Kennedy’s secrets were laid bare to the public. Few knew of the serious pain that he experienced most days of his life, a result of the injuries he sustained when the patrol boat he commanded sank in World War II. We all came to know that he cheated on his wife. And some still debate the connections he might have had with organized-crime leaders.

His death ripped off the superficial cover that was what we still call “The American Dream”.

“Quest for Truth” was not a priority in American culture before November 22, 1963. It became so in the years after his death. Further on and to the present day, this probe has not always been good. Too often this quest has been twisted, morphed, and spun into a convoluted, exorbitant race for many to show proof that they showed the true path to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.

But this quest also opened the world’s eyes to see the richness that lay beneath the superficial cover that existed before a beloved President’s death. Today, the wonderful mix that is American culture is well-established, and we are more aware and careful of how all of us humans relate to each other and to the globe on which we live. We are more wholesome souls, even though it took the death of one man to give us a better vision and more motivation to search for wholesomeness.

Of course, we could look at the death of one and ask why the deaths of many does not result in similar reactions. Yet events like the Holocaust of World War II didn’t have the intense focus that four days of non-stop broadcast of the mourning of a President’s death had. We don’t have a bugler’s emotional, quivering sound at a graveside to tug our heartstrings, even to this day, and spawn remembrances of fifty years ago — and also spawn analysis anew of what it meant and means to have something special wrenched from our grasp.

More than President Kennedy’s death is being considered today. We consider yet again who we are as humans, what we are doing to our existence, and why we haven’t yet learned how to live together in peace, relating in love to each other without hate or malice or prejudice.

The music isn’t dead. I know it isn’t; it lies there — new tunes of love and cooperation and inclusiveness and joy and, most importantly, hope. And I know that John F. Kennedy hears the music of a greater existence that we all will experience after this life. Knowing that is reason enough and motivation enough to keep searching for the notes and melodies that leave us with a renewed, rebuilt, restored world.

Thank you, Mr. President, for your service and your legacy.

(November 22, 2013 at 2:15pm EST)

The debt-limit crisis has come to this...

The President needs to go before the Supreme Court if the House of Representatives does not approve debt-limit-raising legislation approved by the Senate this week.

A petition would be presented by the President asking the Court: 1.) to declare the House dysfunctional and obstructive in a Declaration of Fact, 2.) order the House dissolved and special elections held within three months, 3.) give the Senate temporary (emergency) powers to initiate budget legislation and be the sole representative of the People until such time as the House can reconstitute itself through the aforementioned elections, and 4.) forbid any incumbent from running in these special elections.

In Amendment 10, the constitution allows that there are rights not enumerated in the other nine amendments that comprise the rest of the Bill of Rights — in this case, the right to have a functional government. Although seldom cited, between that amendment and the "Commerce clause", and maybe other sections of the Constitution, we can get a House that might actually do what they are elected to do — debate, compromise, and legislate.

Senate Republicans are giving the House too much power in negotiations, but at least everyone is talking... AND there have been versions of both funding and debt-limit-raising legislation which were sent to the House and ignored. Get rid of the House for a few months; replace everyone; after that, comes November 2014, when the Republican idiot fools in the House may very well receive their due.

Yes — it has come to this.  Another constitutional crisis, brought to you by the selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed members of the House that comprise the "Tea Party" branch of the Republican party, a dark comedic tragedy choreographed by Speaker John Boener. To these people, no one else matters.

Throw the bums out!

The month of June began with a splash — literally. A tropical storm washed out our planned event, June Jazz Café. We rescheduled the event for this week, and I look forward to seeing readers of this blog at the event.  (We don't plan on rescheduling it again [!!], so this is your last chance to catch fine jazz and food at St. Mary's until next June.)

Jazz Café at St. Mary’s Church, located at Classon and Willoughby Avenues in the Clinton Hill neighborhood, is proud to host one of Brooklyn’s own: the acclaimed Jeff Newell Quartet on Friday evening, October 4.

A variety of food dishes, prepared by St. Mary’s parishioners, will be served beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Quartet performs two sets of their unique mix of jazz styles that night, starting at 8:30 p.m., with dessert served between sets.

Tickets are $25, available in advance, or can be purchased at the door. Feel free to phone St. Mary’s at (718) 638–2090, Fr. Jerry Keucher at (347) 713–2218, or send an email to me or to music.stmarysclintonhill@verizon.net to find out more about this annual jazz event.

This event is made possible with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered in Kings County by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).

A Plan for Syria

The situation in Syria presents many difficulties. How do we deal with this civil war? Should we bomb or send aid? How do we keep from getting entangled in the fighting?

Well, I had an idea and wanted to flesh it out. In the process, I came to the conclusion that I cannot support military action. Instead, I came up with a different plan.

I sent this to my U.S. senators and representative. I sent a shorter version to the White House. Making my ideas known to our nation's leaders could help them temper their actions so that the citizens of Syria can be better enabled to reform, rebuild, restructure, and renew their government in a more rational manner than war affords.

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A “carrot only” approach to dealing with the Syrian civil war is the best approach toward the final goal of ending Syria’s civil war. “Carrot only” may not be the best descriptive phrase for a policy, but it will do for the purposes of explaining my concept. This proposal features incentives for those who would build-up and rebuild and disincentives for those who destroy and deter. It is much more comprehensive and farsighted than a “stick” plan — specifically, the limited 60- to 90-day intervention being considered by Congress.

Bashar al-Assad use of chemical weapons is horrific and also illegal by any international standard. However, trying to destroy these weapons or their delivery systems will not result in a positive outcome. In order to completely destroy the actual chemical within these weapons sufficient heat needs to be present. The only device sufficient to provide this heat is a small nuclear weapon; the U.S., indeed most countries, would not approve. Using other conventional devices presents a high chance of producing a cloud of toxic gas, which will indiscriminately injure and kill within the area downwind of the explosion. Since some chemical weapons will remain intact, the Syrian government will find a way to deploy them regardless of the state of their delivery systems, so destroying equipment (“capability”) will not work.

Justification for military action by using the “punishment” argument is at best a self-serving, emotional response and is equally ineffective. Only non-combatants will suffer. Syria’s leaders will only make sure that “collateral” damage is maximized. Not only will the innocent suffer, but infrastructure ruin — possibly greater than is already occurring — will result in the need for more copious funding after the war for rebuilding.

A strong argument against military action by the U.S. and its coalition is made in the Wonkblog of The Washington Post (written by Ezra Klein, published on August 31). The author cites research supporting his argument that intervening militarily results in a significant increase in civilian (non-combatant) deaths. The “stick” of retributive military action is not the way to reply to the horrific acts of the al-Assad regime and to help bring an effective end to the civil war.

The greatest resource in waging war is people — not (among other resources) weapons, infrastructure, ancillary equipment, or food. The best way to end war is to starve it of its most important element, whether it be fighters, support personnel, or human shields. Therefore, I propose that we depopulate Syria.

How do we do this? Already, over three million people have left Syria as a result of the war; many of them are now part of a ring of refugees in surrounding countries. Most do not have a desire to be soldiers in this conflict. These refugees form the foundation for creating a new Syria after the war ends — but only if we treat them with care and respect to mitigate adding more combatants to the mix.

These refugees need money, sufficient housing, water, food and, as important, jobs. These refugees need positive motivation and support to keep them from reentering Syria as combatants. Currently, as reported by the BBC in an interview a few days ago with a U.N. refugee-aid official, only forty percent of money pledged as refugee aid has materialized. Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and even Iran are bearing a heavy burden and are unable to properly care for the needs listed above.

Rather than spending money on a fruitless act of war, the U.S. and the world community should spend that money to encourage the population of Syria to leave the country. It should spend the money on housing, short-term food and monetary aid, and a more long-term project to find temporary jobs for these refugees — whether those jobs be in the surrounding countries or elsewhere in the world — in part by using the U.N. develop funds and NGOs. The world community may have to spend a good deal of cash to make this happen, but I believe that the amount spent will be less than that spent on military action. And I believe that the more prosperous Arab countries (and maybe even Russia and China) would welcome this and provide concrete support, both with personnel and with funds.

As proposed in an amendment to the Senate authorization bill, a long-term plan for reconstruction, rehabilitation, and the rebuilding of Syria is essential to the success of any action by the U.S., the U.N., or for that matter any country. A depopulation/repopulation plan for Syrian, by nature, includes this type of planning.

Depopulating Syria quickly, by providing strong incentives for non-combatants to leave and then caring for them in a humane and respectful manner, could very well end the war more quickly than intervening with military force. A country with a population of only warring groups can be declared a “failed state.” One can look at some of the more recent changes in Somalia — establishment of relatively peaceful city-based, self-governing territories, organizing refugees into groups that have started to resettle in areas of the country — for possible positive examples of a depopulated country that has started to rebuild itself. We need to empower the ordinary people of Syria who are not warriors.

Please vote to spend our money on the Syrian citizens who matter, on rehabilitating the country, and restoring the people of Syria to their communities, accompanied by a well-funded plan to rebuild the country. Vote for the people and against war. It’s the right thing to do.