Reflections: I remember a much simpler time growing up on the West Side of New Rochelle Pre K thru 6th grade. An Italian and Black area of New York just off the Long Island sound, a stones throw away from the Bronx. Columbus Elementary School, Charlie Boden, Rosano Pippo, Billy Telesco (RIP), and our crew would go to Millies for lunch and then cut school the rest of the day when it was hot out. Hide and Seek in Beechwood Cemetery, Hobo Town, etc; Maria Consolos Mom standing outside waiting as we walked home from school everyday. My first dance in 6th grade at Feeney Park Boys Club, my first dance in life was the Hustle with JoAnne Grecco, a Freckly Faced Italian Girl. John Brewton, Robert T Harris, Frank Caltabellotta those were the days. Wiffle ball with Eugene McLeer and Rich Mingoia. We lost Austin B. Crawford way to young. The Police were friendly on that side of town. In March of 1979 we moved Over the Hill Horton and Brook, across from the Hartly House Housing Project. The Police on that side of town spoke to me different, and in this community there was a deep mistrust of the Police. The things I experienced made me wanna be a Cop, to help the community. With that said, 16 years as a Cop, Ive met and worked with some of the most caring men and women, who truly do it the right way, Protect and Serve. Cassie Radford a single Mom who lost her Dad in the line of Duty, leaves her son at night, to make sure my family is safe. Timothy Lee, a former supervisor who I got to know personally and our families spent time together, Russell Brewton, Gerard Walls, Darring Hicks, Jeffrey M. Gironda, Gail Anderson Donald C. Brown Yvonda Lucky and to many more to name. Youre not gonna see CNN, Fox News or any other Media outlets when Gerard and Cassie are getting up at the Crack of Dawn on Saturday Morning to go into the lower socioeconomic communities to do a program for under privileged kids. Ive met Bad Cops, but they are of a very Small percentile, but receive all the Publicity. Maybe if I put it this way: 90% of the people living in the Projects go to work everyday, but the Media would have you believe theyre all on welfare, and when something happens, they find the worst person to put in front of the Camera. In summation, what Im trying to say, is not all cops are bad, and what we need from both sides is understanding. To my Family in Blue, just like you want people in the community to Snitch when that see a crime, the citizens deserve that same expectation of courage from you when you see a Bad Cop in action. To my people in the Streets, Timmy Scribby Hunter, Kasim Allah, Rob Garris, Derek Murphy, yall know I understand the pain and frustration of living and Growing up in the Black Community, we have to be Proactive as opposed to Reactive. Im Hurting inside, because Hate is a Learned Behavior, and it feels closer to 1968 today, than it did in 1978. We Need A Healing.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 00:21:44 +0000