My trip into NYC this past Saturday reminded me much of what I miss about the city. It is big. It is huge. It is alive and busy. It really is beautiful and sometimes it is ugly too.
My hometown is now a post 9/11 city after being a main target of the attacks. Yet in spite of increased security, the fact that some people moved out to the safer confines of the outer boroughs or even the suburbs, the city is still very much alive and thriving. Even the most recent disaster of Hurricane Sandy can't seem to push back the thriving life blood of New York City.
In these last 12 years I have seen many newer and taller residential buildings being built since 9/11. In an already tall building city it seems as if the city has now gone supersized with even taller buildings.
The subway system still runs. The buses still run. Many smaller, would be attacks against innocent lives have been thwarted because of the now more obvious New York City police presence. Men and women working hard everyday to safeguard our city from terrorists and criminals.
My feelings and thoughts are that this increased police presence in high crime areas or checkpoints where crime might flow shouldn't lead to people who live there feeling under siege. In spite of the stop and frisk policy being a great tool, it is inherently biased and can nurture superiority complexes within the police ranks towards the very people that they are trying to protect. If there was an effort made towards imbuing more oversight and community awareness instead of a bullwhip and leather boot approach, there probably would be even greater compliance.
Now I know there are people who disagree and expound about how much violent crime has been reduced in New York City in the last 12 years. Hey, I used to walk those violent streets as youngster in the late 1970's and early 1980's when the crime wave in NYC was at record numbers and there was a sense of lawlessness or do what you want, because the police won't get involved. Back then the city averaged over 2000 murders a year. Now NYC has less than 100.
Okay...so now that we've had major Wall Street Scandals in during the 1980's and 2007 and 2008 which cost the city ten of billions in lost jobs, lost investment revenue, retirement funds and chain reaction financial collapses around the country and the world - can we now employ a "Stop and Frisk" on financial advisers and upstart financial institutions with shady backgrounds down on Wall Street? Can we have shyster businessmen and bankers (Bernie Madoff) stopped, questioned and their briefcases searched before they even enter the building to commit their felonious deeds? As I type this very sentence, I'm betting there are about 100 deals being made, well before 8am, around the city, stealing money from it right under it's nose. These other crimes still exist, still destroy the city yet also seem to remain undaunted because there is no "policing" presence there. Can you imagine the uproar if NYPD did "police" that?
If the powers that be want to really clean up the city...well then let's clean it up on all sides, and not just the spot on the carpet in the middle of the room. Underneath that $5,000 leather sofa is just as dirty as the middle of the room.
Moving right along...part 1 of my Private iTeam has stimulated some 400 hits in one weeks time. That has set my own personal best records. I thank you all for that. Part 2 is coming up later tonight at 7pm New York time. Part of this particular story with my characters is exploring the very questions that I have already mentioned above.
New York City is one heck of a town. Cheers to those men, women of all occupations, who all combine their daily efforts and spirits to make NYC a wonderful place.
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