[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ka4oKu1jo[/embedyt]Marquel, TPS NYTimes correspondent, was cleaning his guns when he read Death of a Man in Custody Adds Fuel to a Dispute Over Two of the Mayor’s Priorities: mending relations between the police and minority residents while fighting serious crime by focusing on petty offenses. The theory that arresting people for minor crimes, such as selling individual cigarettes on the street, will rid the city of murder and rape, seems at best overblown. It is unlikely, the neighborhood says impossible, that this popular denizen of the neighborhood would have become a mafia buttonman.
I went into several neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and some place called Staten Island. I approached several groups and asked my questions: did they know any murderers or rapists who started by selling single cigarettes? And how much less crime would there be if the windows in their neighborhoods were fixed.
The second question produced more laughs than anything although one man who thought I was making fun of him picked me up off the ground, called me a motherfucker and asked me who I was and what the he’ll was I doing there.
“Oh yeah,” he said,”prove it.”
He lifted me higher for all to see and asked, “does this look like Marquel?”The crowd murmured, inspected me from all sides and said, “we don’t know what Marquel looks like. Nobody knows!”
“Okay then, tell a joke.” He said.
“Then tell me a satire,” he said.
One of the others said, “That wasn’t a great joke but it’s certainly true. We don’t want windows, we want jobs.”Another said, “You’re also right about the windows though. Put more up, more’ll get broke. Kids around here got nothing to do but throw rocks at windows.”
“Not allowed,” they said.
“Shoot him if he’s armed.” They both said.
“Get him under control and to the ground,” said one.
“Get him by the head” one said.
“That works best. If you squeeze he can’t breathe well so it’s easier.” Said the other.
“Choke hold’s not allowed,” they both said. One added, “This is just getting him by the neck. It’s different.”
If only there were more writing so well as you do on so many relevant topics.
Which proves that the old journals are only good to enable Marquel look professional.
Excellent piece.