Staten Island = Ferguson North

[adigal]

Last edited Wed Dec 3, 2014, 11:29 PM - Edit history (1)

I grew up on Staten Island. It's blue collar, deeply racist, and more like Ferguson than it is like the rest of NYC. I had two run-ins with cops pulling me over for supposed traffic violations and the cops (all Italian males, and I have an Italian family) were intimidating, rude bullies, and Im a 53 uear old professional woman. I followed complaints against all three of them.

And Staten Island just re elected Congressman Grimm, who,is under indictment for fraud and to,d a reporter that he would throw him over the f-ing balcony in DC.

Staten Island is the moral pit of NYC.

Edited to add: I grew up in Rosebank, where the graffiti all read: Rosebank: NNL (no n**ger land) Yes, that was all over the place.

[rug]

1. I lived in Staten Island for one year. I never went west of Westervelt Avenue.

[musette_sf]

21. Stapleton was okay back in the day

but any further west/south, ew.

[Dawson Leery]

2. I agree with everything you said and more.

Staten Island should be placed under federal supervision.

[shenmue]

3. It is

[napkinz]

4. thug ...

[hrmjustin]

5. I live on the other side of the bridge of SI in Brookkyn and hate going to SI.

The demographics are changing but it is still a conservative area.

[musette_sf]

18. Bay Ridge has a lot more going on than most of SI,

diversity-wise, but still very, very conservative. Grimm's district includes Bay Ridge.

My FB friends from the old 'hood post RW political stuff that makes me cringe. No surprises, though, I went door to door on 10/15/69 (Moratorium day) collecting signatures on an anti-war petition, and I think the only reason I didn't get harassed and cussed at more than I did was because I was a teenage girl. SSDD.

[hrmjustin]

19. Bay Ridge is not Rw anymore.

Obama won it twice. Grimm does not do well in Bay Ridge.

[musette_sf]

22. Spend an evening at the Salty Dog

or the Kettle Black, and get back to me on that.

I'm more of a Three Jolly Pigeons girl, myself.

[hrmjustin]

23. I know those bars and would not go in them. i could tell you stories for days.

[maryellen99]

6. Isn't that the place during Sandy

Where the 2 black boys drowned because nobody would give the mom and them refuge when their car was overcome by storm surge?

[hrmjustin]

9. Yes. Along Father Capadono Drive.

[adigal]

16. Yes, this still makes me cry

Poor babies.

[iandhr]

27. How did I miss that?

Can you elaborate.

[musette_sf]

30. story here

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/staten-island-brothers-killed-sandy-buried-coffin-article-1.1199546

Moore’s sister told The Daily News that Glenda banged on the door of nearby house for help, but the occupants turned her away.

"They answered the door and said, 'I don't know you. I'm not going to help you,’” said the sister, who declined to give her name.

[sir pball]

7. Yeah. I actually wouldn't mind if they burned that b-t-h down.

Dated a girl from SI once in college, she was fierce and fun up till the first time she got liquored up at home...I don't think I've ever heard nastier stuff even down in Louisiana.

[LiberalElite]

8. Actually Ferguson East

[hrmjustin]

10. North Staten Island is ok but once you get below the SI Expressway it is very RW.

Although President Obama did better the second time around. I think he either barely won or lost SI by a few votes.

[LiberalElite]

11. It's the most conservative borough in NYC -

I bet if this GJ was empaneled elsewhere esp. in the Bronx or Brooklyn there would have been a different result.

[JaneyVee]

12. Its been deeply racist forever. They tried seceding some times.

The other 4 boroughs would love to push Staten Island further out to sea.

[hrmjustin]

13. I remember that when they voted on it.

I still can't remember why we kept them if they wanted to go.

There are legitimate grievences of a lack of proper infrastructure.

[iandhr]

15. What about selling it to New Jersey?

Last edited Wed Dec 3, 2014, 11:52 PM - Edit history (1)

[Reter]

29. There is even a Facebook Secession Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Staten-Island-Secession/170290153021353

Not sure if the Page or founder is racist, but secession talk seems to be making a comeback.

[iandhr]

14. I was a life insurance agent for about two minutes.

Much of our market was union working class blue collar people so many of my clients were in SI.

I am a Jew from Manhattan's upper west side but I look like I am Irish so they felt comfortable talking to me. Let's say I heard stuff that I hadn't heard in NYC before.

[adigal]

17. Did they insult Jews? Or just blacks and Hispanics?,

A relative is about to be promoted to a very high position in one of the civil service departments, and last time I saw him, he was bitching about the black women Mayor DeBlasio was considering for Fire Commissioner. Racist ass.

[iandhr]

24. Just the minorities in my case.

I am sure if I suck around I would have heard anti-semitic comments.

[adigal]

25. Oh, boy, my father in law was the master of them!

But karma stepped in and his daughter married a wonderful a Jewish man who took care of him after his stroke for three years until he died.

[iandhr]

26. Not everyone was a racist of course

Some of the people I met were the salt of the earth .

[adigal]

28. Of course...there are SOME Dems on Staten Island...just not many nt

[annominous]

33. Apologies.

I posted then saw I had replied to you in error.

I had intended to add the following comment to the main thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5908154

[a la izquierda]

20. My mom was born and raised there.

And I still have family there. The place is a pit.

[annominous]

32. How in the world does one boycott Staten Island?

As the monstrosity of the Brown killing rolled out to the "grand jury" nonindictment in MO, I decided to do my own little 'boycott of one' on MO goods and services. I googled what MO makes, and it turns out my most realistic plan is just not to drive through there while traveling in that direction. Don't buy gas, don't buy fast food, pick my route through some neighboring state that hasn't approved of such a blatantly-racist murder-by-cop. Plus there is this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_St._Louis

So I have half a clue.

How in the world does one boycott Staten Island? Can anyone help?

I realize my little boycotts won't have any tangible effect. But otherwise, what can I do? I will not support with my consumer dollars any community where a majority of inhabitants and voters have supported murder-by-cop.

These private boycotts kinda turned things around in AZ. Anyone else in?

[Starry Messenger]

34. The UFT members there wore NYPD shirts

to protest their union supporting Eric Garner and marching. That's just insane to me. I'm sure CA has places where the Union members don't like what CFT supports, but opening supporting a cop who killed an innocent bystander? Yikes.

[Tree-Hugger]

35. Italians...

I have heard some racist shit come from some Italian acquaintances there. I find it funny.....they should ask themselves how the Italians were viewed on that very Island 50 some years ago....do they know the alternate name for the Verazzano back then? Amazing how quickly things are forgotten.

My family is from there - mom's side. I have fond memories of Staten Island and visit now and then (family still there). My mother grew up in an Irish-Catholic home where you did not dare hate on people for the color of their skin, their religion, or anything else. I am so thankful for the way my Grandmother was brought up and how she brought up my mom and her siblings.

[adigal]

36. My parents were the same way - no racism in my home, although conservative

My husband's family is another story.

Although my Irish grandmother hated my Italian mother for her darling son for years. She came around when my mom took such good care of her in her older years.

[Odin2005]

37. What is with North-Eastern "ethnic" whites and virulent racism?

It's almost as if the demographics that most recently have become considered "white", like Italians, Greeks, Portuguese, Lebanese, etc. have completely forgotten the prejudice their ancestors faced.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

38. My wife has a cousin in Westchester.

Extremely right wing and quite racist. Former cop, to boot.

I actually get along fine with him otherwise, but sadly he's one of the most racist people I know.