Black children not allowed to participate in neighborhood function(UPDATED)

UPDATE: I received several emails stating that this did NOT in fact happen from one member who was there. I asked my source for clarification and did not hear a response back as of this update. If my source can provide further evidence I will post their response and the original post. Until then, it comes down. I went with my source as they were able to provide the EXACT location as to where this occurred and the names of known neighbors who were turned away. It wasn't as if some outside kook was playing games or so I thought.

Purim but no Kwanzaa and Connie's

Just a few quick ones folks.

DitmasParkBlog can take the time to announce Purim but not Kwanzaa? Hmmf.

You know you are a gentrification troll when you demand that the owner of Connie's Cafe changes their name to Connie's Diner. Why? Will it make the food taste different? Of course not, gentrification trolls never engage in logcial reasoning.

Whites approve of Commissioner Kelly 80%-9%

This makes sense since whites are only searched and frisked 19% of the time according to the NYPD. I would love him too if I were white. The rest of us, not so much. After the Mineo disaster, the man needs to resign or be fired.

link

"If you can't take care of your kids, don't have any."

That is the English version of what my mother told my siblings and me when we were about to start our families. I always sort of scratch my head when I read about white women not knowing what to do with their children and then shelling out hundreds of dollars to get someone to do what they should know how to do themselves. Take the owner of Ditmas Park Blog who writes up about how a Freda Rosenfeld (no, not everyone in the neighborhood knows her) came to help her because it was so painful to breast feed her children. Lady, take my mother's words to heart.

I guess if you can afford it and are too much of a certain kind of princess(blacks and browns know what I am talking about) to deal with the pain of childbirth and being a parent, maybe it isn't so bad. Yes, your children will cause you pain but you will love them regardless. Deal with it. For the rest of us peasants, it's called an ice pack.

*Apologies for all the back to back postings.

NYPD Terrorism Continues; Ditmas Park Blog covers white barbershops

The title should be self-explanatory and I told myself that I would leave the calling out of Ditmas Park Blog proprietors to Eloise but I go to a salon like Eloise and other Flatbush old-timers that is run by a wonderful Dominican lady. This salon is also on Cortelyou. Why not the profile of the Dominican salon where women of many generations gather to exchange neighborhood gossip, share family happenings, recipes, and lots of great laughs? If Ditmas Park Blog is supposed to be about the neighborhood why not profile those that are making a positive difference in the neighborhood and not a select few? It appears that Ditmas Park Blog uses its platform to promote the things that they like while not helping out businesses that could always use a bit of free advertising. There also seems to be a trend in what businesses get covered and which do not. I love this area and have no intentions on leaving unless I am in a casket. I love the architecture and the history of the neighborhood as well as my neighbors. I loved the diversity which now seems to be a thing of the past. It is a shame and I hope that the owners realize that what they are doing is creating a forum to promote a whitewashed version of the area.

Office Acquitted; Police Brutality of Minorities Continues; Ditmas Park Blog Silent

What else is there to say when a cop who has a history of misconduct, there is DNA evidence on the baton which he shoved up Mr. Mineo's ass, and another officer testifying? This is our justice system. I am not African-American but a white latina. If someone where to look at my resume they would know my ethnicity automatically but not necessarily when they see me. I have not had any run-ins with the NYPD but I do have a son who has. My son is biracial. Long story short, my son and his friends were harassed and roughed up by the cops. We went to the CCRB, cop was given a slap on the wrist even though the board found that what the cop did was harassment and used excessive force. The cop is back on the streets, pension in tact and probably terrorizing other folks for the hell of it. This is what your tax dollars go towards--the sanctioning of the NYPD as terrorists against minorities. It really needs to stop and it starts at the top.

It has long been past time for Commissioner Kelly to be fired or resign. This is just one in a series of incidents against minorities that have occurred under his tenure with no repercussions. Where was the Commissioner during this case? I pointed out how cops were not showing up for the Mineo trial but what was more appalling was the fact that Kelly was no where to be found. Eloise has already discussed how an innocent family was terrorized by the NYPD because the founders of Ditmas Park Blog didn't like something they said. I saw the exchanges that Eloise made with the lady and the fact that the NYPD would terrorize a young family because the owner of Ditmas Park Blog didn't like being called a punk should scare every single person of color living in New York City. It is important that if you are a minority you must be diligent when dealing with the NYPD or else you might end up with a baton up your ass and no justice.

Gawker, a site that is snarky but often on point gives a slightly funny but dead-on rundown on what you need to do to protect yourself. You can read it here.

Juror #6 Out In Mineo Trial

The Times reports that juror #6 has been dismissed for bringing up the fact that one of the cops was accused of misconduct before. I know that we shouldn't speculate but it appears that there are a few sympathetic souls for Mineo on the jury. Good. I have a gut feeling that they are going to find the cop guilty. Those defenders of Mr. Kern have yet to be able to explain how Mineo's DNA was on the baton. They can't because they know what Kern did. I look forward to Mineo getting his settlement so that he can move away and start a new life for himself.

Health Issues

I have to take care of my personal health which means the next couple of weeks for me will not be pleasant. I'm doing quite better but not 100%. Neighbor Tina will be keeping the blog up mostly and I will pop in when I feel up to it.


God bless.

DitmasParkBlog expands their gentrification project

They have now created another website called "Kensington Prospect." This is horrible news. They just will not be happy until they have turned all of Brooklyn into an overpriced whiteland. Don't worry, we will be following them over there and calling them out as need be. This is not the end of the road.

Cops Not Showing Up For Mineo Trial

I have been following rather closely, and yes, attending a few days of trial of the Mineo case and noticed the same thing--there aren't many uniformed cops there in support of their fellow brothers on trial. The author in this Times piece hints at the fact that it may have to do with the type of crime that the officers are alleged of doing. I personally think it has to do with verifiable witnesses and cameras. It's easy to come to the defense of your fellow officer in the case of Diallo as one could argue that they were going on a description and Diallo reaches for what could have been a weapon. Of course, there was no reason for him to be shot over three dozen times. However, it is not so easy to come to your fellow officers' defense when the suspect's DNA is on the baton that was allegedly used to sodomize him. It is also harder when there are other witnesses who describe the scene in fairly descriptive detail and no one really refutes it.

This case like others before it is just an all too familiar reminder that police misconduct against average citizens of ALL races is a problem. Yes, a disproportionate amount of those are minorities but police misconduct knows no color.

My only hope for this case is that Mr. Mineo will take his city settlement and continue to try to be a productive member of society. As a former social worker, it can be done.

Greetings!

Greetings!

My name is Christina (most call me Tina) and I am a resident of Midwood. Eloise is a member of my book club and when she asked me if I wanted to contribute to her blog I happily agreed. There is not much to say but I am a local New York news and political junkie who likes to knit. I am also a "foodie." I am also retired with three grown children.

My focus here is going to primarily be on local news and food news and whatever else Eloise wants me to cover.

Thanks for reading!

Tina

Deep Thought

Would it kill DitmasParkBlog to use a minority photogapher for their "photo of the day?" There are after all several black freelance photographers who are not doing it for a hobby like rich guy Nelson.

"The outrage over a guy writting anti-semetic words on snow, as deplorable as that is, cannot be compared with state sponsored harassment..."

You can say that again. Harold is another Ditmas Park hero. He is absolutely right in his assessment of DitmasParkBlog. Like I said, there are many people in the neighborhood who think that DitmasParkBlog is for whites and jewish people only. The archives seem to point towards that. Are we really all supposed to share their outrage that someone is using their first amendment right in the damn snow?

Updated by Tina

"the Mineo case is a bit outside of the tiny slice of the city this blog covers, and so we haven’t covered it. .."

• The Children's Film Festival
• G&T roundup

• Third Root

Yeah right. Those were all mentioned on DitmasParkBlog, shockingly do not feature any minorities and all are far outside of the "tiny slice of the city" that DitmasParkBlog claims that they only cover. They can't cover police brutality but they can cover the children's film festival that featured a bunch of white racist trust fund hippies?

The next time DitmasParkBlog wants to send their people to flood my email with rants they might want to do a bit of checking because I did.

Ben gets called out for his selective outrage (UPDATED)

It looks like more and more people have just about had it with Ben and DitmasParkBlog. For those of you who think that I am nuts for going after DitmasParkBlog for being anti-minority, here is just one more instance of why I stand by my beliefs. Heck, my email box is also more proof but I don't need to tell you that.

A commenter asks Ben what we all have been wondering--why do you cover certain incidents(read: white people) and not others?

Will you ever write about the disturbing news that happened on prospect park train station? A cop was charged with sodomizing a man. There’s a court case happening right now. It seems that there’s only one blog that is writting about that. Why the silence when it comes to disturbing news with the nypd? Why are you protected them? What’s the deal here? The incidence you reported is indeed disturbing. No one should be targeted because of their religion, but is that any worse then racial profiling? Why don’t you have the same compassion for the countless African American men who are daily targets by the nypd. After all an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. Your selective outrage is indeed an injustice to all of us who has had the indignity to be targeted for who we are.

DitmasParkBlog's response is even more pathetic. He accuses the commenter of being hostile and confrontational. Translation: stop being aggressive black man! I have made similar comments awhile ago on DitmasParkBlog about how they refuse to cover issues affecting minorities in the area and was shouted down by the gentrification crew.

Also, based on my source for a post I wrote a bit back, it is not uncommon for DitmasParkBlog to stand up for the police since after all they are quite connected. They do not care about anyone but their own people(again, white).

Thanks to those that stand with me in exposing DitmasParkBlog for what it is--a nasty gentrification site that hates minorities.

UPDATE: I should also point out that DitmasParkBlog's response that the incident is outside of their area is complete rubbish. How many times has Ben or Leina started a post, "this is a bit outside of DP or Flatbush but..." Don't make me go through your archives.

"Daylaborers" "Scrub their streets."

Then the day laborers on 18th Ave…OMG (I am NOT against them looking for work as day laborers, I understand we all have to work somehow) -commenter on DitmasParkBlog

This is who DitmasParkBlog allows to comment on their site. What else is there to say? They hate minorities. This is the type of crap my dominican hairdresser on Cortelyou gets all the time.

Update: Go Liz!!

DitmasParkBlog ignores local black historymakers

Hi all! Well, my surgery was a success and I have just been at home recovering. My children bought me a new laptop as a welcome home gift with a little web camera so that I can keep in touch visually with everyone. It was a nice welcome home present. Thanks to those that sent well wishes to me from the neighborhood and who also kept me current on what was going on with what the gentrification crew over at DitmasParkBlog. I am quite a bit sore but it is to be expected. The doctor expects me to make a full recovery and I will now have more frequent doctor appointments. I guess being married to a doctor all of these years made me feel immune to worrying about such things. I recommend that everyone, especially African-Americans get regular checkups. The Lord wants us to take care of ourselves!

Anyway, while catching up on what was going on, DitmasParkBlog seems to be celebrating gays and lesbians and not African-Americans. It is after all black history month. Would it kill them to honor those history makers in our neighborhood? Of course it would. They hate minorities. I am not going to do the work that they should be doing by pointing out those African-Americans in Ditmas Park who are worthy of being celebrated this month.

Shame on them!