Alice Muniz, Gay Officers Action League Christine C. Quinn, President, New York City Council Honorable Michael Bloomberg, Mayor, New York City (by email form)
Last night, after dinner in the Village, a friend and I were walking and came to Christopher Park. The gates were wide open and there were other people there. We walked in and sat on a bench to talk and enjoy the beautiful evening. Tourists passed through and posed with the statues and people sat on benches. It was quiet and peaceful.
Between 10 and 10:30 police officers came into the park shining lights in peoples faces and saying the park was closed. We got up to leave and one officer (I regret I didn't get his badge or name, but he was the only one in a white shirt) demanded to see ID. I started getting my driver's license from my wallet and my friend asked why he needed to show ID. The officer didn't explain why he just demanded again. My friend insisted to know why. Then the officer in the white shirt instructed another officer to cuff him. I had seen the other officer get the cuffs out at the ready the first time my friend asked why. My friend did not do anything physical, he was only verbal and he was not insulting, but he was insistent on knowing why he was being treated like a criminal.
He was placed under arrest and pushed into an unmarked car. As he was getting into the car he looked at me and said "he called me queen."
I went to the 6th Precinct and inquired about his status. Officer Leahy, badge 18943, told me he was the one who cuffed my friend. I asked him if he was the one who called my friend a "queen" and he said no. Officer Leahy told me that it would take about three hours to process my friend at the precinct, then he would be taken to Central Booking and by that time no judge would be available so he would spend a night in jail. I informed him that I was a YouTube video director and that I was going to post a video about this as soon as I got home. For whatever reason, my friend was released about an hour later with a summons.
My friend says he does not think Leahy is the one who cuffed him. I don't know if there was some bait and switch going on or what the source of the confusion is.
The facts are that the park was physically open and the list of rules is on a dark plaque against dark shrubbery and not noticeable at night. Within 30 minutes after leaving the precinct, I rode by the park in a cab and it was wide open again.
If it is so important to public safety to keep people out of that park after dusk (whatever time that is), why don't they get locks that work? The locks looked unmolested to me and the gates were wide open. And why isn't the closing time posted more prominently at the entrance? Is this some scam so the city can make more money?
Why can't people just be asked to leave and not treated like criminals?
I asked the officer in charge why they needed to see ID. He answered with a question, "How can I write a summons without ID?" Well, I didn't see them write any summonses. They didn't write me one. Is this selective enforcement? Is it only because they perceived my friend to be gay? And even if all was legit, which I doubt, they have no right to use an anti-gay slur when they make an arrest.
I keep reading the City wants to encourage tourism for the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. This kind of behavior combined with the entrapment arrests at the video stores in Chelsea is not helpful. I have advised my friends to stay away because NYPD is hostile to gay people. Not 30 yards from Stonewall, no less.
well stated, man.
"how do pick out the corn from the crap," har har!
i expect that quality depends upon time and imagination, and also articulation.
variety is also an important part of the internet, and without those who don't b...
Your standards are quite high. Kudos to ya.
Intelligent discourse, among other things, is enabled via vlogging, perhaps not inherent in the phenom itself (...because many humans love the crap. (?) ) By enabled, I mean that connections are made be...
The Internet has greatly increased my ability to do research and find the books I want to read. I am now completely in control of the content that comes my way. For example, I can watch German and French news on YouTube. If you think the Internet ...
I have seen many people express concerns about giving their personal information to this site for identity verification. The concerns are legitimate, but I am holding judgment until the system is in place and I can evaluate it for myself.
I don't know Paul Robinett personally and I cannot vouch for him, but I do know Tom Guarriello quite well personally and I know his professional reputation. I would trust Tom with my life. But the issue is not one of personal trust. It is the technical ability… Continue
I find myself often, after posting a comment, waiting for them to post. Then I realize they posted immediately and I have been waiting for no reason. I need to break that habit. I am so used to a delay, if they post even at all.
I don't understand. On some videos I can post a comment and the vid keeps on trucking. On others, I post a comment and the damn video re-starts from the beginning. What up?
I went out for the afternoon and came back and there were like a couple of thousand new vloggerheads. Oh, all right, I exaggerated. I do that. Often. Like about a million times a day. I am trying to welcome everybody. Let's see if I have enough stamina.
I am a subsscriber of yours over on youtube & I have just gotten back to Vloggerheads after a long time! I just want to know how do you subscribe to people's channels? Beacuase I am a HUGE fan of yours & I'd like to subscribe to ya. Thanks so much!
May the vibrant beauty of the season make your home bright with laughter and togetherness and may today and all your tomorrows be blessed with rich harvest of prosperity, peace and happiness! Happy Thanksgiving!
moved ?? your being removed ? or Jeremy is being removed .. lol
Tom you are sounding more and more like Woody Allen.. True Statement ** $:0} He is my favorite director screen play write so not a bad thing..
Jeremy why are you here?
because these folks have not given any money or I would worry about them at that time
the only waste here is the exact same amount of time they would spend on their computers anyway because this is what they do
most of th...
@Cindy I really do not believe he hates this place at all. I think this is our "jump start" here . He is the guy who kicks us in the ass and makes us mad enough to vlog /blog and get our hearts moving in all different directions bad good...
everything and anything negative gets reaction here .the real popular or the real shit .. nothing more . Ya are either really liked or really hated here. Either way you will get views and a comment .. thrown your way.. and than they complain about...
To assume that there is more "quality" on VH due to the fact that it is a painfully small network is foolish.
I didn't say that and I don't assume there is more quality based on less quality. Maybe you forgot your own quote th...
You are wrong - I don't know that it's bullshit. I can (and have had) very stimulating/ un-boring conversations with just 1 person.
To assume that there is more "quality" on VH due to the fact that it is a painfully small netw...
I was flinching when I clicked on this video....yes, fairy stories. At some point physics and meta-physics will merge. I'm looking forward to that day....jaws collectively hitting the floor.
Oh Tom This is so not a time for you to be doing this to your back .. your back is never going to forgive you.. ok.. I am sure your back blames you for everything too .. so why not !!
Get better .. hopefully when they take those tests .. they put ...
see I agree with Jay on this one.
Example: 6 people vote : 2 vote for me and 4 vote for Marcel
Than Marcel would win ..period.
Is this what you are saying Jay?
If so? I so dang agree. and I would explain gently in writing to the peoples of the Vi...
Why my dreams are bigger than regular people? I mean, real people just gave up their dreams because they can't make it. I think they thought they couldn't, while they really could. Are others more realistic than me?
When I asked my frie...
sometimes I get the urge to just pick up their phone and smash it on the ground... but I feel like that would be a bad decision and I might be put into anger management
people just have no respect these days. In all honesty, all facets of texting just bother me to the umpteenth degree... but no one wants to get me started on that
Gary is using the wrong example. Taylor is a pussy cat and should not be villified for expressing his opinion on a video. I despise the lurking haters as much as anyone, but Taylor isn't one of them.
@Zen: you were on the list until recently. I just feel this place has screwed you many, many times and you're too good for it. So I took you off the list. But you were there and I still like you a lot.
Why do you even care what Taylor says or does? He doesn't spout hatred, but you respond as if what he says is meaningful. If you don't value what he says why respond? Taylor was almost invisible until you promoted him to some kind of lur...
When you're the only member? You are, technically, more of a troll than I am.
At least I set forth 2 videos. You have done none. You got citizenship because of some backwards system.
So, when it's me and you left, I'd be talking t...
@a6487487: whoever you are. If I am considered a troll, so are you. Okay . . . you are no different. You've never made one video. I set forth 2. You = none. So your comments really carry little credance with me.
It's extremely interesti...
Taylor has not acted as you have described. Your use of him as an example of the kind of lawn shitting you (and I) despise was ill advised. There are numerous examples of where he has made a contribution. You need a better example to illustrate yo...
Why is anybody watching or even seriously commenting here. This is clearly a marketing ploy or flat out troll ..... Until she addresses the community in a vlog this is a troll not to be taken seriously or commented on.... a complete waste o time I...
One thing that is pathetic I think is that when I put up a video that I have actually spent some time and effort on and it gets maybe a half dozen comments at best. If I put up a video (and I have before) with the title "(insert name here) is...
@Lewis Toule: I agree. It's a sad truth. The worst part about it is that, as you pointed out, it depends on who you are, as to whether you get away with it or not.
Yea, but I never stopped the car and blocked traffic to make a video or talk with the witnesses, cops or victims.
You sir, are sick to that of which you profess to be above.
People who want to use negative ratings could just as easily use a "positive approval or lack of" system as a weapon. They could A) not vote to approve someone they know in their conscience should be approved and more importantly B) go a...