wow, I could not be more displeased

[rm]

There are militant Black Israelites holding a rally in my neighborhood. This is probably not the best nomenclature for the folks in question, as there are actually many Black Israelite groups and splinter groups with a fairly broad range of beliefs.

HOWEVER:

These are the folks with the funny costumes (all that white fringe and gold lame!) normally down on Union Square getting into arguments with tourists stupid enough to get into arguments with them. They are sexist, racist and quite frankly, scary as shit. They're about the only people in NYC I'm not willing to fuck with, because they are so beligerant and confrontational and I've had them get up in my face just walking along minding my own business for being a "false Jew." (Kids, I am still waiting for my banking monopoly, thanks).

I'm presumeing they're up here because of the big rallies this weekend agaist gentrification. The neighborhood is tense and splintering and this is a good opportunity for them, especially since there's obviously a lot of race stuff floating around in the ether with the anti-gentrification issue (although this neighborhood has a long, mixed heritage, and most of the people who are well-informed on the issue and leading the rallies know this and reflect this).

Anyway, the good news about my neighborhood is that it's smart and woman-centric (although sadly, this is in part because the men of my zipcode have the highest rates of incarceration in the city). And one of the group's dude's was just totally set upon by a group of women of all backgrounds in the supermarket who were having none of this group's appearance in our neighborhood; also, I think he had rebuked teh cashier helping him for working. Good. Good good good.

But they're handing out flyering and trying to recruit people on a bunch of corners and they are having a rally with lots of police presence on 106th and 2nd, and DO NOT WANT.

I really hope this is a one time event. This is not what the neighborhood needs or wants.

Comments

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Oh how I remember those people. They used to be in Times Square , I guess they were eventually run out of there. They fucked with me once by pointing me out and saying " Hey! White boy! ". I just kept walking.

Do they still carry quaqrterstafs?

[drfardook.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, that swell bunch of guys who called me a "faggot cracker" when I used to live up on 125th street.

Goodness, the memories.

While we're at it, I'm still waiting on the International Jewish Banking Conspiracy to give me my stipend check as well. I'm pretty sure they have my most recent address.

[crazycatlady.livejournal.com]

How can one be a false Jew?

[orobouros.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. I think these are the people I refer to as the "P-Funk Klingon Space Muslims."

Sorry to hear they're being assholes. Hopefully the mothership will return for them soon.

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

A former boss of mine used to complain that if there was an International Zionist/Monetarist Conspiracy it had lost his address because he sure as fuck wasn't getting his monthly stipend.

Good luck on having your neighborhood return to normal and soon.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, I hope to see more women like that in my 'hood. Go them!

All we have locally are I-think-they-are-Nation of Islam (or some splinter or variant)guys, who make me a little nervous, and more to the point, I get nervous when one guy in a suit and a half dozen people, including some employees of the Foot Locker, hang out on the sidewalk in front of said Foot Locker burning lung-choking incense and blocking the sidewalk in a busy shopping center. Not least because this is a gang neighborhood too, and I've had at least one encounter with gang assholes on that same corner. (Note to self: Next time do not assume that the large SUV with tinted windows belongs to a yuppie; it belonged to a bunch of gangers, who will give you shit and threaten you for yelling at them for illegally blocking the only wheelchair ramp.)

Bizarrely, this is the same corner with the "black hair store" where I go to buy hair dye and stuff like that, which is run by a bunch of Japanese people, and is this weird but awesome island of Black and Asian racial harmony and hair products that's exactly what is best of this neighborhood. Of course, the place is 95% women.

I hope your whackos' mothers all show up and yell at them to get jobs. I can hope.