HEY, I'M JUST DOING MY JOB
Unlike the “anonymous” coward in article “Nice Guys Finish Last” (Feb. 15-21), I will identify myself and stand behind what I say. I am Tony Avella, Council Member for the 19th District, and I am proud of my record. I do refuse lulus, I do tell the truth, I do take my job seriously and I do say what is on my mind.
My anonymous colleague says that I am “out there banging the drum for the press” when I refuse lulus or when I voted against the excessive 18.49 percent property tax hike. I was under the assumption that provoking discussion and speaking up when you believe a practice/policy to be wrong is our duty as elected officials. Excuse me for doing my job.
I am sorry if some of my “anonymous” colleagues cannot handle the truth. At least I have the guts to stand behind the remarks. When you stoop to the level of name calling, using foul language and attacking someone’s personal character, don’t take the easy way out.
When I have something to say, I say it and more importantly I bear the consequences. The fact that one of my colleagues would have the audacity to call me names, yet stand behind the cloak of anonymity, is not only cowardly it is downright gutless.
I consider public service to be a noble calling. It does infuriate me when I see other elected officials abusing their position—interested more in themselves than in the public they were elected to serve. If that offends some of my colleagues—too bad!
Tony Avella
Council Member, District 19, Northeast Queens
WE'RE MORE THAN J. CREW WEARERS
As the “bike punk infused with hipsterness” Bret Liebendorfer observed at the Matt and Kim show in Greenpoint (“Drug Crazed Kids, one less fixie,” Feb. 15-21), I have to take issue with some of his views.
If Mr. Liebendorfer has, as he states, “always been on the fringe in regards to subcultures” and loves bikes and punk, then what, other than a lack of self-esteem, is fueling his outrage?
He went to a “DIY punk show” and is surprised to see “that hipsters had infiltrated the DIY punk scene” and is offended by the “bike punks” and “hipsters” in attendance. What does he expect? Old World Brooklyn? CBGB circa 1978? Breaking news: Young people live in Brooklyn and are into music.
If Mr. Liebendorfer had bothered to talk to me, or anyone else there, he’d find himself speaking with open minded, happy, music and bicycle fans, who don’t care (or even notice, for that matter) what he’s wearing, what kind of bike he’s riding, and certainly aren’t weighing how “cool” he is or isn’t.
All Mr. Liebendorfer proved in his piece is that he doesn’t know enough about physics to clean his bike without losing a finger, and that he’s yet another writer stewing with hatred over people he secretly envies, because he’s too uptight to make a few friends who may not wear J. Crew. Maybe if Bret stuck around and had a few beers, he could get some tips on safe chain cleaning.
(P.S. I applaud artistic license and the need to write a colorful story, but I most certainly DO NOT own anything that could be described as a “dominatrix belt.” Thanks.)
Benjamin Running
CRUISIN’ FOR A BRUISIN’
It is more than a little distressing that Dokoupil managed to pick out “a urine-filled Gatorade Bottle,” but not the fact that “The Beast” does not leave out of Pier 16 and 17, but out of the pier on 42nd Street. Further research or any research for that matter by Dokoupil would have also uncovered that 25 years ago, Circle Line split into two separate entities. There is the Circle Line-Statue of Liberty Ferry, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary, Circle Line Harbor Cruises, LLC, both of which operate downtown. And then you have Circle Line Sightseeing, which operates out of 42nd Street.
So for Mr. Dokoupil’s own edification, Circle Line Harbor Cruises does operate a speedboat thrill ride out of Pier 16, but it is called “The Shark” (For more information please visit: www.circlelinedowntown.com). I encourage Mr. Dokoupil to join the thousands other passengers we see each month and go for a ride—that way he might be better able to describe the experience.
JB Meyer
President & CEO, Circle Line Harbor Cruises, LLC
MORE ON THAT CARTOON FLAP
You guys are really in for it now with the cover drawing of a rabbit. First of all, the rabbit has no bellybutton and therefore is a clone. What next? Cloned camels?
Then there’s the flower with an offside petal; obviously a mutant. Do you now go in for gene manipulation? You’re not satisfied with God? Finally the butterfly: That insect is obviously drunk. Is this your way of telling us that butterflies cannot be Muslims?
As you know, Muslims are not allowed to drink before they get into heaven. So you have a lot of explaining to do.
I would like to be of more help to you, but I’m Danish and am forced by my government to spend most of my leisure time persecuting Muslims. In fact I risk now, if the Danish secret police read this e-mail, having my taxes raised from 101 percent to 110 percent. If that happens, I would greatly appreciate if you could arrange having a care package sent containing nylon stockings, chewing gum and a change of underwear, as such merchandise is no longer available to Danes since the Mohammed cartoons hit the fan.
Herbert (a grand nephew of Victor Borge)
While NYP’s philistine overseers drag themselves down to the moral level of France Soir’s Egyptian boss man—you know, the “moderate” who fired the Frenchman who dared to publish Mohammed cartoons? You know what? It really is time to buy Danish.
Dan Cameron Rodill
I am outraged! As a devotee of the religion of the Great Rabbit God (Thumper The Good But Useless) I must vigorously protest this demeaning depiction of our deity. The Rabbit God religion (a small but powerless denomination) will not take this insult lying down. Rabbit worshipers worldwide will arise to take vengeance.
The plan is to attack police and soldiers who believe as we do, blow up busses filled with people of our own religion and trash the business districts of our own neighborhoods. That’ll show you! Furthermore, we are going to boycott. Rabbit worship is particularly strong in the Uk-luk district of Outer Mongolia and you may be assured that from this day forward, not a single copy of the New York Press will be allowed anywhere in the region. So there, you bunny-bashers, you!
Tobias Grace
You scurrilous fiends! The bunny rabbit on the cover of your paper is clearly an affront to the sacred image of Buddha. Death to the infidels! How dare you insult the holy image of Buddha? We shall unleash our Buddhist rage against you!
Richard, State College, PA
I notice that you did delete the article on how the mainstream press failed in its responsibilities to publish the cartoons of Muhammad. Thank you for leaving the article. It was there long enough for me to copy it and send it to a number of people—it was a great article.
Personally, I hope the editors who walked all get excellent jobs. However, like other “responsible” newspapers (aka the “chickens”), you decided not to print the cartoons—shame on you and shame on them. You guys all chiseled away just a little freedom of expression from over 200 years of blood, sweat and tears.
Of course that’s an opinion.
William R. Jack
Freedom of the press means that the media may print even offensive things, not that they must print offensive things. The staff walkout was wrongheaded and confused: we would all have a right to print, for instance, valentines to Hitler, but it would be stupid to regard that right as a dare or an obligation under the principle of free speech.
As a Jew who is distressed by the pervasive Islamophobia in this country—far worse than any anti-Semitism—I applaud the good sense of the editors.
Miriam M. Reik
First you fired Matt Taibbi and his editor over a free speech issue, now you restrict speech even more by refusing to publish images your editorial staff overwhelmingly wanted to publish to report on a story.
Please, do all New Yorkers a favor and stop the publication of your paper as soon as possible. What a waste you are to New York.
Michael O’Shea
STALE STUFF FROM AN OLD BOOMER
Re Mugger: Reading your geezer commentary on music or sports is almost as bad as having to watch the geriatric Stones shake their gross booty. You suck and your paper’s an embarrassment. Ha, later pops!
Russell Stein
I’VE GOT THE OLYMPICS BLUES
Re Slackjaw (Feb. 1-8): If you’re going to call him “baldy,” I’m going to have to call you “blindy.” You dished it out, let’s see if you can take it. I honestly don’t give a shit about all that. The thing that prompted me to write was that an ice storm knocked out my goddamn stolen cable and all I have to watch is the Olympics. You talk about how you wish you could get a death threat? I wish someone would kill me and not even let me know it was coming.
All I’ve heard for the last 24 hours is all about Bode Miller’s big penis and the “Flying Tomato.” It’s the kid with the orange hair (Sean White). Am I considering scaling the pole? At this point I have to re-steal my own cable. I feel like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Give me an axe and I’ll stick my face through your door.
Leif Garret
SHOOTING ME SOFTLY
Steven McCauley wrote that Harry Whittington ought to apologize to Dick Cheney for getting shot (Feb. 15-21). I doubt he really expected it to happen, but happen it did. On Friday, Whittington spoke with reporters and told them he was deeply sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week. I know they were playing blame the victim in the beginning of the week; however, I thought Mr. McCauley was mocking the situation when he said, “We only hope the senile sportsman took the opportunity to apologize to Dick for interfering with Cheney’s shot.” Of course, we now know that Dick has already admitted that Harry wasn’t saying anything after being shot in the face and chest. Incredible!
J. Pudick
JOIN THE ARMY, YA BUMS
To those who walked out. Since you don’t have jobs now, how about you join the Army? Where’s the love? Let’s be real with each other. This shit isn’t about cartoons or freedom of speech.
It’s about two peoples who have been fighting forever. I favor the Jews myself. Therefore, I need to take my ass over there to Tel Aviv and volunteer my services to the Israeli government. Visit your Israeli embassy, offer your services, and go James Bond! Operation Spring of Youth part II? Give them more than a cartoon to be pissed about. Taunting people is like striking a match to the fuse of the powder keg. Why do that? Why not just disarm the bomb? Do you even know what you’re talking about here?
James Wes Brown
Formerly 353 Special Operations Group
