What do protestors and non-protestors want? It should be the same thing all American’s want! It is carved above the steps of the entrance to the Supreme Court Building “Equal Justice Under Law”. That means when I get stopped by a police officer, I may get arrested, I then go to court, and I then get sentenced, and in some States, I could end up getting executed. Equal Justice means no matter my race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion I should be treated the same. What happened to George Floyd, Eric Garner, and many others? They were arrested, tried, and executed within minutes of interacting with the police. Sometimes it can happen within seconds.  It took four police officers just under 9 minutes to extinguish the life of George Floyd. He did not get equal justice under the law. He did not get justice. So when someone asks you, what are you protesting for, or what do you want? The answer is simple equal Justice under law.

© words by Daniel DeMarle 6/3/2020

 

So a little history that I did not know. Listening to the Longform Podcast and the interviewee, Wesley Lowery, indicated that the best thing for white supremacists when there is a Black Lives Matter Protest is to show up and cause chaos. As he says “If your a white supremacist one of the best things that can happen is a bunch of black people who are advocating for their rights and for justice to look bad to the public…So a protest that is peaceful suddenly turns into a bunch of looting and fire and you the white supremacist get to say, see look at those animals. You love that, you literally want that, and there was a, I mean local context in Minneapolis, there was a mass shooting at a Black Lives Matter protest where a white Supremacist showed up and shot five people.” This happened but was immediately overshadowed by other events. It happened on 11/24/15 here is follow-up coverage in 11/15. He states that it is the explicit motive of White Supremacists to hasten the race war and disrupting these types of events they feel make it more likely Whites will turn against Blacks. See the comments for references.

Wesley Lowery is a 2016 Pulitzer Prize for “Fatal Force,” a Washington Post project covering fatal shootings by police officers.

 

Excuse me,

I seem to have stumbled upon some type of fucking historical moment,

One that will be studied for decades since,

Or wait hey,

am I or this whole country on some intergalactic version of Candid Camera.

But instead of a suitcase,

a suitcase we can’t lift,

that we are instead stuck in the midst of a really bad movie,

a movie involving a pandemic, a great depression, and riots

which is all directed by a Charlie Chaplin like, Hitleresque wannabe President.

But wait,

excuse me,

I seem to have stumbled upon a bag, no wait I think it’s a body,

But wait,

Excuse me,

I think I have stumbled into a line from a song.

“Stop children what’s that..”

But wait, is that a bullet hole through our constitution?

But wait, children

 

excuse me, why am I crying?

 

I am marching one minute for racial justice,

and now I am cleaning out the looted store of a City family

that only wanted to…

to live and work here in peace.

But wait,

excuse me,

why am I talking down an immigrant friend,

who was caught in the looting and had flashbacks to civil war,

civil war in the country they had fled from to come here.

But wait,

Excuse me,

But what am I going to tell my beautiful brown grandchildren?

A police officer came into our yard the other day,

They were looking for something,

At age three, she hid behind a planter,

How do I tell her that she and I,

I with my white skin,

will forever see that officer differently.

How do I tell her to never ever run from that officer and never to hide

but to try to leave as quickly and quietly as possible but not too quickly or to quietly

or to just sit or stand and put her hands up in the air, to never ever reach for a purse,

or ID,

or a phone.

how do I tell her, how to act just right,

just right, so that I do not have to attend her funeral

before I die.

BUT WAIT, EXCUSE ME

HOW DO I EXPLAIN TO MY WHITE BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND FRIENDS

THAT THIS, THAT NONE OF THIS F’ING BULLSHIT IS IN ANYWAY RIGHT.

That I should not have to sit here crying

thinking of their possible future dead bodies, killed by cops

When the white folks I know smile and may even enjoy flirting with those same officers.

Hey, but hey wait

Didn’t I tell them this would happen?
Didn’t I tell my wife on election day,

That,

if he did what he said he would do,

that we might not be alive in four years,

or that I might not be,

because I will put my life on the line,

on the line to defend that beautiful and deeply, deeply flawed constitution.

Will you,

No serious, no more intergalactic stuff,

I mean seriously,

Will You?

 

© words by Daniel DeMarle 6/2/2020

 

 

 

 

World War I was almost over.  The Allies were advancing on Germany.

November was election season.  Although the 19th Amendment to the Consitution was not passed until 8/18/1920, in November 1917 a referendum to enfranchise women in New York passed by a substantial margin. This gave Women in NY the right to vote.  As such considerable effort was given to get City women registered to vote.

At the University of Rochester, an employment-management class was cancelled and brought to a close due to the influenza pandemic.  The class graduated 11 men and 26 women.

Tomorrow was election day, but it was reported that due to the influenza epidemic and the war effort there were no big campaign events or even many events. It was also the first time women could vote in NY, and their vote was seen as being able to decide the election for either candidate.

Locally the Republican party was pushing hard for the support of colored women and for the support of colored men.

It was felt the influenza epidemic was “spent” in Rochester although it was expected that there would be new cases over the course of the winter.

 

 

 

© words by Daniel DeMarle 5/21/2020

In Rochester, the closing orders for businesses would end on Tuesday, November 5th at 7. in the evening.  It was noted that “Compliance with the precautionary measures involved, in most cases, considerable financial loss, but there were few complaints.”

In NY State it was noted that with the closing of sales of alcohol that the State has lost $4,775,854 which in 2020 equals $89,595,021.

 

 

 

© by Daniel DeMarle 5/17/2020

In Rochester, there were 239 new cases and a total of 11,425 cases. There were 27 deaths from influenza. There were 3 from pneumonia contributing to a total of 97 persons dying from pneumonia.   The youngest were: 6-month old Harry R. Parent; and 1-year-olds Dominicio Bruno, Wallace Eader, and Alfred Marciane.

 

© words by Daniel DeMarle 5/17/2020

Buffalo was reopening all places of businesses except for Schools.

In Rochester, there were 319 new cases and a total of 11,186 cases. There were 28 deaths from influenza. There were 2 from pneumonia contributing to a total of 97 persons dying from pneumonia.   The youngest were: 7-month old Leonardo Sciabbarrase; and 1-year-old Lester Francis.

 

 

 

 

 

© words by Daniel Dearle 5/14/2020

A Health Commission in NY concluded that the best treatment was fresh air, good nursing, and rest. They concluded that the vaccines and serums tried to date had not proven their effectiveness.

In Rochester, there were 370new cases and a total of 10,8766 cases. There were 18 deaths from influenza, with a total of 348 deaths in the City. There were 2 deaths from lobar pneumonia, and 1 from bronchial pneumonia contributing to a total of 109 persons dying from pneumonia. There was 1 death from bronchial pneumonia. The youngest were: 8-month-old Amberto Dominica; 9-month-old Clarence Spranza; and 1-year-olds Colegero Sachele and Maria Interlicchihia.

 

© words by Daniel DeMarle 5/13/2020

On the National Front, a purported vaccine was being given to members of the US military.

Lillian Russell of the U.S. Marines and a noted stage actress and Singer was nominated to the rank of a Sergent becoming the highest-ranked Woman in the American Armed Forces.

In Geneva, the American Can Opening was adding a new shift and was hiring women on the day forces.

In Rochester, there were 602 new cases and a total of 10,519 cases. There were 22 deaths from influenza, with a total of 319 deaths in the City. There were 2 deaths from lobar pneumonia, and 3 from bronchial pneumonia contributing to a total of 95 persons dying from pneumonia. There was 1 death from bronchial pneumonia.  The youngest were: 7-month old, Dominick Corrado, 8-month-old, Floro Ferlissi, and 9-month-old Taddeus Adamski, and 1-year-old Michael Obbi, and Ducia Morelli.

A new convalescent hospital was opened up at the New York State Armory where accommodations for more than one hundred were now available.

In general, the feeling at the hospitals was that the city was turning the corner on the disease.  However, there was still much tragedy.

“One man had three children all carried out of the hospital dead. He was almost insane. Another many has lost his wife in the epidemic. Their little girl was ill in this hospital at the time, and he comes to see her with a self-possession that is remarkable. Although broken-hearted, he goes to the little girl’s bedside and tells her some pretty story to make her happy, that the news of her mother’s death may not be broken to her until she has recovered. He comes down from the children’s ward, leaving her as happy as he finds her.  Among those passing out yesterday was a mother who already had lost her husband and youngest child in the epidemic. While she fell into her last sleep her little girl was playing in the cot next to her.”

The Commissioner of Public Safety, R. Andrew Hamilton, and Dr. Joseph Roby, acting health officer, indicated that they would not be lifting the orders to close businesses until “a continued improvement in the situation warranted the belief that the epidemic has “burned out” in this city.”

Military honors were given to the first of the NY Guard men who gave his life in the fight against influenza in the City.

 

 

 

 

© words by Daniel DeMarle unless in quotations 5/12/2020