The park across the street from my house has suddenly become very busy. Monday, the day of the eclipse, I saw a group of people sitting under a shade tree. I assumed they gathered there to view the eclipse, so I decided to join them. Once in the park, the energies of the people felt very unstable. I noted two women and about 20 men. I quietly sat down on the far end of a bench noticing that a man dressed in a red shirt was addressing the group. I couldn't hear him over the noise of the traffic so I quietly whispered to the man sitting next to me, "What's going on?" He explained it was a support group but he didn't say why they were meeting. His expression told me that I didn't belong, so I slowly walked away. Back upstairs I assumed I would watch the eclipse from my terrace, but as the time grew near I decided to go downstairs, eclipse glasses in hand. I stopped to talk to my neighbors waiting in the air condition lobby ... then walked out into the street. The energies were very different as I met the people described below. The support group had dispersed and everything felt comfortable and in balance ...
Tuesday, I looked out over the park and saw another group of people meeting for what I assumed was a therapy session -> I was correct. They disbanded as other things started happening in the park. Entering the scene, as I watched from my terrace, were major media and police officers, their cars extending down the block to Fort Hamilton. I even noted a State Trooper parked just outside the park. I never see them in this area. Once again I took my cell phone and ventured out into the 92° heat and humidity to see what was going on. The object of the media and law-enforcement presence centered around the removal of civil war monuments, several of which are in my neighborhood. This was a throwback from last week when they removed the two plaques in front of the church around the corner. A cameraman from NBC told me that I missed a very short rally but it was peaceful ... so far ... hey you never know. He and I looked at each other as if anticipating something greater is on the horizon though each of us said nothing. As I walked back upstairs I wondered if this was going to become a regular meeting place for support groups and others.
Cuomo Seeks To Remove Confederate Names From Streets In Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn
In Brooklyn, a rally was held Tuesday as protesters fight for the renaming of General Lee Avenue and Stonewall Jackson Drive in Fort Hamilton. Both Governor Andrew Cuomo and Congresswoman Yvette Clark have called the Secretary of the Army to request the change, but he has said he believes the issue is too divisive.
