Millenium Part Deux: 'I'm Not A Racist, I Love Obama'

Last Monday night, as I was trying to scrub beet juice from my hands and take a stab at finding the kitchen countertop and finish an endless game of Egyptian Rat Skunk, my phone rang. It was a bass baritone reporter from WNBC-TV (whose call letters never fail to bring to mind Paul Giamatti in Private Parts). He wanted to interview me about the anti-apartheid rally over at John Jay and get a parent's opinion on the issues raised. And he'd read all the "level-headed" stuff I'd said to Park Slope Patch and on FIPS. 

Read: he needed some bloviator to go on camera and admit that no way, no how would they (me) send my little lily-white-tushed middle-schooler over to any of the schools currently housed at John Jay.

And I seem to be the go-to gasbag du jour welcoming Millenium II to John Jay and Brooklyn. While the name sounds more like a schlocky movie sequel than a school, the original Millenium is by all accounts a highly regarded Manhattan high school. And, btw, I won't be sending my kid there either because I doubt they'll have a baseball team up and running in time.

Now, I said a lot of other stuff too to newsman Chris Glorioso (LOVE that name): like that it is appalling that John Jay and so many other school buildings are a toxic frigging waste dump and environmental health hazard; that they can't possibly be planning to bring in Millenium without fixing up the whole joint; that this could be a win-win for everybody with lots of upside; that I think it's worth investigating whether there ARE disparities in the way school repair/construction or any funds are allocated to schools and whether kids are being screwed over on the basis of race or class.

Unfortunately, my genius (or lack thereof) cannot be contained in a seven second sound byte and so what actually ended up in the news package was... "Not that we're necessarily racist but..."

Yes, it was not my finest hour. And, I couldn't help but noticing that I looked like crap too. What's wrong with my mouth when I talk? And I had a pimple on my left cheek? WTF? But, did you get a load of kid two? She looked marvelous, especially with the hair decorously draped over one shoulder.

Anyway, so began an entire day corresponding with one Alexander Hoffman of Park Slope and a PhD candidate at Columbia Teacher's College about just how crappy and classist and racist and poorly spoken a person I am. It was an interesting dialogue. Sort of. He doesn't want me to show you the "private correspondence." I think he may be off his meds but maybe they can't treat humorlessness. Anyway, here's the twitter part. 

I think my madman has moved on to another object of his ire because the other day Gothamist covered the hearing at which some old broad said this...

I have lived here more than 30 years. Those kids are animals—no, that's an insult to animals. I am a little old lady with grey hair, barely 5 feet tall, and I was surrounded in a threatening manner by those horrible girls once during "animal house hours." I made my escape by walking calmly into a store. I avoid 7th Avenue now, when school has let out.

By the way, I am an Obama Democrat. I love Obama. I would want anyone in his family living next door to me. I work mostly with people of color every day... They wouldn't want their kids going to school with the ones currently at John Jay. So don't let the people yelling "racism" take over the discussion.

It only took a day but I've been replaced. Sigh.

My "takeaway" is a) don't ever do a TV interview again and b) don't try to talk somebody out of hating you and c) don't say stupid shit.

Oh, by the way welcome Millenium II to the John Jay campus next year. The measure apparently passed last week and the sequel will be a high school for all of BK, which is a good thing.

School Construction Authority: don't leave the other schools awash in PCBs and lead paint. Fix the whole place up, please! Like you should have done in the first place. The schools were right to complain of unequal treatment; here's hoping this will be a win for everybody.