Comments on: Drumming up trouble in the park

By: princesscheddar

princesscheddar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:59:48 +0000

Touche, Uakari!

By: Uakari

Uakari — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:13:38 +0000

The drummers should be allowed to stay. Many westerners won’t understand how deep the roots for this kind of circle goes. This is not just people making noise. It means community and belonging. It is a lifestyle.

I’m Asian, but I was born and raised in Brasil, where music (especially communal music) is part of the environment, it’s heard on the streets on weekends. People congregate around music. It’s a way not only to relieve stress, but also to bond with others. I practice capoeira angola and have deep respect for these people who keep their traditions going against all odds. Keep it going!

By: anon

anon — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:38:14 +0000

Orange Girl-

You make a great point, and you’ve stated it clearly. Just because Maple Court agrees with this new building could just mean they are both wrong. But, i do believe the point Mr. Mindful is getting at is that it has unfairly been turned into a white/black issue. “White people hate drumming and are evil”, etc etc etc. But the Maple Court example proves that in fact there are plenty of black folk who hated living across from all that drumming and didnt hesitate to call the police about it. (or anyone else who would listen)

Fair is fair, and facts are facts…i think just about everyone who lives around that park agrees they dont want it infront of their home.

Does that mean they have a right to insist the drummers move? And do their rights out weigh the rights of the drummers to express themselves? Now THERE is the meat of the debate. And i think it’s in there somewhere that you’ll find a compromise will never be reached, because neither side will ever believe that the others rights outweigh theirs.

By: divine1906

divine1906 — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:34:01 +0000

For my money, I think the drummers should stick with the location that was negotiated between some of the drummers, State Senator Perkins and the Parks Dept.
While I can understand the resistance of the faction of drummers that have returned to drumming on Fifth Ave., I think they’ve chosen the wrong battle. There are so many other more important issues to focus and organize around.
As a people of African decent in a community where we’ve been the majority, we have to understand that change is occuring whether we like it or not. The best way to handle change is to recognize it, plan for it and embrace it.
We’re always talking about our humanity in the face of the inhumanity that we’ve experienced over the centuries. Well, this is our chance to put our best foot forward and show we’ve learned the lessons of our history.
The struggle around the drummers is an opportunity to do it. A negotiated site was chosen. All the drummers should embrace that choice and abide by it. That would show a recognition of change, the willingness to embrace our new neighbors and the desire for community.

By: orange girl

orange girl — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:34:29 +0000

ok. so if maple court residents have asked the drummers to move, then i presume your point is that you and your condo residents have the right to ask the drummers to move again. in my opinion neither maple court nor your residence have the right to continue to push these drummers from the park. now that all sides of the park are, for the most part, gentrified, the end result is that the drummers will be “just someone else’s problem” or possibly the extinction of the drumming circle. the “fact” that some members of maple court agree with you does NOT make your case (the continual migration of this drumming circle) just. and by the way, orange girl is different from raheem and cheddar. it’s just like you to think that all “BLACKS” i mean, “bloggers” look, i mean write, alike.

By: Mindful

Mindful — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:18:06 +0000

Because people on this board keep glossing over the FACTS of the situation and keep dwelling in things that are NOT facts. I am not dwelling in opinion.

FACT: The drummers have moved before when residents complained about the noise. From in front of Maple Court on Madison/123rd Street. This is different why? Nobody has addressed this.

FACT: The drummers chose their new location, together with the Parks Department, Bill Perkins and Leslie Wyche.

FACT: Nobody has ever (to my knowledge) said that they want the drumming to stop in the park. But that seems to be where people keep on going.

Those are the FACTS. When the FACTS get ignored and people like Princess Cheddar, Raheem, Orange Girl and all the “anons” (most of whom I’m convinced are actually the same person) start to make accusations, deal in theories and things that don’t make sense and are not at issue, I feel it is important to bring the conversation back to the FACTS. If you, anon, choose not to read this thread, so be it – but I think it is important to keep this conversation grounded in reality and FACT.

By: anon

anon — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:13:37 +0000

Mindful (and Joe Q. Harlem to a lesser extent)

Why is is that you feel the need to police these boards and jump on every person who has a contrary opinion to yours? We already know your opinion you’ve voiced it 12 times (probably more i just got tired of counting your posts) on this thread alone. We have heard what you have to say, but some people just dont agree with you. Why can you not handle this and why do you feel the need to convince every single person on this board of how right you are?

Just make your statement and let it stand for itself. Stop repeating yourself and stop innundating every person with a differing opinion than yours.

By: Mindful

Mindful — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:43:22 +0000

Anonymous,

I was appalled by the guy on the NPR story as well. His opinion that the drummers noise is too much is correct, but then he went off on some capitalism tangent that frankly, was odd and out-of-place.

Just as there are apparently several opinions within the drum circle (some who chose the new spot and some who chose to ignore their permit with the parks department and move back to the old spot), there are several opinions within the group of park residents who do not appreciate 9 hours of loud drumming on their doorstep.

Whatever this other guy’s opinion, my opinion is that a compromise is to be had and needs to be found – not because somebody is a “member of some sort of priviledged moneyed class”, but because everybody should be able to enjoy their homes without other people making such loud noise that they cannot.

PS – Princess Cheddar, I was wrong to change your name in my last post. However, I do respectfully disagree with almost everything you’ve posted thus far – there has been a total lack of focus on your part on the facts and an irritating focus on the every rabbit trail you can create.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 14:10:50 +0000

I live in the midwest and just heard an NPR story about this. They interviewed some creep that said this is a capitalist society and whoever has money can do anything they want, that you can’t stop gentrification. I am apalled by this man’s comments. I am amazed that people think they can just buy their way into a community that has been there longer than they will and change things because they are members of some sort of priviledged moneyed class. I hope those drums keep playing, lounder and longer if possible.

By: Joe Q. Harlem

Joe Q. Harlem — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:26:44 +0000

Raheem…

What part of the facts did you not understand? NO ONE is opposed to the dummers playing as long as they want to. Just not directly in front of an apartment building and disturbing the residents for many hours on a Saturday afternoon and evening.

PLEASE, let the drummers continue to play IN THE CENTER of the park where everyone can enjoy their music.

And PLEASE let them be considerate of all neighbors in the community.

Reasonable people seem to think that this is a reasonable request.