Stacy Horn

The greatest, most heart-breaking disservice PBA head Patrick Lynch is doing for the men and women of the NYPD is encouraging them to believe that people like myself, who lobby for reform, hate them, that we’re the enemy. He is robbing them of having a decent and rewarding relationship with the public they serve.

If you see a family member or a friend making a mistake, does it mean you hate them if you point it out? Of course not. If I see one cop behaving badly and I say something about it, it doesn’t suddenly mean I HATE ALL COPS, or even that cop. It means I believe we need a way to address and reform the behavior I just witnessed.

I noticed while researching my book about the NYPD that an enduring complaint about “New York’s Finest” is their absolute dedication to the belief that they are, in fact, the best. “When it is assumed that this is true, then improvements are harder to come by,” the International Association of Chiefs of Police wrote in a study of the New York Police Department in 1967. If you refuse to even consider that there might be a better way to do something, how will you ever get better? Like, give me a break, who is perfect?? Who couldn’t use a little improvement here and there?

Unfortunately, I also noticed again and again the violent reaction from the NYPD to even the most friendly, polite and well-meaning criticism. It is so discouraging. It goes beyond disheartening when someone like PBA head Patrick Lynch not only encourages the police to view all criticism in the worst possible light, he leads them to their recent behavior which will never be looked at as their finest hour. They are better than this.

The relationship between the NYPD and the public is a complicated one. I remember after 9/11, I was standing on the corner of Christopher Street and the highway with tons of other people, and we were all holding up thank you signs and cheering the workers going in and out of the site. We were there every day and night holding up those signs. One night, two young cops came up to me and said, “Excuse me. We couldn’t help noticing that all of you cheer louder when anyone from the FDNY goes by, and not so loudly for us.” It was true. No getting around it. I also noticed we cheered less loudly for the sanitation guys. I spread the word and from then on we made sure all our cheers reached the same decibel level. The thing is, the FDNY have it easier, they only show up to save us. The NYPD is sometimes there to save us, but they also show up sometimes to arrest us, or to tell us not to do something, etc. It’s complicated. No one’s fault.

But it takes a leader of incredible strength and grace to maintain a good relationship in the face of all those potential minefields. Lynch is like a belligerent angry child, determined to keep the battle lines drawn. It’s like he doesn’t even want to think about how to improve the terrible situation we’re in now. This is not the leader the NYPD deserves. They need someone who wants to figure out how to fix the relationship between the police and the public and government. They deserve to feel every bit of respect and appreciation that most people do, in fact, feel for them.

The guy carrying this sign was walking in the street, down 6th Avenue (you can’t see him because he’s blocked by that car). I went to the site, fearing it would be hate-filled, but it wasn’t. I don’t agree with his conclusions, but what I read was reasonably stated.

I woke up on Christmas morning and Echo, the online service I run, was completely crashed. Thank God for our hosting service Atlantic Metro Communications, and AlchemyCS, my techs. My system is as old-school as it gets, but Lazlo at Atlantic poked around and figured some things out, and he continued to work on the problem until AlchemyCS woke up (they are west coast based, plus it was freaking Christmas). Everything came back up eventually, but my plans for going out to Long Island to spend Christmas with my family were blown.

Although there were certainly things to eat in my apartment I was determined to put together something at least out of the ordinary for my sad little Christmas dinner, so once everything was back up I went out to forage. Now I know what people who don’t celebrate Christmas go through. I ended up with a quiche and a salad and we just won’t discuss dessert. When I think of what I would have had (my sisters-in-law can really cook)! Sob.

Christmas Eve was a bigger success. I went to the great play In Fields Where They Lay, and you you have two more chances to see this if you are in New York, tonight and tomorrow, and I highly suggest you GO GO GO. It’s about the WWI Christmas truce in 1914. Seriously. GO. After the play I went to a party hosted by old neighbors of mine, the Speichers, and sang Christmas carols. Wonderful people have wonderful friends so I always have such a great time at their annual Christmas Eve parties.

Below are some members of the cast of In Fields Where They Lay singing a carol. Talented people are so often multi-talented. It’s not fair! Not only can they act, but they can sing, etc. For instance, the actor who played the Sargent, Zack Calhoon, stood out for me. All the actors were great for the record, but that character grabbed me. Calhoon is a writer on top of everything else, it turns out. Anyway, this video didn’t come out so well, they were singing in the dark, but you can hear their beautiful voices.

My presents to you, a few must-watch videos. First up, my future husbands, Key and Peele (video I linked to was removed). “We got a James Bond villain running Russia … the earth is burning up …”

Next, Too Many Zoos (this video has also been removed). Keep listening. Even if you don’t think it’s your cup of tea at first, you will be sold my by the end.

For your holiday viewing pleasure, the latest Talking Animals Christmas video. You won’t regret clicking on that link. And finally, an article (not a video) about the healing power of holiday singing by the fabulous Brenda Peterson!

Old toys. I love windows with old toys, except I didn’t really recognize any of these toys. Maybe they were from before the 50s and 60s, my childhood years. Because yes, I am OLD.

I keep meaning to post this, and I’m *sure* this has already been suggested, but Sony should find a network and air The Interview for free on television as soon as possible. It’s the one way they can win. More people will see it than would have ever seen it at the movies and North Korea will get exactly the opposite of what they wanted.

This vendor’s idea of what impulse buys women are likely to make when they are in the ladies room at the movies: Tylenol, lip gloss, sour drops, a chewable toothbrush (something I’ve never heard of) or temporary tattoos.

And here I am, way in the back. Again. I’m kidding. I chose that spot because it was out of the rain and I was near some basses, which you’ll hear in the video. In spite of the rain we did manage to build up a crowd eventually.