Contrary to the thinking of some of my detractors here on Room Eight New York, I don’t have a thin skin; that’s why I have stayed on New York’s blogs for the past three years, mixing it up with the best of the anons and with the few who are brave enough to use their own names when they critique me. I spent years in the boxing ring, I do know how to give and take.
Today, I am going to apologize here for the many times I used profanity to express myself; I should have done this better over the years (Chris Owens is absolutely correct about his critique in this regard); and yes my mother never used profanity, and she did teach me to be better than that. My Papa didn’t take any mess but he didn’t use profanity either. I cut across the grain sometimes.
But even with that apology, I still believe that one reserves the right to cuss out people who mess with them, whenever they deem the situation necessary. And I sure would like to cuss out someone right now but I won’t. For this column, I will try to be a kindler gentler Rock/lol.
In the past, on Room Eight, someone has gone up and posted under the sobriquet “Stoned Crackwhore”; they have done this before, to parody my writings here and also to write about other things too; fine. Then yesterday at 11:54 p.m., that person (again) I am assuming, did something I deem as crossing the bounds of propriety. They attached the picture of Ms. Una Clarke (as a younger person) to the article; and I find this time it was disrespectful- to say the least. Further more, they used excerpts of some of the things I wrote here- in my columns and on the threads- in order to project that I was the person doing it. That is low. I never wrote that article and the quotes contained are- in general- distorted in such a way as to convey false meanings.
Ms. Clarke is a former elected official and a tireless community activist. I knew her long before she was elected; going back to days in the Caribbean Action Lobby. She has made her contributions to empowerment, inclusion, advancement and community development. She has passed legislation and influenced policy decisions. In many quarters she is a heroine; especially in the Caribbean-American community. Despite the fact that sometimes she and I end up on opposing ends of a political race, I do respect her contributions to her community and to the city as a whole. The use of her picture for this purpose is deplorable. I condemn it.
Look, there is a point to which I don’t mind the persistent attacks on me- it means that I am doing something right- but taking it over the bounds of propriety is contemptible. I have asked my editors many times not to edit out some of the ridiculous attacks on me here; but they did. I wanted the evidence to stay for reasons of posterity; especially for when the denials are eloquently waxed. Today, I am calling on the editors of Room Eight New York Politics (Ben Smith and Gur Tsabar) to pull down Ms. Clarke’s picture off that column (unless they have proof that she authorized usage). If they don’t pull the picture down, then this will be my last column on this site. So get to the author(s) forthwith; like right now. I have my guesses as to who the cowardly culprit is but I will leave that for now.
I had hoped that in time Room Eight would have evolved into a site where real political discourse could be given a forum, but as time goes by I am more and more convinced that it cannot happen with anonymous bloggers and commenters. I think that nine out of ten of them are cowards; with a few racists in between. I believe that the site should strive for a higher quality but I have been always overruled on this; that’s why I post here -on average- once a week; most of the time. It’s not because I couldn’t step up my volume, it’s mainly because I see it as just contributing further to the unnecessary vitriol.
I always said that I would leave here on my terms and this is one. I don’t care if the article itself is left up (in fact it should be left up), but the picture must go. If it doesn’t: then I will go. I know that will make many of you happy/lmao.
Stay tuned in folks; because I am as serious as a Category Four hurricane revving up in the Gulf of México.