Suffolk Closeup - "May You Never Be Afraid Again"

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman 

A leading figure in religion and social justice in Suffolk County, Rabbi Dr. Steven Moss, has written an inspiring book, “God Is With Me; I Have No Fear! The Spiritual Life of a Rabbi and Its Meaning for You.”

Rabbi Moss was chairman of the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission for 28 years and for 20 years co-chair of the Suffolk County Interfaith Anti-Bias Task Force. As spiritual leader for 47 years of B’Nai Israel Reform Temple in Oakdale, he was the longest serving rabbi at the same pulpit in Suffolk. He served three terms as president of the Suffolk County Board of Rabbis. He is chair of the Suffolk County Community College-based Center for Social Justice and Human Understanding. He’s been chief of chaplains of the Suffolk County Police Department and a chaplain at hospitals and nursing homes in Suffolk—and for 30 years a chaplain at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan.

He says in his just published book: “I share with you the moments in my life when I had experienced God’s Presence…My sharing of these spiritual encounters…is not to put me in a more spiritual place than you. Quite the contrary, it is my most humble prayer that by my sharing these experiences, you will allow the descriptions to either awaken you to recall experiences you have had or be open to similar experiences with God when they occur in the future.”

He writes of the voice of God causing him to become a rabbi. In a chapter titled “God In The Backyard,” he relates: “That day. The day I heard the voice of God. There I was, twelve years old, raking leaves in my family’s backyard. We lived in Rockaway Beach…just a few short blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. Even though it was fall, the smell of the summertime’s surf and sand were still in the air. I will never forget that day when I heard a voice, the voice of God, speaking to me.” He applied to Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. “The school replied. The admissions office thanked me for my interest and told me that I needed to graduate from college first.” Nine years later, he re-applied. “The amazing thing was that when I went for my interview for admission, they showed me they had kept my letter on file, awaiting my coming of age to be eligible.”

“I know this is presumptuous, but I am pretty sure you, too, have heard the voice of God,” writes Rabbi Moss. “It might be the voice speaking to you through your conscience telling you what to do, which is guiding you to do the right thing and stay away from the wrong. It might be the voice of God speaking to you through the voice of a loved one who has passed away, speaking to you in a dream or at moments during the day when you actually turn around thinking that a loved one is behind you, calling out to you. It might also be the voice of God aiding you in the decisions that you have to make in your life…”

Many of his reflections about God’s presence come from his serving as a chaplain at Sloan-Kettering, ministering to patients including those dying. He tells of his own experience with death, as an avid cyclist struck hard by a car. Laying there, “I saw my head, with helmet on, hitting the ground twice. It was an image of my accident seen from outside myself.” He recovered. “I truly believe I was saved by God from death.”

There is much more including his visits to Israel and also to what were Nazi concentration camps.

“A person feels alone after a great loss or after an important decision, and suddenly that feeling of aloneness is gone,” he relates. “A person survives a difficult surgery or an accident and then realizes that his or her survival cannot be explained by natural or logical explanations. A person has an important and decisive decision that must be made, and, after some time, the decision just rises in the mind and that person knows this is the correct one. At these moments, a feeling of awe comes over that person. There is a realization that something greater than himself or herself has just helped that person get through this most difficult and stressful experience. Just when he or she thought there was no exit, suddenly there was. At that moment of awareness that he or she has survived, there is an epiphany that it was God who brought them through. Once this awareness occurs, there can be an overwhelming expression of gratitude to God that all went well.”

“I believe in the ever-present Presence of God that opens for me that sense of wonder in the events and people I experience in my life,” says Rabbi Moss of Holbrook. “The voice of God…is strong, but it can be heard only when we open our hearts and souls to its tone: to its sweet tone, to the ‘still small voice’ within us and within all. God is here, I have no fear!”

He writes: “I pray: May God be with you and may you know this. May you never be afraid again. Amen.”

The book is available from Lulu Publishing.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books. 

Legislators Considering A Bill That Prohibits The Feeding Of Wild Animals

Suffolk Closeup

By Karl Grossman

A bill titled “A Local Law To Prohibit The Feeding Of Wild Animals in Suffolk County” has been introduced by Legislator Tom Cilmi. 

For concerned readers with birdfeeders: the feeding of songbirds would be exempt. And as a result of comments from the North Fork Environmental Council, said Mr. Cilmi, he also intends to have the bill exempt giving food to woodpeckers and other feathered visitors who do not sing. It already exempts hummingbirds.

The complaint that “precipitated” the measure involved seagulls and a person who on a daily basis has been feeding them causing flocks of seagulls descending on the neighborhood.

The constituent who reached out to him, said Mr. Cilmi, told of these swarms of seagulls “swooping down” into her neighborhood leaving a mess of “seagull droppings all over”—on cars, lawns, houses and in pools. Mr. Cilmi recounted her saying: “I can’t live like this.”

He said he drove from his home in Bay Shore to the East Islip neighborhood where the seagull situation was happening and saw nearly “50 seagulls sitting on top” of a house across the road from the complainant’s residence. 

Mr. Cilmi emphasizes that his bill is a “work in progress” and there might be other changes in the wording or the overall approach. He said a lawyer in the county attorney’s office said the bill infringes on state authority and there might be a way under “existing county law” to deal with the problem. A representative of the Suffolk Department of Health Services earlier visited the scene of the seagull feedings and told his constituent, said Mr. Cilmi, that the department couldn’t do anything about it.  “I’m just looking for a solution to the problem,” said Mr. Cilmi.

The bill defines wild animals as “any animal which is not normally domesticated in New York State, including but not limited to coyotes, deer, foxes, groundhogs, opossums, racoons, skunks and birds other than songbirds or hummingbirds.”

There is a declaration that “Suffolk County strives to protect both its wildlife and the interests of its residents.” The legislature “also finds and determines that the feeding of wild animals is disruptive to the natural feeding habits of those animals,” that it “creates a dependency on human interaction for sustenance making them more likely to gather in large numbers and exhibit aggressive behavior.”

Further, it says, “over a period of time, wild animals which are fed by people tend to become both a public and private nuisance and present a public health concern for the communities affected.” Thus, “This legislature…finds that it is in the best interest of both the wild animals and the residents of Suffolk County to prohibit the feeding of wildlife.”

The measure states, “No person shall purposely or knowingly feed, bait or in any manner provide access to food to any wild animals in Suffolk County” and “no person shall…leave or store any refuse, garbage, food product, pet food, forage product or supplement, salt, seed or birdseed, fruit, or grain in a manner that would attract wild animals.”

“Feeding of songbirds and other backyard birds shall be permitted outdoors provided that such feeding does not create an unreasonable disturbance that affects the rights of surrounding property owners and….such feeding does not create an excessive accumulation of droppings on the property and surrounding properties.” Bird feeders would need to be “placed at least five feet from the ground.”

The proposed law would be enforced by the county Department of Health Services and implemented “on a complaint basis.” The penalty for a violation would be “not less than $50 and not more than $500 for each offense, together with the costs of prosecution.” 

Longtime East Hampton Town Natural Resources Director Larry Penny commented that seagulls are “the least needy” of birds and do not require any intervention with food. “They don’t need any help. They’re doing fine.” The situation with other bird species can be problematic. Also, “bird numbers have plummeted,” said the naturalist. Further, said Mr. Penny from his home in Noyac, he’s heard from visitors to the nearby Elizabeth Morton National Wildlife Refuge that their feeding seeds to chickadees and other birds from their hands “made me open my eyes,” so impressed were they that “birds would trust humans.”

“There is a lot of humanity involved here. Go back to the Bible and Noah,” said Mr. Penny. “Anthropologists have found native groups have been feeding animals.” Caring for animals has “been going on forever; it’s part of the human psyche,” said Mr. Penny. “I don’t see anything wrong with people helping out wildlife. It’s so hard for them to make a living.”

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books. 

Suffolk Closeup - Surgeon, Professor, SC Legislator And African American

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

Dr. William R. Spencer is among the most distinguished public officials in Suffolk County history. He is a pediatric surgeon, the first doctor to be a member of the Suffolk County Legislature in its 50 years, and also an ordained minister. First elected to the legislature in 2011, he is especially known for leading the panel in taking action on smoking including getting the legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products in Suffolk to 21. 

Dr. Spencer is chief of otolaryngology at Huntington Hospital, a clinical professor at Stony Brook University Hospital and past president of the Suffolk County Medical Society.

He is an African-American. With a prayer he opened a meeting earlier this month of the legislature’s Public Safety Committee, held in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota and amid protests through the nation and Suffolk. 

And 12 minutes into the meeting Dr. Spencer, of Centerport, shared with his fellow members of the committee some experiences he has had with police as a black man. He began by saying he has the “utmost respect and admiration” for police but “at the end of the day there are still individuals” among police who are highly problematic.

“I can share my personal experience as someone who has always been law-abiding,” said Dr. Spencer. “I can honestly say as a 52-year-old man that I have been pulled over at least 50 times over the course of my life. I’ve been called ‘boy.’ I’ve had guns drawn. I’ve had a gun held to me and it’s from law enforcement.” 

“So, when I get pulled over even in Suffolk County until the point when that officer recognizes who I am, I’m terrified. I am terrified. I was with my son. I got pulled over. And, again, the officer was absolutely professional, but still, I’m faced with that.”

If you would like to listen to Dr. Spencer’s words yourself, the video of the meeting is online at https://livestream.com/scnylegislature/events/8960413/videos/207010190

At the session was Stuart Cameron, the highest uniformed officer in the Suffolk County Police Department. Dr. Spencer went on to ask him about “your thoughts about measures that we can take to go further… so whoever has interface with police—black, white, Hispanic, whatever—they are acknowledged…and treated equally.” 

“First of all, sir, let me tell you it breaks my heart to hear you relate those encounters,” said Chief Cameron. “I know that you are an honorable person. You are a good human being, and you definitely should not be treated with anything but the utmost respect.” He said “I hope” the incidents didn’t happen in Suffolk but “somewhere else,” and Dr. Spencer said “they did.”

Mr. Cameron continued that “what I always like to say is that the police department is not something in the community, it’s part of the community, it’s our community, and that’s the attitude that every officer should take.” But, he said, “changes take time.” With the department for 35 years, he spoke of how it is “incredibly selective” in who it accepts. He cited advances in training and other areas as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division entered into to improve relations with, as the agreement states, “all” people in Suffolk and do “bias-free” policing.

Mr. Cameron took the top Suffolk cop position in 2015 and thereafter began learning Spanish to have better relations with Latinos here. Speaking at a mass last year at St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church in Brentwood, he asserted “our department truly is here to help people.” 

If only that was the position of police throughout the United States.

The protests against racism by police since the murder of Mr. Floyd have been intense—and there are many moves to reform police departments. “How Police Unions Became Such Powerful Opponents to Reform Efforts,” was the headline of a recent article in The New York Times explaining why this has not happened.

Police unions—including in Suffolk—make large campaign contributions to politicians and are highly effective in getting out the vote.

But arrogance has also come from the other direction—from some politicians to police.

I was in Manhattan two decades ago to give a lecture. A squad car with flashing lights was suddenly behind me. I pulled to the curb and got out of my car. My attire included a classic Brooks Brothers blue blazer and my auto had an NYP plate signifying my being a working journalist. Nevertheless, the two officers leaped from their squad car and pointed guns at me. I asked what the problem was. I was told one of my brake lights was out. Later, I saw a group of police nearby, a sergeant among them, and discussed what had transpired and whether the use of guns was necessary. The sergeant explained: “It’s Giuliani time!” referring to then Mayor Rudy Giuliani. I’ve long wondered what would have happened if I were black.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books. 

Suffolk Closeup - Protests Have Swept The Nation

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

The protests that have swept the nation in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis—one of so many killings of black people by police through the years—included demonstrations in many communities in Suffolk County among them Commack, Port Jefferson Station, Central Islip, Bay Shore, Sag Harbor, Shirley, Mastic, West Babylon, Huntington, East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Lake Grove, Greenport, Peconic, Brentwood, West Islip, Lindenhurst, the county seat of Riverhead and Smithtown where there was a counter-demonstration.

The protests here have been peaceful, heartfelt and intense.

Racism remains deep-set on Long Island and nation. Newsday last year published a series of articles entitled “Long Island Divided,” the result of a three-year investigation. The newspaper sent out testers carrying hidden cameras and microphones to meet with real estate agents. The findings, as Newsday stated, provided “evidence” that “potential homebuyers were steered to neighborhoods based on race.”

Because of the series, New York State has instituted changes to try to combat the institutional racism which, in fact, has long shaped residential patterns on Long Island. It’s why there are “ghettoes”—Wyandanch, North Amityville, among others, a result of “racial steering,” still happening, although illegal. Long Island has been rated among the “most segregated” areas in the U.S.

And it’s not just bias in real estate. For 42 years I’ve taught Investigative Reporting at SUNY/College at Old Westbury, a remarkably diverse institution. Experiencing diversity is a major element of the college’s educational program. Part of the course involves students doing investigations. Every semester, some of them investigate prejudice with white and black students teaming up and looking for jobs, apartments and used cars at dealerships—and being treated differently. Last year, one pair added to their investigation by the white student repeatedly screwing up in a job test involving folding and hanging garments, the black student doing excellent work. The white student was offered a job, the black student rejected. 

Suffolk County Community College-based Center for Social Justice and Human Understanding featuring the Holocaust Collection issued a call last week that “we must take action to stop the intentional or unintentional killing of unarmed black Americans.”

“All Americans must take ownership of the pervasive racial discrimination that exists in our nation and move forward collectively to ensure that justice prevails,” said a statement signed by the center’s chairperson, Rabbi Steven Moss, and Jill Santiago, executive director. “No one can be silent. Rather, every one of us needs to be courageous, confront bigotry where it exists, and work to build a world where healing can begin.”

Other entities on Long Island committed to challenging the racism here include the aptly named organization Erase Racism. And there have been and are un-biased government leaders such as State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. of Sag Harbor.

Mr. Thiele said last week: “In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the unrest that has erupted across the nation, no one can afford to be silent if you care about our country. Justice for all is the foundation of our democracy. The words of Martin Luther King, Jr. can help illuminate the path forward for our nation as we seek to get closer to that ideal of justice. King stated, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.’ In the spirit of those words, I condemn the murder of George Floyd as an egregious criminal act. All of those who participated in that act must be brought to justice.”

“I also support the constitutional right of American citizens to protest,” said Mr. Thiele. “To protest against injustice is the foundation of our American democracy. Change never comes easy. Protest has been at the core of needed change throughout our history. It is clear that this is not an isolated incident. It has been repeated too many times across our land. Yet, nothing has changed. I support those who petition their government to change the circumstances that continue to lead to these injustices.”

SUNY/Old Westbury has for 50 years purposely mixed groups of people—white, African-American, Latino, Asian-American, Native-American and foreign. I marvel watching the students coming together, communicating, developing understandings and friendships. The college’s president, Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, says “Old Westbury is rightfully celebrated as a college community that brings people of all races, creeds, and socio-economic backgrounds together. Being designated among the top diverse campuses in the country…reinforces that Old Westbury is at the forefront of cultivating intercultural understanding and global citizenship in its students.”

Teaching at SUNY/Old Westbury has shown me that, yes, integration can work well.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books. 

BLM Protest - Words Make A Difference

By Pat Biancaniello

It began with an online flyer inviting people outside of Smithtown to participate in a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest that would take place on Sunday, June 7 in Smithtown. The flyer, according to people who know the person who posted it online, was an attempt to raise awareness of the issues and injustices people of color deal with on a daily basis.    

The flyer was meant to connect with the anger minorities feel and to capitalize on the outrage expressed by protests around the nation since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. To many Smithtown residents who saw the  flyer and the message attached to its social media posting it was a call to repeat the worst of the BLM protests. They envisioned a protest that would include looting and the destruction of anything within reach of the protesters.

The stage was set.

Rumors about the intent of the protesters were rampant on social media and it seems that everyone had a reliable source confirming the BLM plans for the destruction of Smithtown.  23-year-old Dylan Rice, a Smithtown resident and a Democrat running for NYS Assembly, saw the social media posting and worked to locate its source and to better understand what was happening. He reached out to Caitlin, the event coordinator, and worked to bring a peaceful rally/march to Smithtown. Dylon believed a peaceful rally would reflect his and other residents’ support for the BLM movement which promotes equality and respect for life.

photo by Dylan RiceThe protest, scheduled for 2 pm was changed to 4pm but crowds started gathering at 2pm. It began with a rally at Stop And Shop located on W. Main Street. When asked by a speaker, “Who here is from Smithtown?” around half of the attendees raised their hands. The crowd grew from 150 people at 2 pm to approximately 750 at 4:30. Amazingly, almost every attendee wore a face mask although social distancing was not practiced. The rally at Stop And Shop included protest chants “Say their names”, “I can’t breathe”* etc.  and ended with the protesters kneeling for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the time the Minneapolis police officer held his knee on George Floyd’s neck causing him to die.   Protesters then began their march down towards Town Hall.

At this point the road was closed as marchers filled the streets.  Marchers chanted, “I can’t breathe”* and other chants, they were loud. When they reached the area near Katie’s on Main Street they encountered a small but also loud group of people with flags, a huge military style truck and at least one large Trump banner. The anti- BLM protesters (without masks) had positioned themselves to be visible, vocal and disruptive. The anti-BLM appears to have been comprised of mostly non-Smithtown people.

The scene became somewhat disruptive as disgusting insults, some racial some sexual were exchanged.

The march continued down Main Street turned around at Terry Road some participants continued to march to the statue of Whisper the Bull at the intersection of 25A and Rte. 25. SCPD officers were successful in keeping the marchers on the designated path and Smithtown’s Public Safety officers were effective in ensuring that there were no incidents involving damage to public property.

Smithtown’s Chief of Public Safety, Thomas Lohmann, in a phone interview expressed his satisfaction in a matter of fact manner, saying he was extremely pleased with the event and the way the SCPD, Fire Department and the Department of Public Safety coordinated their actions ensuring that people expressing their constitutional right to freedom of speech was protected. 

Many Smithtown residents have reached out to Smithtown Matters expressing support for the event. Some showed support by attending and marching others expressed frustration that the flyer made them fearful of participating. Many people are still isolated in their homes due to COVID-19 and could not participate. There seems to be unanimity in the belief that George Floyd’s death by police is unacceptable and must not be tolerated.  

At Monday’s press conference County Executive Bellone announced an investigation into an incident involving a protestor and an anti-BLM protestor. The incident is being investigated by Fourth Precinct Crime Section, Fourth Squad and Hate Crimes.

*Spell check correction.

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