I must say I have been impressed by the quick response of our state (cough) Legislature in the past few days. There are a few lessons in the Democratic process we can learn from this episode.
First, I want to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to my brothers in the Haredi community. I never should have doubted you. Moshiach is truly here, because we all just witnessed the dead coming back to life.
The package of reforms in law enforcement, drafted and passed in less than 72 hours, shows just how responsive our institutions can be. Once the gun is pointed at THEIR head, for a change. In no time at all, a preposterous legal construct that gave law enforcement immunity from almost any abuse committed, short of publicly choking the home base umpire at Yankee Stadium on Bat Day, got scrapped in no time at all, and the most remarkable part of it is the PBAs were rendered completely impotent overnight. The crowned heads of the local PBAs, who look and sound as menacing as any thug, were reduced to chirping mice. Once, our sniveling representatives cowered before them. In no time, they were completely neutralized. That, folks, is how you take power.
Even Sen. Anna Kaplan, after maintaining radio silence on the matter, voted with her colleagues in a 62-0 nothing vote, because almost everything the Senate passes is by 62-0, and she just needed to wait for the phone call to tell her how to vote. There were some protesters outside her office also demanding that she return the $14,000 she got in campaign contributions from various PBAs. Rest assured Anna won’t get TOO far ahead of herself here.
So what is the lesson here? Rioting works. Your representative government is completely co-opted by minority interests and is oblivious to you and your community’s needs. It exists solely to support the institutions that bribe it — to the exclusion of the population as a whole.
However, once you bring loss of life and especially property into the equation, they get smart real fast. They start doing what everyone wanted them to do for decades, but didn’t, so long as the money rolled in and they could blow you off without facing any consequences.
So the next time you see an issue that over 95 percent of the people want rectified, and your elected representative issues some statement assuring their support, just get a few hundred people together, get in the streets and start making some trouble. Inflicting fear on some of these deadbeats will get you the responsive government you need. And the one you have every right on God’s green Earth to have.
Here endeth the lesson.
Donald Davret
Roslyn
