The
Red Hook StarªRevue
FEBRUARY 2017
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
HUGS IN A TIME OF TRUMP by George Fiala
A
s the unreal nature of a Trump presidency coalesced into the reality of an inauguration, many in Red Hook began to really understand the meaning of the phrase “misery loves company.” Some traveled to Washington or to Manhattan to take part in the women’s demonstration. Demonstrations end, but the misery remains, and with that in mind, local businesswoman and community board member Victoria Hagman collaborated with councilmember Carlos Menchaca and put together a gathering they called Red Hook Hug. Word of mouth along with a Facebook page brought about 30 locals to Sunny’s back room on Sunday, January 29 for general commiseration and a few drinks. After a bit of socializing, people sat in a circle and Victoria started the conversation. “People are hurting,” she said. “After Sandy, many of us came together in groups like this to talk about what just happened to us, and that helped us heal. Well, this is just like Sandy. We have to rely on each other so we can began to move forward. Let’s all try to be as supportive as we can!” Menchaca spoke next. “This is hope, right here,” he said as he pointed around the room. “These are the faces of hope.” He spoke of the hurts that different people are feeling, and continued, “as your voice in
Red Hook, this kind of meeting is so important to keep me going. The walls that I’m hitting are pretty intense inside the machine of politics. For me, I personally ask that we keep doing this - that we keep hugging.” Red Hook’s is a neighborhood of people whose talents are as diverse as its make-up, as Carlos noted. “This community has incredible people and incredible talent. From artists and architects to lawyers, and urban planners, and amazing moms and amazing dads, and a newspaper. Incredible business owners, just great people.” He urged the community to keep doing getting together like this - in person, not just on Facebook. At that, the conversation went around the room as people introduced themselves and spoke about their actions and concerns. Long time Red Hooker and Attorney-in-Charge at NY’s Legal Aid Society spoke of all the rapid-fire legal work that had been done on behalf of those caught in the web of Donald Trump’s executive order banning refugees and travelers from certain countries. The order was issued the Friday prior to the Red Hook Hug, and by Sunday night motions were into a number of courts halting the ban. “You have a group of people right now that come off of a plane thinking that they are going to go home to their families and they are stopped and they are questioned - and that’s five year-old children, grandparents in wheelchairs, to family members of army veterans that have served this country - and it is reprehensible.” (continued on page 3)
Supreme Court Justice enchants St. Francis students
S
upreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s visit to St. Francis College on February 2 provided some much needed reassurance that indeed there still are grown-ups in some of our important seats of power.
Sotomayor appeared in a packed fourth floor gym composed mostly of students. The occasion was the annual Thomas J. Volpe Lecture, and the connection was Sparkle Sooknanan, St. Francis Class of 2002, who clerked for Ms. Sotomayor when she was a judge on the US Court of Appeals, 2nd circuit - a position she held prior to being named to the Supreme Court in 2009 by Barack Obama. By coincidence, her appearance took place just a couple days after President Trump made his controversial announcement of his proposed replacement for the late Justice Scalia. However, this was not a subject of discussion this day.
Red Hook Star-Revue
by George Fiala
Instead, Sotomayer spoke to the students about the thinking that went behind the career decisions she made that led her to the Supreme Court. She told the students not to despair - that sometimes it is society that makes one feel inadequate - and that it’s ok to not always be confident in one’s future. “Explore the things that you don’t know,” she said. “Most of the time, professors are interested in you - and will encourage you to follow what you are interested in, and you will discover what you are good at.” Her method was analytical - she rejected what she knew what she didn’t like, or did like but wasn’t good at. She was encouraged to go into medicine, but she knew she didn’t like hospitals. “I liked helping people, and that’s what lawyers do. I knew that from watching Perry Mason.
I also knew that I liked reading and writing, and also courses that were challenging and exciting.” Of course, having a mother that pushed her to go to college was crucial - she was accepted at Princeton and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1976. From there she went to Yale Law School, graduating in 1979. “One afternoon when I was 25, I happened to go to an event featuring NY’s District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. Wine and cheese were to be served afterwards. Morgenthau was there asking the law students to come work for him in the DA’s office. The office was full of cases and there was plenty important work to do. Afterwards, I went right to the cheese line, and in addition to the cheese I happened to start talking to Morgenthau and he convinced to come work for him.” (continued on page 3)
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Justice Sotomayor circulated among St. Francis College students answering questions and providing inspiration.
February 2017, Page 1