Leave the gun take the cannoli (9)

In the shadows of the fast food restaurants and construction scaffolding on Fourth Avenue, several  families share a single  two bedroom  apartment.   The effort it takes to keep a low profile exceeds the energy expended at coveted factory jobs or  the hours of hawking bootlegs on the corner.    South Brooklyn is like a jigsaw puzzle of sub cultures that tessellate into a   familiar image.   Transplanted mid-westerners are changing the landscape of the area formerly known as the premiere stop after Ellis Island.  Illegal immigrants are camouflaged by first generation Americans who retain the culture of their forefathers.  Luxury condos overlooking the cemetry add to the quirky charm  of a neighborhood where far too many of the neighbors are in need.   

On Monday afternoon I leaned against the traffic light and passed out flyers for yet another food drive.  Feeling frustrated by  the steady decline in donations to the local food pantry,  I wondered if I was wasting my time.  

 Then along came Jayson, a wide eyed five year old who tried to snatch a flyer from my hand.  He is only in Kindergarten, but already Jayson has expressed an interest in feeding the homeless.   His father  asked me for some information.  “My son wants to do this” he said, “just tell me where he can bring the food.”

On Friday,  Jayson returned with his father and a box full of groceries.  He had collected twenty pounds of rice,  a few boxes of cereal, as well as,  an assortment of canned soup and beans.     “I hope you get 100 pounds of food” he  said as he shook my hand.    We decided to weigh the food he’d brought.  Jayson had donated  38 lbs . Then we weighed the other donations.   Altogether Jayson and I had collect 115 lbs and 14 oz.   Not bad for week’s work.                             

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Stop wondering if  you are smarter than a fifth grader and start worrying about which version of Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girl” your favorite fifth grader is listening to.   If you’ve ever doubted that common sense has been shafted by  a nebulous interpretation  of   freedom of speech, surf the top 40 stations and compare the two versions of  this  catchy melody.

 In the first rendition,   Kingston relies heavily on repeating the word “suicidal”  as if its just another begnign adjective.     Shivers run down my spine as I flash on the 31,000 families a year who are devastated by suicide in this country.  As the third leading cause of mortality for Americans  in the 10 to 24 age group,  this  subject is too serious to mock.      

 Kingston did put out an  alternate version where the phrase “in denial” replaces the “S” word.      

I realize that this subject has been lifted up in song before.  But how many people really know the words to the theme from M*A*S*H?  And how many artists have given us the freedom to choose?         

   I’ve spent the better part of last night e-mailing radio stations   to voice my concern about the song.   I’ve called radio request lines and requested the alternate version.