From the Wall Street Journal:
In Floral Park, the tree-cutting episode has exposed racial tensions in a community that has developed into a "Little India," with an influx of Indian immigrants and businesses shaking up the old order.
The block where the incident took place includes Masala 2 Wok, Mumbai Xpress, an Indian astrologer and the forthcoming Balaji Super Bazar.
On the aptly named "Queens Crap" blog, comments quickly devolved into blaming "animals" who want "nothing to do with America."
The underlying assumption among some was that the owners of the new supermarket must have had something to do with it. The trees blocked the store's façade and a fourth tree on the block was conspicuously left standing.
As the scene this week, I asked Mr. Castellano if anyone had spoken to the grocery store's owner. He had not.
But minutes later, out came Rakesh Kumar, the owner, hand extended and eager to talk. Mr. Kumar called the tree cutting "very bad." He said his landlord had also condemned the act.
"People are pointing fingers at us," said Mr. Kumar. "First day it happened I said, 'It's a small tree first of all and it doesn't bother us.'"
He continued: "We know the rules and regulations of this country," noting that if they wanted to take the tree down they know they would have had to get city approval. He is now offering to plant new trees and to pay all the associated costs.
"According to our custom, we worship the trees," he said.
Mr. Kumar has his own theory about what might have happened. "We have a lot of competitors around here, our supermarket competitors," he said, rattling off the names of nearby Indian supermarkets.
And so the speculation continues.
Like so many arborcides, the Floral Park ones may never be solved.
25 comments:
Same thing is now occurring in Forest Hills. Sickening!
An example how this blog can be perceived.
You know Roger, you only comment on posts that you have a problem with. You never say anything that would actually be a positive contribution, only criticism. What's up with that? I really couldn't care less if a reporter from the Wall Street Journal was offended by comments on my site. There was nothing racist in my original post and objectionable comments appear on every website on the internet. Time to accept the fact that not all people think in politically correct ways, including immigrants, and move on.
Don't worry Crappy, the machine is going ape-shit over that Congressional race thinking maybe, just maybe it wasn't Obama, but the opportunity from people to see outside the tiresome party bullshit - and the role that blogs, most notably Crappy, has in this.
They send hacks to post racist garbage here and the regulars out them.
So now they a bumping things up a notch.
We all live here, not the Wall Street Journal. Almost all of us are from recent immigrants ourselves - when did the last immigrant live on Walls Street - when James Polk was in the White House?
And I am certainly waiting the arrival of the first Bengla supermarket on Wall Street and Gypsy fortune teller - after all, its such a diverse neighborhood and knows all about vibrancy, eh?
Whether he's responsible for the trees being chopped or not, it is now to the benefit of Rakesh Kumar's property that it is not obscured by trees. He could show respect for the community by replacing them.
You know, the previous poster might be on to something.
How about a bunch of day office laborers, hanging out at Broadway and Wall, waiting for some paralegal, office accountant or stock broker to pick them up for a 12 hour per diem shift.
Can't you see them drinking beer in the churchyard, reading the Wall Street Journal, eating breakfast while sitting on the tombstones, whistling at all the ladies.
Flocking over to a limo everytime some big shot stops at the light.
Pretty shitty of the WSJ to skip right over the fact that you cover issues like these and instead focus on the reader comments.
So basically the Indian supermarket owner blamed Indians as well. Just not himself.
This store owner obviously was lieing. Otherwise he would request the city to replace the dead trees since he 'worships' the trees.
Other indian supermarket owners would have let the dead trees falled the other way to break all the store front glass. So go figure it out!
In Floral Park, the tree-cutting episode has exposed racial tensions in a community that has developed into a "Little India," with an influx of Indian immigrants and businesses shaking up the old order.
This is the 2nd article the Wall Street Jornal has written critizing our community.
This is not an anti indian community. I have lived in Bellerose (next to Floral park) Park for over 25 years. Yes , the neighborhood has changed and yes my next door neigbors are Indians.I just want everyone who reads Queens Crap to know that I coundn't ask for better neighbors. It's the neighbors like Super Halal Meat that have created problems that are destroying our community.
The WSJ should stop writing these article that are not true.
I think it's really simple - get the ip addresses of all racist comments on this blog - and then start the investigating.
Simple enough.
First of all, Blogger does not have the capability to track IP addresses. Secondly, even if I got the IP addresses, there is nothing I could do with them without a court order directing the service providers to release the names of their subscribers assigned those IP addresses. And since I have no intentions of suing commenters and am not law enforcement conducting an investigation, there is no legal reason why a judge would sign an order to release them. It's called right to privacy. You need to get a hobby other than being offended by anonymous comments on blogs.
"Simple enough."
I agree. The dolt commenting here is quite a simpleton.
The Queens Crap is a great blog.I enjoy reading this blog everyday. I beleive in free speech and everyone should have the rite to say what they want. But sometimes the idiots need to keep their stupid opinions on other ethic groups and religions to themselves.
We need to work together to fight what is wrong in Queens.
I agree totally. It's not immigrants who are screwing us. It's City Hall.
Sorry if I keep bringing up the Super Halal Meat market at 253-06 Hillside Avenue. The problem our community is having with this store is not the fault of the store owners. They are very guilty and not good people. But the city has chosen not to enforce the laws that should be protecting our community. This store should NEVER have been allowed to open. The city is to blame for this mess and needs to be responsible for all the quality of life issues this store has created for its neighbors. How many of the homeowners on our block need to be arrested or hurt before the city starts enforcing the laws...
Please help this block in Queens and come to a press conference that Tony Avella is having today at this market.
Thank you Queens Crap was allowing me to post about this horrific problem on our block.
The following is from the press release from Senator Avella's office:
Senator Tony Avella will host a press conference in front of the Halal Meat Market on Monday, September 19th at 1 PM to protest City and State agencies’ inability and unwillingness to enforce regulations that are consistently ignored by the Market. These agencies have chosen to simply fine the owners and walk away, allowing the business to continue creating significant qualify of life issues for the community.
Join with Senator Avella and other Bellerose residents this upcoming Monday in front of the Halal Meat Market located at 253-06 Hillside Avenue, to rally against the Market's outright defiance of the Building, Fire, Health and Sanitation Codes.
The first anonymous said "Same thing is now occurring in Forest Hills. Sickening!"
Where did you see it?
Wow even the WSJ gets their ideas for stories here! Why is no one talking about that? Let them criticize all they want about whats written here, they got the story because of Queens Crap. Great job Crappy!
What was the authors name?
So here you have an Indian or Pakistani "reporter" trying to make an Italian American out to be a racist! Why wasn't it a white reporter that picked up on the story? Might lend a little more credibility.
Seriously Mr. Reddy, I for one don't believe your story and the WALL STREET JOURNAL should be ashamed.
Investigation into what? Who is making racist comment? You are a fckng moron! What crime has been committed?hey I say deport all idiots,
Austin street, 72Rd
Queens Blvd, 78 Av
Queens Blvd, 71 Av
Queens Blvd, 71 Rd
The store owners did cut the trees. All the police needs to do is get a
1)search warrant for their homes and look for the chain saw.
2) Get all the phone records of the store owners and see who collaborated with one another. I'm sure they can track the calls made that sunday evening to the culprits and thats it.
As the rumor is in the market, the two store owners are the ones who did it. That is why no video is available.
We need to do something to let these people know it is totally UNACCEPTABLE for cutting street trees. Those trees are part of our community. Cutting down the trees is an attack to our entire community.
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