*It has been pointed out to me since the publication of this piece, that the Staten Island Ferry is a free service for passengers and has been for a good number of years. Fares were not really my point. The fact is that there are those who are treated differently due to the way they look or act, along with many other reasons. They are the vulnerable. They are often shunned and viewed by some as the disposable elements of society. Initially they're stared at, then talked about and in too many cases asked by or taken by authorities and removed from our sight.
Dear Mayor De Blasio & Cardinal Dolan (both Your Eminences)
It was only a matter of days ago that your offices issued a press release concerning the naming of one of a trio of brand new ferries in honor of Dorothy Day, servant of God and servant of the poor as well as a spokesperson for peace and justice. It mentioned her love for Staten Island where she once lived in a humble cottage that has since been torn down to make room for economic development. It mentioned her love and passion for laborers and workers. It is good that her name will be associated with part of the transit system that gets people back and forth to work. I know you've had challenges with the Covid-19 pandemic, making sure subways are clean. Sadly, to do that you needed to clear and empty them each night of the homeless and down and outers who had also become bothersome over the years.
It also mentioned the cost of the project and how much the City and Staten Island needed to replace part of its fleet for the benefit of residents of the area. I'm sure project managers and infrastructure experts as well cost accountants and researchers, created many pages of documents supporting everything having to do with this project. And yes, the fact is, it's completed and done. There is little time for discussion now. The need is there, the boat is built, the money spent and she's on her way to the NY Harbor as I write.
There were others who were suggested for naming but you decided to honor Dorothy in this way. Thank you for providing this platform for people to learn about her and her work. Thank you for providing an opportunity for people to really talk about the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount. Dorothy loved to speak and write about the contradictions between the works of mercy and the works of war. Perhaps more people will engage in those conversations with your help.
I have been accused in the past of being a constant critic. Never happy with solutions or possible solutions found by those in charge. Never stopping the wag of a critic's tongue and unable to be satisfied no matter what. But I've been working hard on this and to that end, I come to you both with a proposal for the good ship 'Dorothy Day'.
First let me say that I'm fearful that some poor soul, perhaps even I, will look for shelter on this ferry and quickly be told to be gone (off at the next stop of course), told to stop my begging or bothering the space of the other customers. So please consider this......Designate 5 spaces on each trip (5 by the way is an arbitrary number by me. You can go as high as you like) to the NYC Catholic Worker. They can set up whatever anarchistic method they choose to take care of these seats. In the end, they'll just make sure people can access them. Poor people or people down on their luck on a particular day. Perhaps someone who just needs a ride on the waves and wind in their hair. Maybe someone who just got a lousy diagnosis from their hospital stay or someone in a bad relationship or someone leaving or going to jail. If the seats aren't used on some trips, that's ok. The existence of these guest seats would be another reminder to people traveling on the ferry that Dorothy had a message for all of us about the poor and about injustice.
"We must talk about poverty, because people insulated by their own comfort lose sight of it." Dorothy Day
Just an observation; the people in the know are quite certain that it is just a matter of time before DOROTHY is declared a saint. ST. DOROTHY DAY - This will have a huge impact on everything including the name of that ferry boat. Should she then be recognized as the saint who take over as the patron of travelers, a title that had been given to St. Christopher ?
ReplyDeleteI don't really have any expertise in the area of saints or patron saints. But having worked with Dorothy many years ago, I know how passionate she was about the poor and those people who others would find reasons to cast aside. She'll be known as an advocate of hospitality in every form and much more.
DeleteJim Wilson