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Caught With My Pants Down Edward I. Koch Over the Thanksgiving holiday I spent four days in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. I had been asked to participate in The Lisbon Real Estate Fair and Conference. My invitation came as a result of the $5.1 billion, 10-year housing plan that was created in 1985 during my years as Mayor of New York. My administration's plan built 252,000 affordable housing units, the bulk of which were for the homeless and low and moderate income families. I told the audience there were four major accomplishments in my 12-year administration. One, balancing the city's budget; two, bringing back to the city a spirit that had been lost; three, reforming the Criminal and Family Courts so as to remove all politics from the appointment of judges; fourth, and most visible, rebuilding the Bronx and other city neighborhoods with housing that some saw as responding to the broadcast comment by sportscaster Howard Cosell at Yankee Stadium that "The Bronx is burning." I had visited Portugal before, in the early 1980s when I was mayor. At that time I met Armando Roche, a member of the committee that sponsored last week's conference. Armando met me at the airport when I arrived on TAP, the Portuguese national airline. I was not scheduled to speak until the next day, so I had an opportunity once again to see Lisbon by car. It is a beautiful city, built like Rome on seven hills, and lies directly on the Atlantic Ocean. The views in every direction are spectacular. Lisbon was not damaged in World War II because Portugal's then dictator, António de Oliveira Salazar, while supportive of Hitler and the Nazis, kept the country neutral, which made Lisbon a favorite location for spies from both sides. Oliveira Salazar was incapacitated in 1968, and his successor, Marcelo Caetano, was deposed in 1974 during what is called "the Carnation Revolution," because only four people were killed. When I visited Portugal in the early 80s, I purchased a porcelain ceramic horse as a memento. On this trip, I asked to be taken to the same store and bought another, at considerably higher cost. The first horse which I brought home with me cost $60. The second, somewhat larger, unlike the first which I took with me, was shipped and with insurance brought the cost up to $600. The conference speakers came from Portugal, Spain, England, Canada and the U.S. They gave superb presentations and I had a wonderful time, meeting fascinating people and seeing interesting places.
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Nonetheless, by the fifth day, I was delighted to be going home. That "there's no place like home" is a fact. Everywhere else can be a wonderful place to visit, and as many as possible should be visited, but home is where the heart is. At the conclusion of my trip, I noted that the airport in Lisbon has an excellent security system. We were searched twice, once at the entrance and again at the gate. On the second occasion, I was asked again to open my belt, stretch out my arms to be patted down - because I have a pacemaker, I cannot go through the metal detector.
As I followed the guard's instructions, opening my belt and raising my arms, I suddenly felt my trousers slip off my waist and fall to my knees - I've been successfully trying to lose some weight - and as I grabbed them, I thought to myself, this can't be happening. But, no one laughed and no one applauded. With all of the cell phone cameras now in use, it would not shock me if pictures of my trouser incident show up on the Internet. If they do, I will order three copies. Hatred Again
While in Portugal, a Lisboner gave me his opinion on Gypsies. He expressed a view so many of us have heard all of our lives - "they won't work" and "they send their children out to beg." I recall hearing when I was young, "they kidnap our children." The person who voiced his opinion said, "I'm not a racist." I thought to myself, he certainly believes he is not, but of course, he is. I asked him, "But isn't that what the Nazis did to the Jews, dehumanize them? Remember the Nazis killed 500,000 Roma." He replied, "Totally different. The Jews are an intelligent people." I did not respond and the conversation ended there.
I have no doubt he knew I was a Jew. The New York Times reported on November 27th, "A group of Gypsies who had been forced to flee their homes in central Slovenia a month ago by local villagers tried to return late Saturday afternoon but were forced to turn back." The Times explained, "Local residents had demanded their removal after a fight between a man from Ambrus and a Slovene who was living with the Strojans [family], after which the villager fell unconscious. He remains in a coma, and the man with whom he fought is in detention." The climate of hate that was directed at Jews, Gypsies and political dissidents by the Nazis in Germany and by the Ustashi fascists in Slovenia, which ended with the killing of Jews and Gypsies, is reviving. It is important for leaders, civic and religious, to speak out in the European countries like France where Jews are once again the victims. Gypsies are even more vulnerable then Jews, who know that Israel will accept every one of them if necessary. Jews are beginning to flee France. There is no place for Gypsies to find sanctuary. Shouldn't the U.S. and other countries raise this issue at the UN Security Council? I think we should.
Rage in New York The rage of family, friends and community in the fatal shooting of Sean Bell and wounding of his two friends hours before his scheduled wedding appears justified on its face. The undercover police officers were investigating a club before a collision involving their minivan and Bell's car. The officers fired 50 bullets. Bell and the passengers in the car were unarmed and were coming from his bachelor party, having committed no crimes. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly are handling the investigation expeditiously and appropriately, and I have no doubt that they will do what is warranted after a grand jury makes its determination. Hopefully, the cops will testify before the grand jury without immunity, as their attorney has stated they will. If they don't, the people of the City of New York will draw their own conclusions. The families and community have the sympathy of the entire city as we await the report. Reverend Al Sharpton is involved in the case and has conducted himself admirably. I have been through comparable incidents during my 12 years as mayor. I sympathize with Mayor Bloomberg at this painful moment, and my heart goes out to Mr. Bell's family and friends.
Edward I. Koch, author, lawyer, and talk-radio host, was a member of the U.S. Congress and, for 12 years, the 105th mayor of New York City.
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