A New Years Eve Flashback

NMB, Florida December 31, 2001 A.H. Schectman

THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.

A NEW YEARS EVE FLASHBACK

I haven't thought of this for years. The occasion of yet another New Years
Eve made me think about how times have changed. The newspapers (our copy of
today's NY Times arrived early today) were filled with reminiscences of the
past year and a whole section was devoted to the role Rudy Guiliani played
in making New York City a viable place. His achievements were listed as a
low crime rate, increased confidence in the Police and universally, since
September 11, hero-worshipping of Firemen. The gist of this is of course to
get people to want to come and spend their money in New York City. The
President of our country would like this to happen and Rudy G. would like
this as a cap to his reign.

But, back in the mid-point of last century I spent a New Years Eve
celebration in Times Square in New York City. It was different then. There
was a lot of Red Baiting, Communist sympathizers demonstrating and the new
war in the East, The Korean "Police Action". The crowds attracted to
watching the ball on the Times building descend with the 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and
so on to zero to announce the end of the old and the start of the new were
in full swing. But so were the demonstrators who hid their signs protesting
what I can't remember until the police patrols passed. When they thought
that it was clear, they raised their signs and marched in a line. You must
remember this was in the midst of celebrating crowds of people who wanted to
signal the New Year with cheers as that ball descended. Then they would
depart the Square for parties and party the night away into the dawn of a
New Year.

Then again, it was different then. There were mounted police who from their
height on the backs of very large horses could see where the hidden signs
were. They vied with the people crushing in the square for space and tried
to get at the protesters to either disperse them or to arrest them. The
thing that I remember was wildness in the horses' eyes and the dogged
determination of the mounted policeman who brushed us aside into a building
in trying to get across the Square to bash the "un-American subversives" who
dared to protest. Then again, it was a different time.
Carol's Evaluation: 0.5 out of 10.