Injustice In Our City, Runway 69,
More On Hoohahs & Faux Pas

IN MEMORIUM: I feel the need to add my voice to the thousands that are crying out mourning the death of innocent black men at the hands of New York police. No, this is not anti-police; this is anti-death. This is anti-death based on race. This is anti-racism. This is against the racist culture and perhaps training that is possibly a part of the NYPD and a contributory factor to the slaying and mistreatment of minorities in our city.

As much as anything else, this is against a Mayor who has done a remarkably good job at reducing crime and dramatically improving the quality of life in New York while demonstrating total insensitivity to its citizens of color.

The legacy of Rudy Giuliani as Mayor of New York City will be written in the next few moments of history. He can be remembered as the "law and order" Mayor who continues to defend his police even when it is evident that their actions are clearly unjust. Or, this Mayor can take a deep breath and smell the stink coming from 1 Police Plaza, emanating from the tragic deaths of Amadou Diallo and Patrick Dorismond and spread by the everyday mistreatment of thousands of minorities by a Police Department that is inadequately trained and sensitized to effectively preserve peace in our ethnically diverse city.

The Mayor has the ability to recognize that this is not a city of equality for all. He still has the time to sit down with the minority community, to call for an impartial study of training and attitude in the NYPD, to be a leader in uniting and not dividing our city.

We have witnessed seven years of Rudy Giuliani at the head of our city. We have applauded the job he has done. But very sadly, we can’t remember a single time he acknowledged being wrong or being divisive. We can’t recall Rudy suggesting that the Police are not perfect or that the police do not treat African Americans as well as whites.

Yes, many police officers have color meters. The darker you are the quicker they shoot. Minorities get hassled. Is it training? Is it statistics? Is it insensitivity? Or, is it part of the NYPD culture? We do not know the answer.

We do know, that Rudy Giuliani could change his legacy by finding the answer and correcting it.

NEIGHBORLY: It’s not exactly the same fuzzy feeling expressed by Mr. Rogers or the Sesame Street crowd about their neighbors, but insiders tell us that police brass "downtown" have sent a message to cops at the Queens Internal Affairs Division and a unit of the Applicant Investigation Division – their new neighbors are out of touch.

The brass are talking about the notorious Runway 69 – the "adult nude club" that just opened at 30-30 Northern Blvd., next door to a building at 29-76 Northern Blvd., home to the police units.

You may remember Runway 69 as the nude club that was chased off Queens Boulevard in 1994. Irate locals protested the appearance of the joint nightly, until the club’s "exotic" dancers were forced to pack their tassels and gyrate elsewhere.

Insiders tell us that word came down from the top of police headquarters that Runway 69 is off-limits to cops – all cops, as a source of entertainment, that is.

Hmmm!

CBS Hoohah Bob Schieffer on the CBS website where he wrote: It may not have made your local newspaper, but there was a little hoo-haa in the New York Senate race . . . Hoo-haa, you say Bob? It’s "hoohah," look it up!

HOOHAH! Former Trib scribe and present special hoohah to the Queens Borough Prez, Eric Robinson has always been an eagle-eyed proofreader. Robinson, a reader of this column, has accepted our word "hoohah" as part of the Queens’ language. We expect it to take a few more moments before the Webster folks jump aboard the hoohah train. However, although our readership takes every opportunity to point out every faux pas we make (even when they don’t exist), no one has ever taken issue with our very own word — hoohah. As a matter of fact, our readers have frequently adopted the word and we’ve watched hoohah spread throughout Queens.

We started using it around the office more than a year ago. Lot’s of the staff hoohahs picked it up. They were hoohahing all over the place.

When we resumed our weekly column, we used it in writing as we used it in speech. Occasionally, the noun can change forms — be careful. Someday we’ll share with you a variety of the acceptable modern day variants.

The word is yours to use. We share it with all.

However, eagle-eyed Robinson did e-mail us a link to the CBS news website and a column by their senior correspondent Bob Schieffer (http://cbsnews.cbs.com/now/story /0,1597,173783-412,00.shtml). Now, I’ve met this Schieffer guy. I’ve seen him on TV. He seems bright, articulate and accurate. And certainly we welcome his free and creative use of the word hoohah.

Schieffer wrote, "It may not have made your local newspaper, but there was a little hoo-haa in the New York Senate race first reported by The New York Times that deserves wider notice."

Scheiffer was using the not uncommon meaning of hoohah: commotion. The use comes from "brouhaha" a noun meaning hubbub or uproar. It was first used in English in 1890 and is borrowed from medieval French theatre: the cry of the devil disguised as clergy. Its root can likely be traced back to the Hebrew banukh habba: blessed be the one who comes; and the Italian barruccaba: confusion and disorder.

Huhbbub: confused noise, hue and cry, was first used in 1555 and is from the Irish word whobub with the same meaning. Its Gaelic roots according to Barnhart’s Dictionary of Etymology can be traced back to ub! ubub! – an expression of contempt.

Isn’t it remarkable; you can explain everything.

Our issue with Schieffer however, is the spelling of the word. Since modern day usage of "hoohah" began in a building on the service road of the LIE in 1998, we’d like to know how did it travel to the nation’s capital, where we met Schieffer and where his broadcasts emanate from? And, is the alternate spelling a southern influence?

If you’ve encountered a "hoohah," let us know.

We can be reached online at Mschenkler@queesntribune.com.

GAS: I don’t understand the uproar over gas prices, I just put $20 worth into my car and it didn’t cost any more than it usually does.

Received online: You think a gallon of gasoline is expensive?

Diet Snapple, 16oz @$1.29 is $10.32 gallon . . . Lipton Ice Tea, 16oz @$1.19 is $9.52 gallon . . .Gatorade, 20oz @$1.59 is $10.17 gallon . . . Ocean Spray 16oz @$1.25 is $ 10.00 gallon . . . Pint of milk 16oz @$1.59 is $12.72 gallon . . . Vick’s Nyquil 6oz @$8.35 is $178.13 gallon . . . Pepto Bismol 4oz @$3.85 is $123.20 gallon . . . Whiteout 7oz @$1.39 is $25.42 gallon . . . Scope 1.5oz for $0.99 equals $ 84.48 gallon . . . And this is the REAL KICKER: Evian water 9oz @$1.49 is $ 21.19 gallon . . . $21.19 FOR WATER!!

Technology is a wonderful thing. The gas pumps of today can pump $25 in the same amount of time it took just to pump $12.50 last year.

FILL OUT THE SURVEY: Look at the next page! That’s a Tribune Reader Survey. It helps us understand who you are and what you like. It helps us with our marketing. You can even win prizes. We’re giving out loads of movie tickets, theater tickets and dinners for two.

It’ll cost you 5 minutes, an envelope and a thirty-three cent stamp.

Okay, I do have an ulterior motive. You see, not only do I want you to fill out the survey; I’m counting on the fact that you’re going to circle "Not 4 Publication" as one of the things you like in the Trib.

We writers need that positive reinforcement. I figure if I direct you there, you’ll remember me: Not 4 Publication.com.

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Liz Goff contributed to this column

Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

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