Coming Home

When is a snub not a snub?

When it’s the function of a depraved mind.

For those who do not live in New York, the Empire State Building is an extension of every native New Yorker’s soul. It’s as much a part of our identity as Yankee Stadium, Central Park, The Brooklyn Bridge, Coney Island and Nathan’s Hot Dogs. When the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers were built in the 1970’s, they eclipsed the Grand Old Lady on 34th Street in size, but not in beauty, grandeur, or style. The iconic tower remained first in our hearts. So it was only proper that when we New Yorkers wished to honor people, it has been the Empire State Building that has been lit in the appropriate colors. The top of that building is New York’s megaphone to the world.

This blog has written twice, here and here, of manager Anthony Malkin’s refusal to honor Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s 100th birthday by lighting our spire in blue and white, the colors of the order she founded.

Yes, it’s OUR spire! Malkin has lost sight of that. The honors granted in lighting the Empire State Building have always reflected what we New Yorkers collectively value. In inimitable New York bold and brash, we shout who we are to all the world from the top of the most famous skyscraper in history.

Until recently.

The incredibly shrinking Malkin has forgotten that and co-opted the lighting to reflect his personal predilections; like lighting the tower in red and yellow in honor of Mao’s Chinese Communist Revolution (in which Mao murdered 77 million of his own people). Tiny Tony’s rationale for denying honors for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mother Teresa is that he will not recognize religious or political leaders.

Fair enough.

So last September’s red and yellow wasn’t recognition of Mao. It was the honoring of a revolution that wiped out 77 million humans, wiped out China’s intellectuals, instituted brutal slave labor for its citizens, instituted the one-child policy that has led to the selective abortions of hundreds of millions of baby girls and left an equal number of young men with no prospects for marriage. It wasn’t Mao who was honored. It was his brigades and their deadly work that were recognized.

Its a good thing Tiny Tony has cleared that up for us.

So why not light the building tomorrow tonight in blue and white? Not for Mother, but for her brigades of sisters who work to restore the human dignity shredded by the likes of Mao’s brigades? Tiny Tony has revealed through his building’s lighting department exactly the sort of man he is, exactly the sort of things he values. The words “warped” and “twisted” come to mind.

Sadly, the lighting of the Empire State Building no longer speaks for New Yorkers. It has become the plaything of a nasty iconoclast who values barbarity over decency and love.

Tomorrow night Tonight, look not to the Grande Dame of 34th Street, whose shame is as large as her visage. Look rather to the homes of New Yorkers who are being encouraged to display blue and white lights in our windows, and if your means allow, perhaps make a small donation to a food pantry or crisis pregnancy center in Mother’s honor.

New Yorker’s hearts are large, and we’ll yet demonstrate the best of what we value by honoring Mother with countless little acts performed with great love.