As I have placed my efforts into exploring the truth about the
US and the world its a part of, I've wondered who would care and would it
bring the attention from people who make the image of the American dream
the nightmare (for many who look like me) its been for hundreds of years.
I've read many released FBI
Counterintelligence documents that focus on infiltrating and disrupting
Black rights groups. The history for this is age old and can be traced
back to the "house nigger" syndrome, which is achieved by supplying
a benefit to someone who will be a covert disruptive asset. The FBI is
also well-known for activist surveillance and personal disruptive tactics
to create fear and intimidation.
I present this to you to ask the eternal question, when does the negative
forces of this country become interested in someone and what tactics would
they use?
When I began producing forums and installations in the heart of Times
Square NYC, I realized that someone might rather I place my efforts in
preaching only to the converted. I've had varied degrees of success in
gathering audiences for the indoor events. On the other hand, by the nature
of having an installation with audio to the street, you are reaching tens
of thousands daily. This is where I believe we would come onto someone's
radar.
Coincidence #1-Overeager camera bugs) When installing for a forum
(The Bridge #1 2003) a "family" (father, mother, teenager, baby
in carriage) walked by and snapped a picture. The element that made this
strange was that the "father" snapped the picture without anyone
in the family, including him, looking toward the window. All of them continued
to look straight forward. The person assisting me had also saw this, so
it wasn't just my overactive imagination.
Coincidence #2-Terror on the G
) During my Black
History installation February 2004, I was heading into the city. While
waiting for the "G" train I had an alarming experience. An overweight
white man circled the bench I was sitting on, doing some ridiculous rap
to himself with no headphones on, and all the while he was playing with
a knife with the blade half open. I kept my eye on him because I didn't
want this freak stabbing me in the back. He couldn't see me eyes because
I was wearing mirrored sunglasses. After circling me enough he snapped
the blade shut directly in front of me as if to make sure I was aware
he had it. I walked to the opposite end of the platform where others were
until the train came. When the train arrived I entered the rear of the
first car. He entered the front of the same sparsely filled car. He proceeded
walk past several empty seats to sit directly across from me. He continued
his "rapping," opened his bag and began digging through it.
He exclaimed "Ah!," as if he had finally found what he'd been
looking for. He pulled a case from his bag, opened it, revealed its contents
and looked directly into my eyes. It was a big-ass straight razor! (By
the way, there's no such thing as a small straight razor in a situation
such as this!) I quickly began to think how to get my bag in front of
me to block an attack. We then entered the next subway station, where
I exited the train. He never stopped looking at me from the time he took
out the razor until the train left the station...without me.
Coincidence #3-A question of Insanity
) A woman walked into my office
and told me a disturbed story about her father being responsible for shooting
JFK, how she thought I was the only person who could help her,
and how she needed me to believe her. She seemed more serious than two
heart attacks. It was cool that my coworker was in the room with us to
witness this. She went on for nearly 15 minutes before I could tell her
that I needed to get to work, but would make time to talk to her again
after the weekend on Mon. She stated, "that's too late," as
if she'd be dead by then. I followed with an offer to meet on Sun before
the window performance. She then asked, "How do I know that you're
not setting me up?" I said that I had no intention of setting her
up (turning her into the police or something). She only seemed extremely
disturbed, not a danger to anyone. She left and moments later a very calm
man came in asking a number of questions about the motives behind my activism.
The thing that was strange with him was being less then clear about where
he worked and was from when I inquired.
I have no idea whether any of these things are connected. I guess we'll
know 5 or 10 or 50 years from now.
In any case. Like Swan said in the movie The Warriors, when he was alerted
about being followed, he looked over at the people following him and said,
"Now they know I know it."
This doesn't mean I think there's someone behind every tree. Or, that
the many coincidences, of which I highlighted three, are anything more
than coincidence.
I just think we ALL should pay close(r) attention to the "coincidences"
in our lives.
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