And you’re calling New Yorkers rude?

I couldn’t help but laugh as I read Santino Carnevale’s letter bashing New York City (“New York? Give me a break” Nov. 14, page 10). First off, let me just mention that for someone who thinks New Yorker’s are so arrogant and rude, isn’t it ironic how he is the one to write the article bashing people? I don’t recall ever seeing an article written by a New Yorker in the DFP that shows such hatred towards others. I’ll write this letter in a way that won’t make me the first. Now, it is important to note that half of Mr. Carnevale’s arguments are based on pointless topics, like bagels and Al Franken. Excuse me if I don’t bother to address them. (And yes, despite popular belief, “excuse me” is in many New Yorker’s vocabulary.) So instead, I will focus on the one or two points of his that actually have some importance. Well… I can’t actually find any so I’ll just counter some of his random ramblings. About bootleg videos, whether or not you spend money to obtain a bootleg or download it online, it is still piracy. It would be hypocritical to single out NYC for this, especially when we are all sitting minutes away from Boston Chinatown, which, believe it or not, has its fair share of bootlegging. Concerning the fact that NYC bars don’t have a 2am curfew, I fail to see any problem with this. Bars being open all night is not the cause of what Mr. Carnevale calls the “I-just-slept-with-someone-and-I’m-not-sure-of-their-gender-drunk” problem. Closing bars will not stop people from getting that drunk. But I know what will! Why don’t we ban alcohol altogether? It worked so well in the past. The point is that the booze doesn’t stop flowing after bars close because, in any given city, bars aren’t the only way to get alcohol. If a person likes to get completely wasted, then they will whether or not bars are open. Additionally, Mr. Carnevale says that he loves Providence and Boston, his two homes, and would take either over “crime-ridden, drug-infested New York City.” Perhaps he needs to do some research. In a national poll of the most dangerous U.S. cities, Providence came in at 38th, Boston at 63rd and NYC at 133rd. And let’s take a look at the violent crimes rate (per 100,000 people): Boston, ranked 33, has a rate of 1282.6; NYC, ranked 77, has a rate of 977.8, and not too far behind is Providence, ranked 129th with 737.8. So it’s not fair to call New York crime-ridden when Boston is worse. And if you’re wondering if my information is reliable, it comes from a little source called the FBI. After reading the article, I was left wondering exactly how many times Mr. Carnevale has actually been to New York City. And I don’t just mean Manhattan. The other four boroughs need to be thought about before a person can make stereotypes about us New Yorkers. I, personally, have been to Providence more than a few times in the last 3 or 4 years. From what I saw, I know the reason why Mr. Carnevale doesn’t brag about his home city, and it’s not because he’s humble. There’s a reason why New Yorkers have pride in their city. There’s a reason why NYC has been called the Capital of the World, and not just by New Yorkers. There’s a reason why NYC is such an exciting place, as well as one of the largest tourist cities in the world. Most people who hate New York are too blind to see this reason, making them the obnoxious, and dare I say hypocritical, ones. Maybe one day they will stop being so discriminatory. I doubt it though, as long as there are people like Mr. Carnevale.

Nicholas Borhi SMG ’05