Since Giuliani is back in the news, here's one short story...
New York's City Hall has a small park in front of it. For many years, since my first job down there in the '60's, I went there regularly to eat a sandwich and watch the street entertainers. Magicians, clowns, bongo players... All came around begging for dollars and you might smell a joint burning somewhere. It was a very mellow place, and when Ed Koch was mayor he used it well with ceremonies at City Hall steps at least once a week. And, of course, it was a place for the weekly, sometimes daily, demonstrations.
One of my fonder memories was Dolly Parton visiting and Koch giving her the "keys to the city". She squealed a little and then said "I love you, Mayor, and I love your city, so a brought some of my boys along" (or something like that) and sang an impromptu set right there on the steps. The crowd loved it.
Everything was cool there, even with lots of cops milling about, as one would expect at City Hall.
But, shortly after 9-11 I was shocked when I visited downtown and saw Giuliani had walled it with a strike force armed guard at every entrance. Instead of the symbol of New York's open arms and resilience that it had been for over a hundred years it was now a cowardly retreat where the citizens were banned.
I haven't been there in years, but I hope the walls have since been torn down.
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