Video: What’s wrong with New York City?

New York City’s Washington Square Park has been in the news for its rampant drug use, partying, and cops alternating between doing nothing and clamping down like riot police.

I live around the corner and have gone there daily without fail for over a year to pick up litter, forming relationships with some of the dealers and users. Mostly to perform what I consider a civic duty and what any member of a community would do. As best I can tell, I’m the only person who picks up litter, in contrast to the 75 percent at least who bring packaging that will become litter or contribute to overflowing trash cans whose contents spill out and become litter.

I took pictures of my neighborhood and the park this morning and commented on them, along with newspaper articles for context, in the video below. I consider it one of my most important works. Everything builds to some points at the end, which connects to where you live too.

Please share on your social media (here’s the direct link: https://youtu.be/agVosBLdIVI). Please contact me when you’re ready to take responsibility and act, not just watch and imagine individual action doesn’t matter or that only governments and corporations can make a difference.