Little Italy to Trump: You are Still a Loser
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Early Thursday morning, someone hung up a banner with a message to President Elect Donald Trump, on the fire escape of 226 Elizabeth St. in Little Italy.
The banner reads: “Ya may have won, but you are still a loser,” referring to the “I’m a winner” mantra that the Republican candidate ran on throughout the primaries and his presidential campaign. The banner hangs right above the UNIS clothing store, but the employee working inside said that the company was not responsible for the message, and that he had no idea where it came from.
While the banner’s author remains a mystery, so to does the idea of “winning” ( as of yet, Trump has not won the popular vote.)
Winning was the keyword of Trump’s campaign message, and if that sounds familiar, it should – winning was the exact same alpha-male slogan used by celebrity bad-boy Charlie Sheen during his meltdown back in 2011. Sheen gathered millions of likes and follows on social media for making a public spectacle out of himself. At that time, it appeared that Sheen was actually winning – simply by proclaiming himself a “winner.” But even Charlie Sheen later admitted that he was really losing, and that, in reality, he was just riding a gigantic wave of manic depression brought on by the sudden realization of his own mortality.
On Wednesday afternoon, the day after the election, a woman stood outside of the same building where the banner hangs, greeting strangers on the sidewalk with a large batch of fresh baked cookies and brownies. Even though she never mentioned Trump, nor gave a specific reason for her generosity, it was obvious what she was doing, Still, I inquired why she thought people would suddenly accept “candy from strangers.” The woman replied that she just felt like people out here needed some comfort today. Other pedestrians stopped as well – still too shell-shocked for political discussion, they just enjoyed the tasty treats, thankful for someone to share their grief with.
As I walked off, chomping away on two warm cookies stuck together, I suddenly felt guilty, then it occurred to me that there was a slight hint of shame in the eyes of that “cookie lady”, as if she had done something wrong and was trying to make up for it. After all, many New Yorkers awoke the day after with an odd feeling of embarrassment rather than anger.
About the Author: Eddie Panta is an artist, screenwriter, and event coordinator volunteer at Friends of Elizabeth Street Garden.
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