INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
LUCAS WILLARD: And now for some local reaction to the alleged bomb threat at the Capitol, we're joined by WAMC's Sam Dingman, who was there today. Hi, Sam.
SAM DINGMAN: Hey, Lucas.
WILLARD: So I understand that you spent some time by the food trucks lined up outside the Capitol building today.
DINGMAN: Yeah, I have to say it was mostly, at least from what I could tell, business as usual. People did not seem to be terribly agitated, and in fact, a number of the folks that I talked to said while they were sort of rattled by the story, they were very grateful for the way law enforcement handled it. Case in point, I talked to a guy named Joe Gonzalez who works at Travelin Tom's Coffee Truck. Here's what he said:
JOE GONZALEZ: Oh yeah, it's you know great. It's it's good to know that that's happening as it ought to be happening, right? So you know, the good guys came out ahead, and that's the way things should should work.
DINGMAN: I also talked to a guy named Zach Slider. He works at the Alfred E. Smith Building. He said he was definitely shaken up by the story, but he said he's somebody who, again, appreciates the work law enforcement does. And then, notably, Lucas, he said, you know, heightened security comes with the territory of living here.
ZACH SLIDER: Being the capital of New York State, I do expect a higher level of security, and I have noticed that over the last year or so, increased state police presence and security within the concourse and the Empire State Plaza, but I think it's where it should be.
WILLARD: And Sam, did you hear anything from anyone down there today that actually surprised you, or maybe was something that you didn't expect to hear?
DINGMAN: Well, I wouldn't say this surprised me, Lucas. But what did surprise me is the number of times I heard this, and that is a bunch of people I spoke to who are skeptical of the federal government's narrative about the alleged perpetrator. One guy called the government's version of events "quote improbable" and said he suspects it's part of a broader effort to foment xenophobia.
This guy named Marlon Scott also said something I found pretty fascinating. He also thinks this incident is a pretext for something more nefarious on the part of the government. As we just heard from Zach, some people feel like the heightened security environment makes them feel safe. But for Marlin, it's a big part of what makes him doubt the government's version.
SCOTT: I mean, I mean, look at it. Look at it. I mean, you got cameras everywhere. You got drones in the sky. You got Flock cameras. You got police officers abusing Flock cameras, tracking the girlfriends and ex-wives, and it's just crazy. So I'm like, you just never know. You know, whatever they got planned, it's already been in the works for before we even notice it, so you never know. But like I was saying, just look around. You know what I mean.
WILLARD: And so, Sam, right now lawmakers are not at the Capitol. We're not inside of of session. But have you spoken with any state officials or any of the politicians that normally would work out of the Capitol building.
DINGMAN: I did. I talked to Assemblyman John T. McDonald of the 108th Assembly District, which includes Albany. McDonald is a Democrat, and he said the story upset him because he sees it as part of a broader series of incidents where politicians are being plotted against, and in the case of former Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, murdered. And he said he wants us to get back to a world where we can disagree, sometimes vigorously, without hating each other.
But Lucas, the thing he said that was interesting, I thought, is I asked him if there's any way to get out of this climate of violence, and he said he thinks politicians need to do some soul searching.
JOHN T. MCDONALD: I think we as elected officials, because we do have a lot of exposure to the public, whether it's in the community or yes, obviously on social media, which I think is spreading this a little bit more, and also regular news media...I think if we conducted ourselves with a little bit more decorum, we might might just make a difference. I know the governor takes it seriously, and I would certainly hope that the president could probably use a little bit more decorum, just like members on the far right and the far left. But there's also members in the middle. Sometimes we act out, and it's understandable because the passion can get to you. But just be mindful of the fact that, you know, your actions set examples.
WILLARD: And that's WAMC's Sam Dingman. Sam, thanks so much for sharing your reporting. I appreciate it.
DINGMAN: Thanks, Lucas.
