Full disclosure: Hiram Monserrate is my state senator. I live near him.
I'm fond of Jeralyn Merritt. She was a major inspiration to me when I started blogging and provided support and encouragement.
When her friend, Joseph Tacopina defended New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate, she vigorously defended the presumption of innocence of Monserrate and rightfully so, but she also didn't brook (in the comments to this post as well) legitimate criticism of what may be the most disturbing action committed by Monserrate after the slashing of his girlfriend. Instead of taking her to Elmhurst Hospital center near his home, he drove the love of his life to a hospital outside of the city that took nearly 30 minutes travel time.
Let's put this in pictures. Monserrate lives in Jackson Heights on 83rd street, although I don't know his exact cross streets. For the sake of argument make it Northern Boulevard as that is the northern boundary of Jackson Heights. Here is a likely map of the route that Monserrate took to get to the hospital he actually took his girlfriend:
Here is the route to Elmhurst Hospital:
To repeat: the love of your life is bleeding from a wound near her eye that is so deep as to go to her skull. You don't call 911. You don't take her to the hospital less than a mile away in the district where you were city councilman and happens to have the only trauma center in Queens rated as a Trauma Center of Excellence. Instead you drive out of the city more than ten miles to a hospital where no one knows you because you were once treated there for kidney stones.
This doesn't just defy credibility; it tap dances on its skull and pulverizes it. He was trying to hide his act. It's time for the senate to cut him loose.
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