Comments on: Talking about, not to each other.

By: Waiting for the change

Waiting for the change — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:02:48 +0000

We recently bought a home in the Georgia Avenue/Petworth area…and since then we've had 2 vehicles (Scooters) stolen, and our car broken into…. It hasn't even been a 6 months and our “NEIGHBORS” have taken about $5000.00 and countless days of our lives away from us (not to mention our sense of security) . Should I be TOLERANT of this…of them…of BJ's f-ed up value system?!

Fine by me. I will start living a self-serving lifestyle with a blatant disregard for others. I will bully people with threats and if I see something I want, I am going to take it. I will lie and hate the system and guiltlessly exploit society. I will steal from you if I can get away with it. My kids will raise themselves, because I don't have time to be a father. I don't care about them, so they aren't my problem. Finally… I am buying a gun…and the next time I hear my window breaking…I am going to do some target practice.

I'm sorry that BJ came from a background where people had to carry the burden of poverty…and it is sad that black-culture's exploitative, predatory fronts offer them a sense of protection. Their defense is the burden however, and I will not carry it. I don't need to “Step correct” to make my way in a neighborhood… I just need to be respectful of people and I am allowed to expect that in return.

As soon as the ignorant 'have-nots' in my neighborhood stop stealing from me…and forcing me to live in fear. As soon as that happens, I will stop hating them and their sad, blighted culture.

]]>

By: Guest

Guest — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 21:08:33 +0000

It's always messy when two cultures come together. The clash takes people out of their comfort zones and stokes personal insecurities… Even something as simple as greeting protocols can leave people unsure of how to act. Faced with these difficult situations, too many people on both sides decide unconsciously that it's easier to ignore one another (which only makes it more uncomfortable and leads to confrontations). It's a lot easier to call the police anonymously than it is to walk outside and ask someone politely to turn down their music or their voices. But the consequences of doing what's easy only escalate the tensions.

Instead of arguing over who's right on a message board, we need to do what is within our control — which is to push ourselves to go outside of our comfort zones and deepen the lines of communication between ourselves and our neighbors (no matter where we come from)

]]>

By: Zack

Zack — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:34:31 +0000

You're right, it is an important conversation. And it's unfortunate that it was begun on a site that doesn't necessarily accomodate conversation. I like PoP (and, like you, respect it), and I'm not criticizing it. Good for him for raising an issue. But the majority of people that comment on that site talk at each other rather than converse. And when the issue is presented in this format, it does absolutely nothing to help the understanding of it. I would hope that the commenters on that site aren't necessarily indicative of the present state of this discussion … and from my personal experience they aren't. But it does give the wrong impression. (I thought about posting this comment over there, but, ya know, it would just get lost, I think).

]]>