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Permalink Reply by Margy Meath on October 22, 2009 at 6:08pm

It seems that this issue of "defending people" comes up a LOT in what we hear about some of these shootings...... the shooting that involved Holmes and Sparrows (sp?) last summer was about 'defending' someone and 'protecting' someone and 'righting a wrong'...... That shooting also occurred in broad daylight and was the result of an earlier dispute. Interestingly, a LOT of people seemed to defend the shooter's behavior saying that he was 'defending' his family. Somehow, we live in a neighborhood where violence has become and acceptable response to being disrespected and/or a common way to resolve disputes, disagreements, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Sweetland on October 22, 2009 at 10:46pm

Yes, and excuse me, having a gun in your possession and using it to shoot someone, even if registered to you, should send you to prison! What kind of people are running around thinking they can just shoot people? There is no circumstance where that is acceptable.

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Permalink Reply by Marcy Lloyd on October 27, 2009 at 11:36pm

He doesn't have a gun and any defense/explanation would have been verbal. But from what closer insiders were telling me, it was anti-white racism and he was attempting to tell some people that they were out of line and didn't know what they were talking about. I tried to speak with him and he said he was walking by the bus stop and they came off a bus and then shot at him. There is undoubtedly more that he is not saying (like whether he actually recognized them and whether this was in retaliation for being "weak" and defending the white kids), which goes into a bigger issue of why victims buy into the ghetto mentality of not reporting the perps ("snitching").

And what kind of people are these who do this? Well, recognized that we have a widening cultural gulf - one side civilized, and the other outlaw, and the outlaw side respects few official laws, lives in suspicion, fear and hatred, and takes their "beefs" to the streets. Having no confidence in an emasculated and hog-tied legal system, they take matters into their own hands, and if they cannot do that, they attempt to appease by silence, which simply emboldens criminals, bringing on even more of the very things they fear. By refusing to identify attackers, we become scattered strangers, creating our own Haiti. This brutal system of anarchy allows other people to be injured and die, and then we weep at street corners and funerals and ask "why" when the fault broadly lies in personal cowardice and a lack of accountability. People claim to be "mad as hell", but never have the courage to unite and genuinely refuse to "take it any more," so they turn on each other. Regrettably, a well-though-out "anti-no snitch" attack has not been clarified and promoted through the media with any consistency, if at all.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Sweetland on October 27, 2009 at 11:50pm

This is informative, yet distressing. How do you propose we unite?

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Permalink Reply by Marcy Lloyd on October 28, 2009 at 12:05am

Actually, WE are the civilized side; the problem is how to reach the "outlaw" side. But the beginning of solving any problem is accurately identifying it, which I hope I made a good start on.

Actually, one big problem in the "outlaw" side is the broad lack of intact families with a father. When boys are brought up primarily by moms, no matter how loving, we are not male and cannot be what they need - a healthy male role model who is THERE, whom they can look up to, and who can teach them how to be a mature man who understands that compassion is not weakness. They personally feel weak and like no one can protect them (they've seen the things that happen to their moms), and so they seek someone who looks strong and who doesn't look afraid, to be that strong "father figure" for them, and we all know who THAT has been! They are in despair and denial.

So, part of our solution? Men. Real men with the courage of convictions who can teach and exemplify the difference between leader and dictator.

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Permalink Reply by Shawn on October 28, 2009 at 12:29am

Marcy, you hit the nail right on the head identifying the problem, and it's cause. I have never understood why so many black men leave their kids and families,(and which could be another whole topic on here). I'm not sure if your familiar with Teen Empowerment, they are a non-profit that just moved into our community on Genesee @ Arnett. They hire kids from the neighborhood, teach them the tools they need to help discover the social problems that they face on the streets, and empower them to create ways to tackle those issues.
I was at the opening of the center a few weeks ago, and heard some of the kids speak. It was inspiring, moving and gave me a small bit of hope. But like every program that works, there is never enough money and resources to help all the kids that need it. They are also a member of Location19
http://location19.ning.com/profile/CenterforTeenEmpowerment

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Permalink Reply by Hilary Homer on October 20, 2009 at 5:53pm

"I'd say this has gang written all over it. There's been a parade of colors on Thurston over the past few years... one replacing another. Maybe red's gone and we are on to black now?"

It could actually be important to have some of this information. When I lived in Los Angeles, everyone knew that stuff (thank you, Death Row Records), but obviously that won't help in Rochester.

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