Jeff may have blood in his hands if there is another zoo shooting next year

[Anonymous]

I don't understand any of this. My take:

This event attracts a bad crowd.

Mostly, the bad crowd is comprised of young black males.

That does not mean all AA are bad.

You would have to be crazy to take your kids that day knowing the history.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand any of this. My take:

This event attracts a bad crowd.

Mostly, the bad crowd is comprised of young black males.

That does not mean all AA are bad.

You would have to be crazy to take your kids that day knowing the history.

I had a conversation this evening with someone who was volunteering at the zoo on Monday. He pointed out that this year the zoo folks played down the AA aspects of the day and billed it as a "family day" rather than an "African American Family Day". That is supported by this page on the zoo's website:

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/activitiesandevents/celebrations/easter/

Which bills it as "EASTER MONDAY: A WASHINGTON FAMILY TRADITION".

The volunteer also told me that he was surprised that the crowd was not mostly AA, but heavily white.

[Anonymous]

The three dozen youths asked to leave were all black.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:The three dozen youths asked to leave were all black.

Perhaps. I don't know. But there were 20,000 people there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand any of this. My take:

This event attracts a bad crowd.

Mostly, the bad crowd is comprised of young black males.

That does not mean all AA are bad.

You would have to be crazy to take your kids that day knowing the history.

You consider a handful of gangbangers compared to the 20,000 non-violent people a bad crowd?

Feel free not to attend on Easter Monday, but don't speak for others. The violence is unfortunate, but, considering the long history of the event, it is not a day to fear going to the zoo. I personally would not go because I don't like being in large crowds.

[Anonymous]

Who has confirmed that Easter Monday at the Zoo is now mostly white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand any of this. My take:

This event attracts a bad crowd.

Mostly, the bad crowd is comprised of young black males.

That does not mean all AA are bad.

You would have to be crazy to take your kids that day knowing the history.

You consider a handful of gangbangers compared to the 20,000 non-violent people a bad crowd?

Feel free not to attend on Easter Monday, but don't speak for others. The violence is unfortunate, but, considering the long history of the event, it is not a day to fear going to the zoo. I personally would not go because I don't like being in large crowds.

So I guess "large crowds" are now the official excuse for those who say it is safe but can't be bothered to back up their opinion by actually showing up.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand any of this. My take:

This event attracts a bad crowd.

Mostly, the bad crowd is comprised of young black males.

That does not mean all AA are bad.

You would have to be crazy to take your kids that day knowing the history.

I had a conversation this evening with someone who was volunteering at the zoo on Monday. He pointed out that this year the zoo folks played down the AA aspects of the day and billed it as a "family day" rather than an "African American Family Day". That is supported by this page on the zoo's website:

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/activitiesandevents/celebrations/easter/

Which bills it as "EASTER MONDAY: A WASHINGTON FAMILY TRADITION".

The volunteer also told me that he was surprised that the crowd was not mostly AA, but heavily white.

Interesting. Clearly the Zoo has backpedaled. When I open the site I get this cached version . . .

Easter Monday: Celebrating the African American Family ...
nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/... Cached
Since 1891, Easter Monday at the National Zoo has been a historic tradition in the African American community. The National Zoo proudly commemorates this family ...

and the top of the page still reads : Home/ Events/ Celebrations/ African American Family Celebration

[Anonymous]

^^^Huh? I just opened it and it said exactly what Jeff reported. Mentioned nothing about anyone's race. It was billed as "Family Day."

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Interesting. Clearly the Zoo has backpedaled. When I open the site I get this cached version . . .

Easter Monday: Celebrating the African American Family ...
nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/... Cached
Since 1891, Easter Monday at the National Zoo has been a historic tradition in the African American community. The National Zoo proudly commemorates this family ...

and the top of the page still reads : Home/ Events/ Celebrations/ African American Family Celebration

Interesting indeed. I wonder when they changed it. Do you know the age of your cached version?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously OP - if you get your news from DCUM, I'm worried about you.

Agreed. (Np here.). However, as someone relatively new to DC, I had no idea the day after Easter was sometimes a violent day at the zoo. The news didn't report it. I learned about the Calvert bridge shooting on DCUM. A random comment about AA family day made me do a lot of googling. It took a lot of time to figure out what AA Family Day was, it's history (both good and bad), and determine that my family and I should skip the zoo yesterday. We were actually planning to go but thankfully I did some research. But I never would have know it was an unsafe day if I only watched the local news.

Thanks for sharing that perspective as someone new to DC. Do you think you'll go next year? What would you say to friends or relatives who might be in town?

No way. I will avoid the zoo for all of Spring Break and Easter. I'm not going to risk my life and the lives of my family to be politically correct. I will tell all friends, relatives, and tourists to stay far away. The community needs to end this crap now. Right now, tourists all over the US are telling their families and communities how violent DC is and how normal people can't even visit the zoo on a Spring day. We who live here know that's not accurate, but this is the reputation DC will get.

Let's not forget who pays for and operates the zoo. The federal government and the Smithsonian.. It is the National Zoo, where locals and tourists should feel welcome. It's not some private local hunting ground for a few screwed up DC gang bangers.

Thank you for bringing up this obvious yet so-far-ignored point. Time for the zoo to step up and either ensure safety or suspend the event until safety is guaranteed and the city can improve, not worsen, our image.

With the history of violence on this "event" it should be reassigned or cancelled. Why should the Easter Holiday be AA Day at the zoo in the first place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Latest zoo shooting update, borrowed from the other thread
http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/police-search-for-suspects-motive-in-shooting-outside-national-zoo/2014/04/22/725a0e2a-ca23-11e3-93eb-6c0037dde2ad_story.html

Thank you for posting this story. It sounds like there is increasing GUN VIOLENCE at the zoo around Easter. How is this acceptable? The event has gotten off track. I have lived in this area for 20+ years and never seen gun violence condoned in any government owned facility -- zoo, museum ect. Whatever the cause, it is not acceptable. The solution is to "go to the zoo another day?" to avoid a shooting?

[Anonymous]

As for the title of the thread, very unfair to Jeff who is only trying to put facts first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand any of this. My take:

This event attracts a bad crowd.

Mostly, the bad crowd is comprised of young black males.

That does not mean all AA are bad.

You would have to be crazy to take your kids that day knowing the history.

You consider a handful of gangbangers compared to the 20,000 non-violent people a bad crowd?

Feel free not to attend on Easter Monday, but don't speak for others. The violence is unfortunate, but, considering the long history of the event, it is not a day to fear going to the zoo. I personally would not go because I don't like being in large crowds.

So I guess "large crowds" are now the official excuse for those who say it is safe but can't be bothered to back up their opinion by actually showing up.

NP. I would not go to the mall on July 4 for the same reason. I don't like crowds. I took my kid to Disney on Christmas day. It was glorius. No long lines. No large crowds. I would not go to the National Zoo on Easter Monday due to the crowds. Some people don't like crowds, so get over yourself PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand any of this. My take:

This event attracts a bad crowd.

Mostly, the bad crowd is comprised of young black males.

That does not mean all AA are bad.

You would have to be crazy to take your kids that day knowing the history.

You consider a handful of gangbangers compared to the 20,000 non-violent people a bad crowd?

Feel free not to attend on Easter Monday, but don't speak for others. The violence is unfortunate, but, considering the long history of the event, it is not a day to fear going to the zoo. I personally would not go because I don't like being in large crowds.

So I guess "large crowds" are now the official excuse for those who say it is safe but can't be bothered to back up their opinion by actually showing up.

I have nothing to prove to DCUM folks. I'm black and have no fear of being around 20,000 of other black folks. BUT, I avoid large crowds and tend to get cranky as hell when I'm forced to endure them. Why would I intentionally put myself through that misery? If there was something special happening at the zoo (speakers, etc), I would make an effort to go.