Attack on GDS student today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's offensive in part because there's no evidence that the muggers had any connection with Wilson or the Metro. And your benign reading is disingenuous because the target/attractor was associated with GDS (which was NOT identified as part of the "problem.")

It's one thing to say that in an affluent and busy part of town with lots of HS kids who are easy marks (and likely to be carrying expensive electronics), there are going to be street crimes. But that's not at all what the other post said or suggested. Its logic was this is a nice neighborhood whose safety is threatened by outsiders who are brought in by public transportation and a public HS. This is why the BUILD A WALL retort was on point.

Build-a-wall commenter here. Above is exactly what I was trying to say. None of the NW independent schools need to look very far to find examples of criminal or "shady" behavior within their ranks. Pinning this issue on the brown children at Wilson (even in coded language) is the height of hypocrisy.

I appreciate the reasonable responses, but I still don't quite understand. Hoping you will follow up.

1. Are you saying the word "shady" is offensive, or not?

2. It sounds like we all agree that the presence of a Metro station and a big high school can lead to more crime in an area (sometimes because the students are easy victims, and sometimes because teens are prone to doing stupid stuff). So is what you found offensive the idea that those were getting blamed without hard proof? Or something else? Is it your assumption that the post had to be a veiled reference to "outsiders"? I don't see how that's controversial for the Metro at least, because there's lots of data showing Metro is often used by criminals to travel to places where they want to commit crimes, and that crimes are higher around Metro stops. Maybe for the high school I can see your point. Or are you saying you read it as a big racial broadside against anyone who's not white? I didn't get that from the post (which wasn't mine), so I'm curious why you do.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP for taking 30 seconds to Google. Because the GDS dogwhistle defender may not take the few seconds to click on the link and scroll down:

7. “Shady” or “Sketchy”

Both terms have long referred to neighborhoods with heavily black or brown populations, promoting the stereotype that these communities are inherently unsafe and unwelcoming because of high crime and because of the area’s racial makeup.

The recently launched SketchFactor app was created by an all-white team of entrepreneurs to help users avoid “sketchy” or “bad” neighborhoods. But in reality, it’s a tool to enable racial profiling.

The terms also refer to black individuals who, judging solely by their appearance, may be untrustworthy or violent, perpetuating nasty racial stereotypes that black people and minorities only want to steal from or attack white people.

In the case of “shady,” there’s a direct tie to darker skin color as an inherent characteristic that merits skepticism.

That very logic is a large part of what makes racially coded language so problematic, especially as it’s framed against black people. Before anyone ever really knows the full story, all it takes is a nudge, an image, or a sound of blackness for most people to make negative snap judgments.

"Genuinely curious" people would typically google this sort of thing for themselves, but since you asked...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re "shady"

http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/11/racially-coded-phrases-black-people/

"Genuinely curious" people would typically google this sort of thing for themselves, but since you asked...

Thanks for posting that (minus the snotty quote marks). I'd never heard of "shady" or "sketchy" as being viewed as racially loaded. I just did a search for the histroy of the words, and nothing racial popped up. But I'll avoid ever using them in the future, if only so I'm not misunderstood or don't inadvertently offend anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP for taking 30 seconds to Google. Because the GDS dogwhistle defender may not take the few seconds to click on the link and scroll down:

Screw you. I asked a few reasonable questions. Sounds like you're more interested in spreading hate. Jerk.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I take an hour-long walk around that AU/Tenley Town neighborhood up to three times, as I wait for my GDS student to finish up their afterschool sports and activities. I have never felt unsafe.

It is an urban area, and as with any urban area here or abroad, you should always be alert to and aware of your surroundings. For me, that means I do not wear ear buds, and always I keep my eyes focused on my walk instead of my phone screen.

If I feel unsafe for any reason, I have no issue with turning around, speeding up my pace, or crossing the street to be closer to another person or a house. But I have never had even a single incident where I felt unsafe in that neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shame on you for inferring that students at Wilson are "shadier." Racist much?

Honey, the word you are looking for is "implying," not inferring.

PP implies, you infer. And in this case, I believe, you have over-inferred.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on you for inferring that students at Wilson are "shadier." Racist much?

Honey, the word you are looking for is "implying," not inferring.

PP implies, you infer. And in this case, I believe, you have over-inferred.

You must be the fun one in your social circle.

[Anonymous]

Haters gonna hate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP for taking 30 seconds to Google. Because the GDS dogwhistle defender may not take the few seconds to click on the link and scroll down:

Screw you. I asked a few reasonable questions. Sounds like you're more interested in spreading hate. Jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I take an hour-long walk around that AU/Tenley Town neighborhood up to three times, as I wait for my GDS student to finish up their afterschool sports and activities. I have never felt unsafe.

It is an urban area, and as with any urban area here or abroad, you should always be alert to and aware of your surroundings. For me, that means I do not wear ear buds, and always I keep my eyes focused on my walk instead of my phone screen.

If I feel unsafe for any reason, I have no issue with turning around, speeding up my pace, or crossing the street to be closer to another person or a house. But I have never had even a single incident where I felt unsafe in that neighborhood.

The Tenelytown and American University neighborhood where GDS is located is really no different than any metro-accessible neighborhood located in any other part of NW DC. Generally speaking these are very safe neighborhoods, but as with any urban neighborhood, you have to be attentive to your surroundings. Crimes do happen, and I am certain that Janney, GDS, Mann, Wilson, Sidwell, STA/NCS, Burke, Maret, WIS, among others, have all - at one time or another - had a student who has experienced a crime like a mugging. Students should generally be told to walk with a friend, tell someone where they are going, take out their ear buds, put away their smart phones and computers, and close up their bags and pockets when they travel around the city. Ultimately, you cannot protect your children from growing into young adults, and learning that crime is unfortunately a part of life. But you can teach them certain smart and attentive behavior that makes it less likely that they will be victimized.

[Anonymous]

NP:

"Yes but it's a very nice, safe neighbirhood. AU Park. The probem is the nearby DCPS Wilson high school and the close by Metro Station in Tenleytown. Both bring in a shadier element."

Here is another reason why PPs view this statement as racist:

AU park is a nice, safe neighborhood.
DCPS Wilson ...bring[s] in a shadier element.

You say the "shadier element" is the element at Wilson that is "brought in," as in, not from the "nice neighborhood."

Nearly all of the white students at Wilson live in the boundary neighborhoods. So whether you knew it or not, or intended it or not, to anyone familiar with DCPS, your post very clearly reads as referring to non-white students (which after all, is 75% of the school population), and you called them "shadier" drawing a comparison to the neighborhood kids, who are majority white.

So you may have offended the parents of well over 1000 Wilson students.

[Anonymous]

Actually, Genuinely Curious has said she is not affiliated with GDS. I'm the poster who first questioned the use of the term shadier, who later explained why the original post was offensive, and who provided the link to a discussion of why shady is seen as racially coded term. I am the parent of a GDS HS student. Don't assume posters on one side or the other are GDS parents (or that all GDS posters would be on the same side).

[Anonymous]

I don't see the wisdom of moving the lower and middle school students from a more suburban neighborhood to the high school location.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I take an hour-long walk around that AU/Tenley Town neighborhood up to three times, as I wait for my GDS student to finish up their afterschool sports and activities. I have never felt unsafe.

It is an urban area, and as with any urban area here or abroad, you should always be alert to and aware of your surroundings. For me, that means I do not wear ear buds, and always I keep my eyes focused on my walk instead of my phone screen.

If I feel unsafe for any reason, I have no issue with turning around, speeding up my pace, or crossing the street to be closer to another person or a house. But I have never had even a single incident where I felt unsafe in that neighborhood.

The Tenelytown and American University neighborhood where GDS is located is really no different than any metro-accessible neighborhood located in any other part of NW DC. Generally speaking these are very safe neighborhoods, but as with any urban neighborhood, you have to be attentive to your surroundings. Crimes do happen, and I am certain that Janney, GDS, Mann, Wilson, Sidwell, STA/NCS, Burke, Maret, WIS, among others, have all - at one time or another - had a student who has experienced a crime like a mugging. Students should generally be told to walk with a friend, tell someone where they are going, take out their ear buds, put away their smart phones and computers, and close up their bags and pockets when they travel around the city. Ultimately, you cannot protect your children from growing into young adults, and learning that crime is unfortunately a part of life. But you can teach them certain smart and attentive behavior that makes it less likely that they will be victimized.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP. It's an anonymous forum, but my gut says you are telling the truth about your affiliation with GDS and Genuinely Curious is not. If my gut is right, your second point is good.

Anonymous wrote:Actually, Genuinely Curious has said she is not affiliated with GDS. I'm the poster who first questioned the use of the term shadier, who later explained why the original post was offensive, and who provided the link to a discussion of why shady is seen as racially coded term. I am the parent of a GDS HS student. Don't assume posters on one side or the other are GDS parents (or that all GDS posters would be on the same side).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the wisdom of moving the lower and middle school students from a more suburban neighborhood to the high school location.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I take an hour-long walk around that AU/Tenley Town neighborhood up to three times, as I wait for my GDS student to finish up their afterschool sports and activities. I have never felt unsafe.

It is an urban area, and as with any urban area here or abroad, you should always be alert to and aware of your surroundings. For me, that means I do not wear ear buds, and always I keep my eyes focused on my walk instead of my phone screen.

If I feel unsafe for any reason, I have no issue with turning around, speeding up my pace, or crossing the street to be closer to another person or a house. But I have never had even a single incident where I felt unsafe in that neighborhood.

The Tenelytown and American University neighborhood where GDS is located is really no different than any metro-accessible neighborhood located in any other part of NW DC. Generally speaking these are very safe neighborhoods, but as with any urban neighborhood, you have to be attentive to your surroundings. Crimes do happen, and I am certain that Janney, GDS, Mann, Wilson, Sidwell, STA/NCS, Burke, Maret, WIS, among others, have all - at one time or another - had a student who has experienced a crime like a mugging. Students should generally be told to walk with a friend, tell someone where they are going, take out their ear buds, put away their smart phones and computers, and close up their bags and pockets when they travel around the city. Ultimately, you cannot protect your children from growing into young adults, and learning that crime is unfortunately a part of life. But you can teach them certain smart and attentive behavior that makes it less likely that they will be victimized.

I can tell you as the parent of a GDS student that Tenleytown/AU is not a dangerous neighborhood, it is simply an urban neighborhood. When you live in a large urban area, you will interact with every walk of life, and unfortunately crime can be found anywhere.

And frankly, I am attentive to my surroundings when walking anywhere, urban, suburban, or rural; domestic or foreign; city, country, coastal, or woods. I do not leave my house in the suburbs unlocked, just as I did not leave my apartment in the city unlocked when I lived there, and just as I don't leave a cabin in the woods unlocked when I stay at a National Park.

[Anonymous]

I guess GDS needs another two or three days of classes canceled.