Anonymous wrote:really kids wear ski masks? i've never seen that.

Rarely, but if they are it's almost always one of two things: a) they're doing it for the same reason we used to wear mohawks and combat boots; or b) they're going to rob someone. And 'a' is only transgressive because of 'b'.

really kids wear ski masks? i've never seen that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see you have your finger on the pulse of the youth demographic.

Yes, I'm sure you have a compelling counter-theory of why all the teens in my neighborhood have Lil Wayne hairdos, pants falling off their asses, and hoodies and ski masks. Nothing to do with popular culture. Such a coincidence that they've established all of the exact same cultural tropes independently of that gangster shit.

If you don't want to be mistaken for a criminal, start by not dressing like a criminal.

Lil Wayne hairdos? Seriously do you think he invented braids?

Popular culture <>criminal culture.

Ah, yes I remember all the medium length Bo Derek hairdos and flat-lidded baseball caps all the youths were wearing in the 70s and 80s.

You can pretend the influences are not what they are all day long. But at the end of the day, listening to music that glorifies violence, and dressing in the exact same manner as the thugs depicted in violent popular culture is going to have repercussions.

When you carefully tailor your outfit to look like a criminal, there's a non-trivial chance you may be mistaken for a criminal. And it has absolutely nothing to do with racism and everything to do with making poor choices.

If there are numbers of people in your neighborhood dressing like the Guy Fawks character from "V for Vendetta" and you decide, "Hey I really like that movie, I'm going to dress up just like him and all these terrorists because they're cool" you're goingto catch a lot of shit. For good reason. And anyone who doesn't understand that is someone who is trying very hard not to understand it.

These are liberal Dems responding. They don't believe in personal responsibility. Rights without responsibilities is the battle cry

Really. I have a right to own a gun, without any training whatsoever. But if I wear a ski mask, I am irresponsible.

Anonymous wrote:
Sure, but having expectations for perfection from the get-go are not realistic. Moreover, it's still not clear to me why someone wearing a ski mask in the winter is probable cause to "say something."

Of course you can't expect perfection from the get-go, but you have to start someplace. I don't understand why you would criticize someone for trying to lower crime in their neighborhood. About the ski masks, I guess I'm suffering from some sort of culture shock. I grew up in a part of the US that actually had cold weather, so I know what cold weather is. This winter, I haven't even worn an insulated jacket. Most days, I don't wear a coat at all. I can't understand why anyone would need to wear a ski mask on a normal day in DC this winter. I follow the DC police on Twitter. Almost every day there is a robbery in which the assailant is wearing a ski mask. Perhaps you are not aware of how common this has become. But, to me, the lack of a weather-related need for a ski mask and the connection of ski masks to robberies would absolutely cause me to view someone wearing a ski mask as suspicious. On the other hand, I don't recall seeing a single person in my neighborhood wearing a ski mask. Ever. So, I guess I am not familiar with this becoming part of youth culture. If I was used to seeing the neighborhood kids wearing ski masks regardless of the temperature, maybe I would have a different attitude. But, it is still true that a lot of robberies have been committed by assailants wearing ski masks. That much is clear.

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anyway, I think it's VERY odd that people would move into a neighborhood, knowing what the crime statistics look like, and then act indignantly when it happens. So, yeah, if crime is a problem when you buy the house, that's the norm. The fact that you decide to grace the neighborhood with your eminent presence (oh, thanks be to God!) isn't really relevant.

This sort of sounds like you are saying that there are neighborhoods in which crime should just be accepted. Crime is not like an airport that you shouldn't move close to if you don't like planes flying over you. Crime is something that can and should be reduced, regardless of whether the neighborhood's inhabitants are newcomers or long-time residents.

Sure, but having expectations for perfection from the get-go are not realistic. Moreover, it's still not clear to me why someone wearing a ski mask in the winter is probable cause to "say something."

OTOH it doesn't makeuch sense to move I to a neighborhood where you fear or distrust the average resident based on their choice of dress.

Anonymous wrote:
Anyway, I think it's VERY odd that people would move into a neighborhood, knowing what the crime statistics look like, and then act indignantly when it happens. So, yeah, if crime is a problem when you buy the house, that's the norm. The fact that you decide to grace the neighborhood with your eminent presence (oh, thanks be to God!) isn't really relevant.

This sort of sounds like you are saying that there are neighborhoods in which crime should just be accepted. Crime is not like an airport that you shouldn't move close to if you don't like planes flying over you. Crime is something that can and should be reduced, regardless of whether the neighborhood's inhabitants are newcomers or long-time residents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The argument presented was that calling 911 when you see a group of 3 ski-mask wearing people walking down your street is a form of racist profiling. Why? Not sure, presumably because the only people wearing ski-masks and wandering around the Hill are young black kids.

And to clear up your confusion, yes, I am saying that (on Capitol Hill at least) it is only people of a particular race that are wearing ski masks.

So, this really isn't about ski masks, rather about people who bought in gentrifying neighborhoods now regretting their decisions. Got it.

Hmm, seems you still don't get it. No regrets here--in fact, the police have been very responsive when I call. It's odd, though that you somehow think violent street crime is somehow normal, and that its victims have somehow brought it upon themselves. Certainly says a lot about the sort of person you are.

I thought we were talking about property crime. Are you moving the goal posts? What violent crime?

Anyway, I think it's VERY odd that people would move into a neighborhood, knowing what the crime statistics look like, and then act indignantly when it happens. So, yeah, if crime is a problem when you buy the house, that's the norm. The fact that you decide to grace the neighborhood with your eminent presence (oh, thanks be to God!) isn't really relevant.

The fact that you resorted to an ad-hominen attack actually says a lot more about you than it does about me.

What about a muslim veil that only shows eyes?

Anonymous wrote:So when it's really cold, I wear a ski mask during my morning runs at 5 am. So I should be worried that someone might shot me b/c you will mistake me for a robber?

Doubtful. Because then you'd be wearing running clothes. If you were hanging out in my alley with two of your friends wearing ski masks and hoodies, you would get a visit from a squad car. As MPD often says, "If you see something, say something."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see you have your finger on the pulse of the youth demographic.

Yes, I'm sure you have a compelling counter-theory of why all the teens in my neighborhood have Lil Wayne hairdos, pants falling off their asses, and hoodies and ski masks. Nothing to do with popular culture. Such a coincidence that they've established all of the exact same cultural tropes independently of that gangster shit.

If you don't want to be mistaken for a criminal, start by not dressing like a criminal.

Lil Wayne hairdos? Seriously do you think he invented braids?

Popular culture <>criminal culture.

Ah, yes I remember all the medium length Bo Derek hairdos and flat-lidded baseball caps all the youths were wearing in the 70s and 80s.

You can pretend the influences are not what they are all day long. But at the end of the day, listening to music that glorifies violence, and dressing in the exact same manner as the thugs depicted in violent popular culture is going to have repercussions.

When you carefully tailor your outfit to look like a criminal, there's a non-trivial chance you may be mistaken for a criminal. And it has absolutely nothing to do with racism and everything to do with making poor choices.

If there are numbers of people in your neighborhood dressing like the Guy Fawks character from "V for Vendetta" and you decide, "Hey I really like that movie, I'm going to dress up just like him and all these terrorists because they're cool" you're goingto catch a lot of shit. For good reason. And anyone who doesn't understand that is someone who is trying very hard not to understand it.

These are liberal Dems responding. They don't believe in personal responsibility. Rights without responsibilities is the battle cry

So when it's really cold, I wear a ski mask during my morning runs at 5 am. So I should be worried that someone might shot me b/c you will mistake me for a robber?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The argument presented was that calling 911 when you see a group of 3 ski-mask wearing people walking down your street is a form of racist profiling. Why? Not sure, presumably because the only people wearing ski-masks and wandering around the Hill are young black kids.

And to clear up your confusion, yes, I am saying that (on Capitol Hill at least) it is only people of a particular race that are wearing ski masks.

So, this really isn't about ski masks, rather about people who bought in gentrifying neighborhoods now regretting their decisions. Got it.

This doesn't even make any sense. Crime has gone down significantly since the neighborhoods on east Cap Hill and around H Steet have gentrified. Largely this is because we actually call the cops when we see people engaged in suspicious behavior. And my house value has gone up 75% in six years. Why would I have any regrets?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The argument presented was that calling 911 when you see a group of 3 ski-mask wearing people walking down your street is a form of racist profiling. Why? Not sure, presumably because the only people wearing ski-masks and wandering around the Hill are young black kids.

And to clear up your confusion, yes, I am saying that (on Capitol Hill at least) it is only people of a particular race that are wearing ski masks.

So, this really isn't about ski masks, rather about people who bought in gentrifying neighborhoods now regretting their decisions. Got it.

Hmm, seems you still don't get it. No regrets here--in fact, the police have been very responsive when I call. It's odd, though that you somehow think violent street crime is somehow normal, and that its victims have somehow brought it upon themselves. Certainly says a lot about the sort of person you are.

Anonymous wrote:The argument presented was that calling 911 when you see a group of 3 ski-mask wearing people walking down your street is a form of racist profiling. Why? Not sure, presumably because the only people wearing ski-masks and wandering around the Hill are young black kids.

And to clear up your confusion, yes, I am saying that (on Capitol Hill at least) it is only people of a particular race that are wearing ski masks.

So, this really isn't about ski masks, rather about people who bought in gentrifying neighborhoods now regretting their decisions. Got it.