Georgia Tech Robberies (Atlanta, Carl: crime rate, credit card, buying a house)

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by afonega1

Well last week there was an interesting topic on V103 morning show.They were discussing this and compared it to the the crime that happens around the A.U.C center.This area where I happened to own a own,has always experienced crimes against students.It seems as though its not mentioned nearly as much or actually rarely.These are students that also come from good homes in the suburbs.Why do they not get the attention that Georgia Tech does?Is there an attitude that because its predominately black that it is acceptable?

Although I live near Clark-Atlanta and the AUC.I have rented 2 of my rooms to Georgia Tech and Georgia State Students.Most have been from France,Belgium,India,a couple from America and currently Italy and
Korea.More than half had no car and walked to and from the Ashby Transit station which is less than 3blocks from my home.NONE of them have been in any type of incident other than people asking for spare change.Mind you ,I am not deep in the roughest parts of the area.Yet most have stated how they that when they tell friends where they live,people gasp.That say "that area is unsafe" or "you will get shot or robbed."They(Tech Administration) tell students "don't go downtown its dangerous,stay in MIDTOWN or NEAR the school."So they do.They feel SAFE because the Administration has given them the notion that the are in and around the campus is a SAFE haven.I have said it before,(knock on wood) for the most part the street and immediate area where I live is "relatively" safe.I say relatively to mean that I have NO illusionsabout where I chose to live.I am vigilant whenever I go out my door as well as when I am behind my closed doors.I am this way wherever I go be it here or Midtown or Buckhead.When I go to Rome ,London,Riyadh...(i just lost my train of thought...just saw a trailer for BRUNO...lol he's crazy)anyway,you get what im saying when you adapt a sense of being aware of your surroundings you are least likely to be a victim.I had to learn this.I grew up a naive kid fro the suburbs.

Good point...over the years in Atlanta I have seen news coverage of several crimes against students in that area, but I don't think it is an overly common occurrence - i.e. the students aren't specifically targeted but definitely do experience some crime. I'm not even sure that the area around Morehouse is any worse than the area around Tech...

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by afonega1

Well last week there was an interesting topic on V103 morning show.They were discussing this and compared it to the the crime that happens around the A.U.C center.This area where I happened to own a own,has always experienced crimes against students.It seems as though its not mentioned nearly as much or actually rarely.These are students that also come from good homes in the suburbs.Why do they not get the attention that Georgia Tech does? Is there an attitude that because its predominately black that it is acceptable?

I would say that yes, just because it is a predominately black neighborhood, higher crime here is deemed more acceptable. Our community, the black community in my opinion doesn't help matters much when a large part of it way too easily embraces the "gangsta" culture and the criminality from which it largely found its roots(youth mostly but the adults like Damon Dash & Frank Ski's V-103 help feed into it).

Also our community does a poor job of conveying the message that it won't stand for violence that comes from within it nor will even to try to hold elected officials accountable. Instead, our community allows folks to get away with wasting tax-payer money and then re-electing these same scoundrels over and over again(Bill Campbell, and now Shirley Franklin).

We waver too much in my opinion between racial politics(Katherine Johnson killed by white cops/Fulton County Govt Chaiman Eaves's election) and plain apathy when it comes to black-on-black homicides. For us to demand the same standards that everyone else enjoys we must be consistent with our message in each and every way.

For every outrage at a cop-on-innocent-bystander shooting, there must be an equal or greater outrage at black-on-black crime. If a black elected official choose to be apathethic to the black community's needs, we must ignore those typical racial pleas from those same elected officials when they are under fire and then get rid of them with ease when the next elction rolls around.

To do any less than that would show outsiders that the black community does not care and furthermore deserves the sideline treatment that we are so often used to.

My opinion, take it or leave it.

[Mishap]

afonega1,

Isn't the Ashby St area where they tracked the SUV stolen during the home invasion in Buckhead last night? I've biked past there and along Joseph E. Lowery...not exactly the best looking area outside the few random new developments which were massively reduced in price. Either those robbers live in the area or dropped the car off so they could hitch a ride on Marta. Maybe the robbers are too busy hitting up bigger targets to hassle a few of your tenants. Note to robbers: don't steal any cars w/ On Star...it'll get you caught sooner or later.

I think the reason why there's all this outrage about the GT robberies is the amount of gentrification over the past 10 yrs made people forget that this Atlanta and crime is still a big problem. They thought building out Atlantic Station to the north and all the various condos/apts on the western and southern side of Tech would suddenly make it a nice neighborhood but I remember never stepping foot off campus late at night(not in a car) or anywhere near the 3rd St Tunnel which was a mugger's dream.

Truth of it is almost anywhere in Atlanta is only 2-3 miles from a very run down and sketchy area. Look at the Atlanta Road area west of Buckhead. When I lived in Vinings I would drive up from that direction and there would be crackheads hanging out all around the run down strip mall. Cut over onto Moore's Mill and you see $700k homes less than a quarter mile away. If you honestly think thugs can't hop in a car or simply walk to your area, then you're sadly mistaken. Personally I think the outrage is fine...push ATL PD to do something. I mean honestly how can 9 people do a smash and grab on Macy's in Atlanta's premier mall w/o anyone stopping them? Can't wait till Shirley Franklin is gone w/ her inept management/managers and maybe even the target of some ambitious prosecutor looking to make a name for themselves ala Bill Campbell.

[Atlantasfinest]

Great post Acid...we need to start taking care of our own (Majority Black) neighborhoods and the multitude of issues we have within them and Black on Black crime and the Black Politicians who constantly graze over those issues are Insanse and don't address the issues we have as people in our own neighborhood...Politics, Policy, Pathology and Hope WITHIN The Black Community

[Merin]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

Great post Acid...we need to start taking care of out own neighborhoods and Black on Black crime and the Black Politicians who constantly graze over those issues are Insanse...Politics, Policy, Pathology and Hope WITHIN The Black Community

Get out of my head!!!

[King_X]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

I would say that yes, just because it is a predominately black neighborhood, higher crime here is deemed more acceptable. Our community, the black community in my opinion doesn't help matters much when a large part of it way too easily embraces the "gangsta" culture and the criminality from which it largely found its roots(youth mostly but the adults like Damon Dash & Frank Ski's V-103 help feed into it).

Also our community does a poor job of conveying the message that it won't stand for violence that comes from within it nor will even to try to hold elected officials accountable. Instead, our community allows folks to get away with wasting tax-payer money and then re-electing these same scoundrels over and over again(Bill Campbell, and now Shirley Franklin).

We waver too much in my opinion between racial politics(Katherine Johnson killed by white cops/Fulton County Govt Chaiman Eaves's election) and plain apathy when it comes to black-on-black homicides. For us to demand the same standards that everyone else enjoys we must be consistent with our message in each and every way.

For every outrage at a cop-on-innocent-bystander shooting, there must be an equal or greater outrage at black-on-black crime. If a black elected official choose to be apathethic to the black community's needs, we must ignore those typical racial pleas from those same elected officials when they are under fire and then get rid of them with ease when the next elction rolls around.

To do any less than that would show outsiders that the black community does not care and furthermore deserves the sideline treatment that we are so often used to.

My opinion, take it or leave it.

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

I would say that yes, just because it is a predominately black neighborhood, higher crime here is deemed more acceptable. Our community, the black community in my opinion doesn't help matters much when a large part of it way too easily embraces the "gangsta" culture and the criminality from which it largely found its roots(youth mostly but the adults like Damon Dash & Frank Ski's V-103 help feed into it).

Also our community does a poor job of conveying the message that it won't stand for violence that comes from within it nor will even to try to hold elected officials accountable. Instead, our community allows folks to get away with wasting tax-payer money and then re-electing these same scoundrels over and over again(Bill Campbell, and now Shirley Franklin).

We waver too much in my opinion between racial politics(Katherine Johnson killed by white cops/Fulton County Govt Chaiman Eaves's election) and plain apathy when it comes to black-on-black homicides. For us to demand the same standards that everyone else enjoys we must be consistent with our message in each and every way.

For every outrage at a cop-on-innocent-bystander shooting, there must be an equal or greater outrage at black-on-black crime. If a black elected official choose to be apathethic to the black community's needs, we must ignore those typical racial pleas from those same elected officials when they are under fire and then get rid of them with ease when the next elction rolls around.

To do any less than that would show outsiders that the black community does not care and furthermore deserves the sideline treatment that we are so often used to.

My opinion, take it or leave it.

I agree, I'm young and black and "urban style" (not the thuggish part) will always be for me, but the wrong types within the community are being promoted.

It makes me sick to my stomach that one of THE most popular, if not THE most popular rapper in the south right now, is Atlanta's own Gucci Mane, and 99% of his songs involve selling drugs, or kicking in people's doors. It also doesnt help when even the black people who were not raised in the "hood" promote the same garbage because "everybody else does" or just because they like the "beat" to the song.

Too many kids with no parental figures or role models at all in the "hood" look up to people like "Gucci Mane".....I hear rap songs everyday off underground albums and mixtapes that have nothing to do with "crime" at all.....I don't know why they just won't put those types of tracks out into the mainstream instead of this garbage.

I mean, awhile back Young Jeezy even had a song called "White Girl" in which girl is used to represent distributing cocaine.

Imagine if a white artist had a song called "black girl" and it was used to represent somethin negative, black people wouldnt let thats slide.

There are too many people in high position making money promoting these garbage mainstream rap songs, including several older more educated blacks who KNOW BETTER, but co-sign everything because they are making some money off of it.

People within our own community are more of our enemy than anybody else.

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by Mishap

afonega1,

Isn't the Ashby St area where they tracked the SUV stolen during the home invasion in Buckhead last night? I've biked past there and along Joseph E. Lowery...not exactly the best looking area outside the few random new developments which were massively reduced in price. Either those robbers live in the area or dropped the car off so they could hitch a ride on Marta. Maybe the robbers are too busy hitting up bigger targets to hassle a few of your tenants. Note to robbers: don't steal any cars w/ On Star...it'll get you caught sooner or later.

I think the reason why there's all this outrage about the GT robberies is the amount of gentrification over the past 10 yrs made people forget that this Atlanta and crime is still a big problem. They thought building out Atlantic Station to the north and all the various condos/apts on the western and southern side of Tech would suddenly make it a nice neighborhood but I remember never stepping foot off campus late at night(not in a car) or anywhere near the 3rd St Tunnel which was a mugger's dream.

Truth of it is almost anywhere in Atlanta is only 2-3 miles from a very run down and sketchy area. Look at the Atlanta Road area west of Buckhead. When I lived in Vinings I would drive up from that direction and there would be crackheads hanging out all around the run down strip mall. Cut over onto Moore's Mill and you see $700k homes less than a quarter mile away. If you honestly think thugs can't hop in a car or simply walk to your area, then you're sadly mistaken. Personally I think the outrage is fine...push ATL PD to do something. I mean honestly how can 9 people do a smash and grab on Macy's in Atlanta's premier mall w/o anyone stopping them? Can't wait till Shirley Franklin is gone w/ her inept management/managers and maybe even the target of some ambitious prosecutor looking to make a name for themselves ala Bill Campbell.

Great Points. I would think that anyone who desires a high quality of life should be outraged when there is too much crime in their area. Yeah, the media does tends to focus a bit too much on problems where there are more white people but at the same time those white folks demand a high quality of life, a quality that I sorely wish was more common in my community.

It seems that a lot of people in my community talk out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to the police: You hate when the "Po-Pos" arrest your hell-raiser of a son "Pookie" but then turn around and complain that they didn't do anything about that drug-dealer "Ray-Ray" down the street, who incidentally hangs out with "Pookie."

The inconsitency in logic that so many in my community have is mind-boggling. I just wish that whatever currently passes for leadership in the black community would speak out about it and demand an end to the lack of accountability.

If you(the habitually complainers about police tactics) did a lousy job raising of your sons and daughters, don't complain about "Police harassment" when your children get caught up in the law and then hypocritically demand more of a police presence when you are affected by crime. That is definitely one of my pet peeves when comes to folks in my area of South Dekalb.

Okay... off the soapbox, I go.

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by King_X

I agree, I'm young and black and "urban style" (not the thuggish part) will always be for me, but the wrong types within the community are being promoted.

It makes me sick to my stomach that one of THE most popular, if not THE most popular rapper in the south right now, is Atlanta's own Gucci Mane, and 99% of his songs involve selling drugs, or kicking in people's doors. It also doesnt help when even the black people who were not raised in the "hood" promote the same garbage because "everybody else does" or just because they like the "beat" to the song.

Too many kids with no parental figures or role models at all in the "hood" look up to people like "Gucci Mane".....I hear rap songs everyday off underground albums and mixtapes that have nothing to do with "crime" at all.....I don't know why they just won't put those types of tracks out into the mainstream instead of this garbage.

I mean, awhile back Young Jeezy even had a song called "White Girl" in which girl is used to represent distributing cocaine.

Imagine if a white artist had a song called "black girl" and it was used to represent somethin negative, black people wouldnt let thats slide.

There are too many people in high position making money promoting these garbage mainstream rap songs, including several older more educated blacks who KNOW BETTER, but co-sign everything because they are making some money off of it.

People within our own community are more of our enemy than anybody else.

Totally agree.

[brownhornet]

Man please with the rap and tv excuses. I grew up listening to Ice Cube, Easy E, Snoop Dog and plenty of other gangsta rappers. I grew up in a single parent home too. Not once did I get out there and do a drive by nor did I rob or kill anyone. People have choices and some of them make the wrong ones, point blank period. Its like blaming movies for those kids shooting up the school in columbine or blaming al pacino for creating a killer stereotype on scarface. That's part of the problem, people have no personal responsibility. Neither Gucci nor jeezy make anyone cook crack because they are simply entertainers and give people what they want to hear. There are plenty of uplifting artists out there such as mos def, common, talib, lupe etc that can't sell hardly any albums because their message isn't what people want to hear. They're entertainersso they make whatever sells... but anyone with common sense knows they never have and never will do even half the nonsense they talk about in their music. There are plenty of successful single parent raised kids out there... I could name plenty just from my inner circle so I wish people would stop using that as a scapegoat. I saw the REAL life side of what they talk about on those songs... I saw people killed, robbed, shot, stabbed, domestic violence, dope and weed, bootleg houses, females pregnant before they even hit high school EVERYDAY but I had my mind set not to get tangled up in that garbage.. that's ALL it takes. The problem is with those that have no hope for anything better than the lifestyle of being in and out of jail, posting on the corners or robbing and really don't care about the consequences. But its a mindset nothing more nothing less. Coming from there I understand better than most. With some of them its a family cycle that will never be broken no matter what. I go back occasionally and see many of the still generations of families still there from when I was there that wouldn't leave even if you tried to drag em out.

[King_X]

brownhornet, I know what you mean. Rappers do not physically MAKE people do anything, but some people do not think the same way and that type of rap certainly does NOT help, when you have millions of black youth who WANT to grow up to be just like a rapper they IDOLIZE. All I'm saying is that more rappers who deliever a positive message CERTAINLY wouldnt HURT. Several ghetto kids with no parental/family guidance grow up not knowing any better. I used to listen to hardcore rap but I dont really agree with most of the lyrics now so I dont listen to songs where the content is all about killing, stealing, and selling drugs. Again...sure...when I did listen to music like that, I had sense enough to know it was just entertainment and I listened to it mainly because I liked the "beat"....but you have to remember not everybody thinks like that and alot of black look grow up trying to LIVE out the lyrics of these TRASH songs.

You say you grew up in the "hood"...well then you should know how many people got injured and murdered trying to live out the lyrics of lil jon songs instructing them to FIGHT. I agree, people should have the common sense to figure out its entertainment, but obviously most of these black youth DONT.

I don't want to hear "well the rappers have to make money and they give the people what they want"
lol....the people will listen to anything YOU TELL THEM IS GOOD. Just listen to the majority of mainstream rap out now, its retarded, they are just following it because "everybody else is". If they put out some of the more positive rap with nice beats on them and pumped them into heavy rotatation like they do this current garbage, the youth would listen to it