Is Prince Georges a good place to live now? (Baltimore: house, rent)

[familymatters]

Originally Posted by laurelengineer

kool aid drinkers refers to some cult leader - can't remember his name off the top of my head - who got his followers to commit suicide by drinking kool-aid laced with poison. It has no racial overtones whatsoever!

Please, there are plenty of PG-ers on this board who love to interpret every county-based slight as a slight on the black human race. Do not join their ilk. Do not go looking for a chip to put on your shoulder.

fine. Are you really trying to tell me that this guy was referring to Jim Jones? Seriously. How did you know that without asking him specifically?

Chip on my shoulder? First of all, chip on the shoulder is what people who have no idea what other people deal with on a daily basis must buffer themselves with to deal with to survive and prosper.

I rest my case here. I found it offensive. I saw it with racial overtones. Perhaps you'd see it that way if you were me, possibly not. Get off your high horse and don't tell me what I should feel or how I should react to statements on this board. I see the "Kool Aid" implication differntly and I don't appreciate it. Perhaps I dont have the same faith in the empathy in my fellow Americans as you do, but please don't act as if previous statements do not insinuate certain conclusions. I'm an openminded blackmale who's occustomed to being the only blackman in a room, at the table, in the meeting...and to me, respectively, I don't find that humor as humor, it's insultive.

Now allow me to go read how emsgoof will spin his comments to suit your retort.

[familymatters]

Originally Posted by emsgoof

Yes, there are several references, none of which are racially motivated.
The Jonestown Massacre, as coordinated by Jim Jones of the "People's Temple" convinced his followers to commit suicide by drinking a grape flavored drink (Flavor-Aid, but it's often referred to mistakenly as Kool-Aid) laced with potassium cyanide..

I have no idea what Jim Jones had to do with this particular discussion, but if I've jumped to an inacurrate conclusion about you, than I apologize. I'd much rather focus on what binds us than what separates us. I am not commenting on the remainder of your post. I did not come to this board to incite division. If you are here to enlighten, encourage and build unity constructively then we're together. I want the best for all and I'd much rather be wrong than to be right and have contention.

[fishfister]

I got deleted for speaking the truth about PG county.
Was I racist? No.
The county is 60% black and 1 white guy speaking the truth about the political system in the county isn't racism.
It starts at the federal level, then down to the state level and ends at the county level.

Black or white - what a politically screwed county.

Removing true facts from here is like refusing to admit to any of it.

[fishfister]

Originally Posted by pwright1

Someone in another thread did mention that amenites like shopping and restaurants were not that important to them. 'Those will come in due time' to PG. I was one who waited for years and nothing ever came. I also agree that counties like Charles and Calvert are no better. Me being black and leaving Maryland all together I learned to never live in a suburb or county that is majority black because no matter how big and nice your house is or what degree you have or what mercedes you drive many retailers and restaurants are just not interested in setting up shop in those communities.

For some reason I always knew the Redskins new stadium would end up in Prince Georges county. None of the other white counties wanted a large, hideous giant structure with acres of parking and traffic problems in there back yard. Huge stadiums do nothing for a community. But of course it ended up in PG. What has this monstrosity done for the county?

Didn't you read all of the press - especially that originating in PG - that claimed the stadium would bring tons of jobs as well as revenue to the county?
8 home games and a couple of pre-season games were supposed to bail the county out of its woes.
It doesn't matter if it is a white county, there are 27 stadiums around the country as well as NASCAR tracks and other sports facilities. That remark was a cop-out.

I can speak from experience why upscale grocery stores won't survive. The Giant near my house used to carry the bottom end line of yogurt. I approached the dairy manager and asked him to get some good stuff and he was surprised that anyone would have such a request. He knew exactly what I was speaking of and they now do so. The produce department in that Giant is to be ridiculed; they have more candy, ice cream and soft drinks than fresh produce. What is more important - soft drinks or whole foods? The quality of pet foods stocked are garbage and will shorten your dog's life.
CVS is supposedly a drug store - why is the actual pharmacy a small out of the way section in comparison to the toys, shampoo, candy and other crap that fills those stores? Isn't Walmart meant for that?

As far as upscale one has to take a trip to the pentagon and visit Harris Teeter.

[emsgoof]

Familymatters,
Read the second part of the description. Kool-Aid Drinkers refer to people who blindly embrace a philosophy with a total disregard for the facts. Too often I see people try to blast other locales in Maryland in an attempt to make themselves feel better about their choices of Prince Georges County as their only defense. The remarks of "It bad in xxx county too, so PG wasn't a bad choice" is the defense that people give, disregarding the facts that PG County leads the state in crime. The reasons they cite often refer to what politicians have told them (directly or indirectly) and not any actual experience in the area.
Again, it had no racial connotations, and I'm sorry if you felt that it did.

[pwright1]

'8 home games and a couple of pre-season games were supposed to bail the county out of its woes.
It doesn't matter if it is a white county, there are 27 stadiums around the country as well as NASCAR tracks and other sports facilities. That remark was a cop-out.'

Oh please this statement was not a cop-out. Jack Kent Cooke went to all the white suburbs to build his stadium but to his surprise was met with a ton of opposition. I remember all the NIMBYS during this time. NOT IN MY BACKYARD. Yeah, remember all the prestige, jobs and developement it would bring to the area. I remember when it was a farm with cows and always thought when the owner sells this would be a great piece of property to bring in some great development. What a waste.

[lscalder]

The stadium right now is prime location. The county is developing Landover mall which is across the street in to upscale shooping and dining. The same developer who develope downtown Bethesda will so develope the new Landover center. The apartment complex will become upscale condos. In the next 3 yrs that area will be 100% different. I think Jack Johnson see the vision for Pg county and he is putting 100%If of himself in to the county for changes.

[familymatters]

Originally Posted by emsgoof

Familymatters,
Read the second part of the description. Kool-Aid Drinkers refer to people who blindly embrace a philosophy with a total disregard for the facts. Too often I see people try to blast other locales in Maryland in an attempt to make themselves feel better about their choices of Prince Georges County as their only defense. The remarks of "It bad in xxx county too, so PG wasn't a bad choice" is the defense that people give, disregarding the facts that PG County leads the state in crime. The reasons they cite often refer to what politicians have told them (directly or indirectly) and not any actual experience in the area.
Again, it had no racial connotations, and I'm sorry if you felt that it did.

Thanks Ems and LaurelE for clearing that up for me! I lost my mind for a minute. I'm over it. I'm back. Please excuse my earlier blast of anger. I'm a bit embarrassed that I didn't read the whole thread.

*wipes egg from face and walks away from the keyboard

[1973 Forced Busing]

The spirit of Jim Jones lives. A white man leading hundreds of black people to their deaths.

[emsgoof]

That makes no sense.