Gang violence in Scranton: this city is going to the dogs (Birmingham: casino, living)

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by go phillies

No they don't...even if the economy is strong and there are lots of job opportunities around, those people who make a living sponging off the taxpayers will still be not working, living in public housing, dealing drugs, collecting welfare, etc etc.

Yes, sorry, but conservative social policies and the conservative capitalism has a direct effect on quality of life.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by go phillies

So should we just ignore it until it is full-blown? Camden, Reading, and Youngstown...all cities about the size of Scranton....used to be nice places to live not so long ago too.

Exactly! You cannot ignore it or it just gets worse. Just like any other problem in life.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

Look, I agree that we have to keep an eye on it, but can anyone honestly say that they fear for their lives when they walk down a street anywhere in our region, are there any neighborhood's in NEPA that you may be gunned down in because it is gang turf, are there any drug gangs openly selling crack on street corners with look outs on the corners like in Philly ect. Is there routine drive by's and gang wars, and slayings taking place anywhere in NEPA on a nightly, or even weekly basis around here. I think in Wilkes-barre you are more likely to be hit by a falling streetlight then you are to be hit by gang related gun fire.

Well....

I know I am scared at night when my husband is at work and I here the kids outside my house - directly in front of it - making noise, yelling, cursing. I am afraid to open my door and tell them to be quiet, too late for that sort of thing.

Conversely, I am not afraid to be downtown WB at night. Perhaps it's because I'm not alone? I don't know....

[bloominscranton]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

This area gets all hyper and in a panic whenever anything so called "gang related" happens. I remember not long ago WBRE did a long report on tagging in Hazleton, and how "the gangs are here!" They had a whole smeel on with an expert about how to identify gang members and thier signs, thier colors, "how you will know if a gang is in your neighborhood?!
The Bloods! The Crips! The Latin Kings! The Red Coats are coming, and the sky is falling!!!. Anyway, they ended up making an arrest a few weeks later, and it turned out to be a few dorky looking, white, high school kids. Now Scranton's jumping on the band wagon, they are gonna have a special meeting on gang violence, and they already had the press release with the district attorney and the chief of police ect. a big media spectical ect. Scranton is probably the least violent, least gang infested city of it's size in the entire nation, but the media is making it look like south central L.A. "gangland killings" PLEASE!!! People in real cities with real gang violence would be laughing thier @sses off at this.

Sorry but, let them laugh their arses off...while it maybe overkill any spotlight on any type of gang stuff even if most of it is hot air is a good thing! A commuinty being proactive when there is a whiff of gang activity will keep it from being coming a gang problem...when they know they will not be coddled or allow to infest an area, THEY DO STAY AWAY, and go somewhere else.

[bloominscranton]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Statistics are frequently manipulated for political purposes. It has been admitted in recent years that Scranton wasn't even reporting its crime stats to the state.



I grew up in a small town outside of Scranton and never knew anyone in a gang...especially not a Crip, Blood, or other inner-city gang. My wife was born and raised in Scranton and went to Scranton schools through the 90s and remembers nothing like this...no crips or bloods or latin kings or whatever. West HS hardly had any minorities until the past few years.



There is a big difference between working people who hit hard times and need to go on public assistance until they get back on their feet, and welfare trash who make a living out of it, with no intention of finding a job, keep pumping out kids, and using/dealing drugs. The former is what the system was intended for, if welfare wasn't abused I don't think many people would have a problem with it.
Maybe minorities don't commit a majority of the crime, although I will say they have monopolized the drugs/shooting/stabbing crimes. When you consider how whites are a 90% majority in the area, and a ton of crime is committed by minorities, per capita the minorities are committing much more crime, and much more violent crime. Most of the white crime is stupid bar fights and DUIs on the way home from happy hour.

Please, take off the politically correct rose colored glasses and see reality. The only basis for your argument is PC liberalism.

I agree with you!

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by loveinbloom

Sorry but, let them laugh their arses off...while it maybe overkill any spotlight on any type of gang stuff even if most of it is hot air is a good thing! A commuinty being proactive when there is a whiff of gang activity will keep it from being coming a gang problem...when they know they will not be coddled or allow to infest an area, THEY DO STAY AWAY, and go somewhere else.

[shoegal111]

Originally Posted by go phillies

We do have quite a mafia history here in NEPA. But the mob doesn't bother me. I'll take them anyday over the inner-city gangs.

Sure let's go for gang-land slayings, drug running, etc. So how are they any different then a street gang? They are not and until you can cite statistics and sources then all this is nothing more than blowing hot air.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by shoegal111

Sure let's go for gang-land slayings, drug running, etc. So how are they any different then a street gang? They are not and until you can cite statistics and sources then all this is nothing more than blowing hot air.

Statistics shmatistics. I choose to look at reality. Mafia people tend to be well-off businessmen...not terrorizing and deteriorating the neighborhoods and filling our schools with inner-city thugs who terrorize our kids. They are definitely the lesser of two evils. Not that I love the mafia, but I'll take them over ghetto bloods and crips in our schools.

[shoegal111]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Statistics shmatistics. I choose to look at reality. Mafia people tend to be well-off businessmen...not terrorizing and deteriorating the neighborhoods and filling our schools with inner-city thugs who terrorize our kids. They are definitely the lesser of two evils. Not that I love the mafia, but I'll take them over ghetto bloods and crips in our schools.

Well off businessmen? That's only for the top dogs. And how do you think got into those positions? By working their way up the ladder over time but they started out as young street thugs doing the same things that these gangs are doing. If you choose not to believe the statistics then I suggest you check out the latest documentaries and recently written history and sociology books on the subject before making statements that just are not factual or based in reality.

[live_in_nepa]

The basic reality is… however the problems started, however they evolved, they are here. If you have lived here for more than 10 years you have seen the transition and know the difference.

I am not willing to accept 60% less crime than a larger city just because you are comparing it on a scale of fake perception. That is like comparing a family with 2 children and a family with 10 children.. is it okay that one or two of the larger family become criminals because there are more of them? No.. so whoever says it is a drop in the bucket or not a concern.. can go shove off and leave. It is that precise attitude that prohibits progress on fighting the crime.

Again, I am not saying diversity is bad, diversity is what helps a population grow and become less socially ignorant. But what is not tolerable is the level of morals, upbringing, class of people that make up that diversity.

Take a basic 123 abc approach to your thinking and ask yourself a few simple questions. Be honest and I do not really care what your personal answers are.

#1 Would you scold a young child for interrupting a conversation and let them know it is not polite to do that and to wait to be heard?
#2 Would you tolerate your teenager smoking in your home and disrespecting your wishes?
#3 Would you tolerate filthy language to be used in your home or around your children?
#4 Would you be proactive in pointing out others bad behavior to your own children to show them the difference?

These are just some simple basic respect and discipline questions. Answer these for yourself and it will give you a small gauge of how you would or are doing as a parent. It all starts there and most youth today do not even understand the basics… that is the problem. If these so called gang members feared and respected their family network more than the police.. maybe they would not be involved in this crap to begin with.

Too many trashy families that perpetuate the same class and morals and it is a big cycle and circle. It is hard to break and hard for those in it to understand their own dis-function.

If you had insects in your home would you wait until they are a 100% problem to take care of it or would you be proactive?