Racism/Canton (Atlanta, Alpharetta: neighborhood, high schools, college)

[atlantagreg30127]

staylor - just.. please.
http://bestsmileys.com/notlistening/2.gif (broken link)

On the other end of my neighborhood, the number of black families that have moved into the area has tripled in the last two years. Considering the fact most of the parents in that part of the neighborhood (as in white parents) are carpooling their kids with all the other kids (black, white, whatever), sharing duties doing the "take all the kids to soccer", doing the neighborhood pot luck thing they all do over there, I'd HARDLY say they are just *putting up with the black families* or for that matter as you said, "just biting their tongues". Stop looking under rocks.

That being said, a couple of families have moved into that neighborhood who had kids who immediately started causing various forms of trouble. The people living there, black and white, did not hesitate to let those people know they were NOT welcome, and they could take their trashy mentality OUT of the area. No, they didn't to my knowledge write nasty letters, but they called the cops on them just about every night, and I heard they actually got everyone on three streets to sign a petition to "clean up or get out" and handed it to them as well.

I made it clear that the idiot or idiots who wrote the nasty threat letter to that woman with 9 kids is a fool. Don't do the "oh but you probably condone it" junk, ok? Ok, a single woman with nine kids moves into an area. My personal opinion is that this lady needs to find a hobby other than making babies. Stamp collecting maybe? At least two of her kids are in trouble with the law, showing her lack of parenting skills. If she lived near me, I'd do the petition thing like they did up the street, march over to her house with a dozen neighbors and the cops, and tell her to clean up her act or get out. Whoever sent her the nastygrams is most likely just a mouthy redneck (we have plenty), and also most likely is not a "terrorist", though the threats should be investigated and taken seriously just in case by the police anyway just in case.

staylor - you have a confrontational "pick a fight" attitude. Please lose the chip on your shoulder. Offer insite or contributions to a thread and stop poking and proding and trying to start something.

[ready2move]

I don't think Greg was playing any race card here..just statin' the facts.

[backfist]

I understand both points of view, frankly. Staylor makes a good point in that Greg might have offered a benign justification for the racial harassment, while Greg makes a good point in that there are also middle class Black families in the community who are yet to be on the receiving end of such racial harassment.

In the end, though, it's never OK to attempt to racially terrorize anyone. Under any circumstance.

[atlantagreg30127]

Well, the point was that if the original poster moved to Canton, Powder Springs, or any other suburb, they can "expect anything and predict nothing" (good or bad). There is no way to predict who is going to react any particular way to other people moving in.

From time to time, you do hear about people going through a predomninately black subdivision spraypainting certain words on cars, garage doors, etc. 95% of the time however, it's bratty teens and not any dangerous mob of men who are out to do physical harm to someone who is black. The most unfortunate thing when this happens is that the kids are usually just turned over to their parents by the police, and the parents do little to them for what they did.

On the times it is an adult who is reacting badly to someone they don't like, it is again, usually some old goober who has no clue how to talk to someone in a proper manner. I've heard people use certain words to describe certain groups of people and they really aren't "racist" people - they're just using what today are considered racist words. I hear these words from whites AND blacks, and hispanics. I've been on a MARTA train heading north in the morning hours to work and have heard some of the most slanderous words about others coming out of people sitting there talking to others or on cells - from black people talking about whites, hispanics about asians, etc etc. *Everyone* has what today would be called "racist word thoughts" - if anyone says they don't or haven't, you're lying to yourself.

That being said, once again, the letter in Powder Springs was wayyyy off course. The police are still investigating it though, so eventually the goob that wrote it will admit it to a pal, who will turn them in, etc etc. If you don't like the way a neighbor is acting or disturbing others, you tell that neighbor face to face to calm it down or you'll contact the authorities. If they continue to do it, you DO contact authorities, period.

I certainly don't think the original poster is a person with nine kids planning on moving into a 2BR home in Canton and cause trouble, or a drug dealer or anyone else who would cause a neighborhood to freak out. Just based on skin color, I don't think most people even up there give much of a notice these days. Let's face it, these days you're likely to see someone completely covered in tattoos or body piercings and a purple mohawk walking around, so white or black skin hardly raises eyebrows anymore. Canton is no different than Powder Springs or Stone Mountain or Jonesboro regarding all of this.

[backfist]

Well said. I think, at times, we get too used to looking at the least of people as representative of an entire group of people.

[Prichard]

these days you're likely to see someone completely covered in tattoos or body piercings and a purple mohawk walking around...

It ain't common to see these types of folks even in Central Florida! Maybe a couple of body piercings, but any kid covered in tattoos and a purple mohawk is likely to get a few laughs out of most people. Ain't nothing funnier than a clown with alot of clown makeup that thinks he's a "bad-a$$".

[larryb]

Why is it that all white communities that have low crime, clean streets, no losers hanging out at every corner are considered "racist". Hey, if I have to live in a "racist" community to bring my family safely and enjoyable, so be it. The hell with all those politically correct DISHONEST morons.

[MegaJoy]

Originally Posted by larryb

Why is it that all white communities that have low crime, clean streets, no losers hanging out at every corner are considered "racist". Hey, if I have to live in a "racist" community to bring my family safely and enjoyable, so be it. The hell with all those politically correct DISHONEST morons.

Larryb Life will be OK---If this world were perfect would we be happy? It takes all kind to make this world REVOLVE.
Your above statement is not completely correct. How could you be Happy if all your neighbors were RACIST--What kind of message are you sending to your children? We have to stop the chain of Malice toward people of different colors.

[jxu66]

Not "all white communities that have low crime, clean streets, no losers hanging out at every corner", at least not in Georgia.

Ever hear about Meth problem in Georgia? Guess what, it majorly affects rural white americans.

In general, I don't think race = anything in Georgia. There are safe and rich (whatever race or mixed race) neighborhood. On the other hand, there are poor and unsafe (whatever race or mixed race) neighborhood. I think that income is more of divided than race, at least in Georgia.

Just need to do research or just drive around the neighborhood to find out.

[larryb]

I'm not saying that all white communities are low crime and have clean streets. You read my post incorrectly. I said the ones that do are always considered racist. I do understand "classism" is different than "racism". But take for instance Dahlonega, Clayton, Helen, Young Harris, Blue Ridge. These towns are always being taunted by blacks as "racist" because they are quiet, hilbilly's, who's streets roll up at night. Some yankees live there I know but...you know what I mean. Oh and megajoy what does "life will be okay" mean, you don't know my life? Not being a perfect world goes without saying. And who said they wanted their neighbors to be racist?