African-American Woman Slain by Scranton Police (living, title, charges)
Northeastern PennsylvaniaScranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pocono area
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Wow, greentown! Don't hold back now or anything! I've known for a while now that you didn't particularly care for me ever since you blew up at me last year for bringing up Scranton politics too much, but I never knew you harbored such deep angst. Doesn't if feel therapeutic now that you've let it all drain out of your system like a natural catharsis?
Look, I'll maintain that nobody down here who has learned of my alternative sexual orientation has given it a second thought whereas I DID have people scream anti-gay slurs at me out of car windows on occasion on my runs in NEPA (how these people knew I was gay since I was a complete stranger is beyond my realm of comprehension), was threatened and harassed by a few anti-gay thugs in both high school and my Freshman year of college (until King's observed what was happening and put the brakes on it), and had to endure times where my ex-partner and I were treated less-than-ideally when we were out on dates and indicated we wanted to be on one check. I'm still harboring a grudge against an ex-Lowe's manager of mine who, in order to secure a sale, proceeded to slam "fairies" right in front of me, in addition to other occasions where I overheard him making anti-gay slurs in casual conversation with other co-workers while I was nearby. I had grounds back then for a law suit against Lowe's for employing someone who exhibited such intolerant behaviors to create a hostile work environment, but I didn't want the publicity that would have accompanied that law suit to make me even more unpopular amongst NEPA's right-wingers than I already am. I'm also still angry at how teenaged males in NEPA would call each other "f*g" to put one another down as I was standing right next to them. Would they call someone a "n**ger" next to an African-American person to in an attempt to "jest" their buds? While I can't speak for the high schoolers down here in NoVA, I DID spend some time meandering around campus at GMU in Fairfax, VA as I scope it out for graduate school and didn't hear ANY slurs used in casual conversations as I eavesdropped. It was refreshing---the young heterosexual males in NEPA seemed to have an odd fascination with gay people with how they would constantly say "that's so gay" or call one another that dreaded three-letter word. If their parents didn't correct them when overhearing such language, then that doesn't say much about parenting skills either.
It's easy for you as a right-wing white family woman to sit back and claim you know what it's like for a minority, but often times you are mistaken (and are here once again as well). Down here I saw a same-sex couple holding hands in public the other day and was so encouraged I nearly gave them a thumbs-up for their bravado. I had lunch out on the town the other day with a gay friend I've made, and as we were leaving he hugged me unexpectedly on the sidewalk (as he said he does with all of his friends). I can only imagine what sorts of jeers, sneers, stares, etc. such behaviors would have elicited back in NEPA, the place where heterosexuals can freely practically make out in public without a care in the world while if gay couples so much as hold hands while walking down the street they're the target of staring, pointing, etc. (Once again I should know this NEPA double-standard from experience as I HAVE seen MANY younger straight couples canoodling in public while some of the very same people who would have shielded their children's eyes from my partner and I holding hands near them said nothing).
You're calling me a hypocrite while you have the audacity to imply that being gay is "anti-family" (i.e. your comment earlier about NEPA being a good family area the way it is without having to worry about the presence of the "gay lifestyle," as you put it) while then saying you have nothing wrong with gay people raising children? Which is it? Is it okay for two women to get married in PA, adopt a child, and then push it down the sidewalk in a stroller as they walk hand-in-hand, or is that an "attack on the family?"
No, people down here in NoVA are NOT as "friendly" as they are in NEPA. I'll give you that one. There's a definite aura here of "dog-eat-dog" and "rush and get out of my way" that I wasn't quite fully expecting to hit me like a ton of bricks, as evidenced by the fact that so few on my runs will return a "Good morning" greeting as I pass them (and people on the NoVA sub-forum actually have the nerve to suggest they are "too busy" to say hello). People here are concerned very much with making as much money as they can so that they can outdo as many other people as they can so they can buy a $2,000,000 McMansion in Great Falls, VA and be "top of the heap." I find that to be disgusting, and as expected pointing out the rampant materialism down here hasn't garnered me many Internet friendships on that particular sub-forum, where people generally aren't comfortable with the pot being stirred for ANY reason, let alone one that makes them reflect upon themselves. Too bad. I'm not going to hide my true feelings about the area because anyone considering relocating here should know ALL facets of life---from the celebration of diversity as a good thing on down to the worship of the Almighty Dollar as a bad thing. If people don't like hearing both great and not-so-great things about their region, then tough cookies!
Sorry Scranbarre, I'm sure you're a perfectly nice person. I just get really tired of reading post after post and it always comes back to your sexual orientation and how everyone is discriminating against you because of it. Frankly, it's just not really that interesting and most people probably could care less about who you choose to have a relationship with. You seem to have little tolerance for anyone who doesn't share your views about urban living, diversity, education, and in general, you seem very preoccupied with anyone who earns and has more than you do. I lost all respect for you months ago when you started complaining about an elderly couple that took too long at the voting booth on election day and inconvenienced you. I hope you find the life of tolerance and acceptance that you want, but I think you will have to learn tolerance in the process. Good luck.
Sorry Scranbarre, I'm sure you're a perfectly nice person. I just get really tired of reading post after post and it always comes back to your sexual orientation and how everyone is discriminating against you because of it. Frankly, it's just not really that interesting and most people probably could care less about who you choose to have a relationship with. You seem to have little tolerance for anyone who doesn't share your views about urban living, diversity, education, and in general, you seem very preoccupied with anyone who earns and has more than you do. I lost all respect for you months ago when you started complaining about an elderly couple that took too long at the voting booth on election day and inconvenienced you. I hope you find the life of tolerance and acceptance that you want, but I think you will have to learn tolerance in the process. Good luck.
Yep I've always found that interesting about scranbarre that waves the judgmental sword around at people yet is harshly critical of others such as the older folks at the voting booths or the police officers involved in this shooting. But then that is to be expected.
Part of the deal with tolerance and acceptance is that it goes both ways. Scranbarre, if he wants tolerance and acceptance himself has to recognize other people have different beliefs and that he has to agree to disagree. I think there are some people that believe it's a one way street in their favor, but that's not how it works.
I think being out there in the "real world" is going to be good for him.
I rarely get angry but reading this thread angered me at the way it attacked police officers and smeared them as being racists without any backing or facts behind it. I've done training of police and work with former and active police sometimes and I've never seen them have the attitude of oh I hope I get to blow someone away on the job today, especially if they are black.
It's easy for you as a right-wing white family woman to sit back and claim you know what it's like for a minority, but often times you are mistaken (and are here once again as well). Down here I saw a same-sex couple holding hands in public the other day and was so encouraged I nearly gave them a thumbs-up for their bravado. I had lunch out on the town the other day with a gay friend I've made, and as we were leaving he hugged me unexpectedly on the sidewalk (as he said he does with all of his friends). I can only imagine what sorts of jeers, sneers, stares, etc. such behaviors would have elicited back in NEPA, the place where heterosexuals can freely practically make out in public without a care in the world while if gay couples so much as hold hands while walking down the street they're the target of staring, pointing, etc. (Once again I should know this NEPA double-standard from experience as I HAVE seen MANY younger straight couples canoodling in public while some of the very same people who would have shielded their children's eyes from my partner and I holding hands near them said nothing).
You are overblowing your claims of NEPA being so anti-gay...you make it sound as if gay people get lynched around here or something. That's not true. I know plenty of gay people, coworkers, former classmates, etc etc, that are openly gay with no problems in NE PA. Sure, it may not be San Fran with people marching around in speedos and feather boas waving rainbow flags, but its not exactly a place where gays get harrassed on a daily basis. I saw two gay women walking in downtown Wilkes-Barre last week holding hands, and they didn't seem to be suffering from any harrassment.
You may be thinking of high school, but lets be honest, high school kids will find any excuse to make fun of someone....and that's not just in NE PA.
Part of the deal with tolerance and acceptance is that it goes both ways. Scranbarre, if he wants tolerance and acceptance himself has to recognize other people have different beliefs and that he has to agree to disagree. I think there are some people that believe it's a one way street in their favor, but that's not how it works.
Usually the people that are so gung-ho about "tolerance," are also very intolerant of views other than their own. Its the epitomy of hypocrisy.
Most people that have never shot a weapon don't realize how hard it is to hit something with a shorter barreled pistol. They are made for close range.
Thats crap, I shoot reguarly and I use a 9mm on the 50yd rifle range and consistantly put a 4" group on a 6" target at 50 yards. 25 yrds I put up a 3" group and on a standard pistol range I can shoot all day long on a 3" target and very rarely miss. Thats with a compact 9mm and full size all steel Browning 9mm. Center mass is where people are trained to shot, thats where you will stop someone the quickiest and keep them from hurting you.
Also Scranton cops carry the Glock 17 which the largest service pistol that Glock makes in a 9mm, it is not by any means considered a short barreled pistol or even classified as a compact.
My son who is 11 can shoot the 9mm all day at the range and is capable of putting up 6" groups at 15yrds on a 12" target and he is 11, he can even accurately handle the full steel Browning and has shot a 1911 45.
My wife also shoots and has no problem with accuracy on a pistol range with a 9mm or a 45.
You make it sound like they holding a howizter in their hands...
I don't know what these guys did or didn't do because I have been out of town, I'll follow up on the story.....
At least be accurate in your description of shooting a pistol.
How did we go from a shooting in Scranton to sexual orientation? and What does it have to do with this thread?
Yep I've always found that interesting about scranbarre that waves the judgmental sword around at people yet is harshly critical of others such as the older folks at the voting booths or the police officers involved in this shooting. But then that is to be expected.
Part of the deal with tolerance and acceptance is that it goes both ways. Scranbarre, if he wants tolerance and acceptance himself has to recognize other people have different beliefs and that he has to agree to disagree. I think there are some people that believe it's a one way street in their favor, but that's not how it works.
I think being out there in the "real world" is going to be good for him.
I rarely get angry but reading this thread angered me at the way it attacked police officers and smeared them as being racists without any backing or facts behind it. I've done training of police and work with former and active police sometimes and I've never seen them have the attitude of oh I hope I get to blow someone away on the job today, especially if they are black.
I agree that tolerance and acceptance goes both ways. The problem here is that people think disagreeing with something or someone is somehow intolerance. It is when that disagreement makes its way into voting and decisionmaking that it becomes an issue.
How did we go from a shooting in Scranton to sexual orientation?
Somehow a lot of threads in the NEPA forum end up on the sexual orientation topic....someone could post a thread asking about how to rebuild an engine in an old Buick, and somehow it would find its way to a sexual orientation debate....
There are too many variables here, but I was just trying to provide a brief synopsis of the situation, and race being a potential motivating factor CAN NOT be ruled out given the rampant homophobia/racism that we all know exists in Coal Country.
Looking back, here is where the homophobia came into it.
Black, mentally-unstable woman wielding a knife shot by police officers = homophobia.
Maybe there is discrimination going on, but you know what I will have to be one of them and I am sure ALOT of you are. I will always discriminate against somebody coming after me with a knife. We have to look at situations from both sides if we can, I am so sorry a person is dead and I am sorry another person has to wake up a thousands times after reliving that moment, just screaming WHAT IF. Alot of people got hurt, we should just say a prayer, that they find a way to cope with it.
Do you really have to make it an uglier situation than it already was?
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I've known for a while now that you didn't particularly care for me ever since you blew up at me last year for bringing up Scranton politics too much, but I never knew you harbored such deep angst. Doesn't if feel therapeutic now that you've let it all drain out of your system like a natural catharsis?
