Gang issues/discussion (Richmond, Arlington, Alexandria: 2015, insurance, private school)

[KEVIN777]

Originally Posted by Mr.Bear

Thank you

you're welcome

[aegression]

Originally Posted by jaywallace

Please stop posting if you are not familiar with the subject.

This was a couple years ago, but I'm going to assume you still frequent this forum.

That Nemesis15 kid was right. Moderator Cut: Watch the personal attacks...and the language for that matter.

He's not 100% accurate, but he's hella closer to the truth than you. Most graff in NOVA is toy ****. Basically a kid 10-27, who sees some graffiti online and thinks it's cool. They make up some generic graffiti name, buy a few cans of paint, go on a 1-7 day spree tagging ****, then quit. Some might do the same but throw up some fake gang **** instead of a weak tag. They stop in about a week too. The only lasting graffiti currently in NOVA is a guy named Fant, who was busted and moved about a year ago, and various others passing through the area or visiting.

As for the terms and definitions nemisis gave, bombing is generally less relentless than he described. It is typically just going out and hitting up multiple spots in one night that you've previously staked out, or walking down a street catching tags and maybe a few throws on visible and respectable spots. Which brings me to throw ups. They take 2-25 minutes depending on size, complexity, and color scheme. They're typically only 2 colors, but a third may be used in a secondary outline.

More on topic with current discussion, whether or not your kid will smoke weed and drink in highschool is dependent not only on peer pressure, parental stance, and area. Another factor is psychological disposition, and genetic propensity to succumb to addiction. And let's not forget simple curiosity and availability. Peer pressure in modern social circles seems to be very misunderstood. It is no longer about smoking and drinking because everyone else does and/or to be 'cool'. It is a desire to experience the same things that peers are experiencing, and probably because it's fun/feels good. It's herd mentality, like listening to the same songs your friends listen to. A well-adjusted kid will probably try weed a couple times throughout highschool, drink on occasion (seldomly getting highly intoxicated, but perhaps in the 10 beer/4-5 shot range), but always make school a priority. If your kid's smoking weed, don't tell him/her it kills braincells. Tell them it reduces motivation gradually, elicits laziness, and is a waste of money. And if they're going to parties but don't want to drink, tell them to grab a beer and sip it for an hour, before getting another. To peers it looks like they're drinking too.

[BMWZ4RUlz]

I found this after doing a search of West Potomac High School. It is frightening because it seems like the only schools people don't hate are in Arlington, VA. All schools in Alexandria seem to have a bad rep and Falls Church HS and Stuart get bad reviews as well.

I am just curious-what schools other than Robinson and Arlington County would you recommend in NOVA if you wanna be somewhat close to DC?

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by dshawg1

I found this after doing a search of West Potomac High School. It is frightening because it seems like the only schools people don't hate are in Arlington, VA. All schools in Alexandria seem to have a bad rep and Falls Church HS and Stuart get bad reviews as well.

I am just curious-what schools other than Robinson and Arlington County would you recommend in NOVA if you wanna be somewhat close to DC?

West Potomac is actually a pretty good high school. It does serve a diverse student population but good students do really well there. It has excellent art, music, and athletics programs and the facility is top notch. A lot of the AAP kids around here end up there rather than at Mount Vernon since the center school is in that pyramid and they'll often choose Sandburg MS, which fees WP, over Whitman, which feeds MV. I don't hesitate in recommending it, based on personal experience.

[BMWZ4RUlz]

Thanks for the advice. May I ask your take on "Yale or Jail" ? A friend of mine said something I found funny: "any school with a rowing program cannot be that bad" HA HA

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by Jackattack09

I'm currently a student at West Potomac High School and I have to admit that I'm astonished at this type of thinking about my school. I assure you, West Potomac is a top-grade institution. If you have a child who wants to challenge themself...

Most of your post is pretty well written, but FYI, it's "themselves" or (to be technically correct by avoiding the use of a plural as a gender-neutral substitute) "himself or herself." ("Themself" is not a word. I blame your teachers for not covering this.) But you made some good points.

Originally Posted by Mr.Bear

it appears to me that many of the parents involved in having concerns about gangs, drugs and the like dont seem to do much research into it they just beileve what the media tells them as well as any "experience" they may have had. i bet that most of you still beileve that weed is bad for you.

If it has no negative effects, then how do you explain that heavy users are usually unmotivated and focus their lives on getting high? No, of course it pales in comparison to meth, heroin, etc.--and I'm actually for legalizing it, so we can fight those harder drugs--but it's far from harmless.

[sweet_kiss1]

lol Annandale and Edison areas are lower income???

Originally Posted by The Dissenter

not very many. I'd say the lower income schools in Fairfax Co (Annandale, Edison, Mount Vernon, etc) close to Alexandria have a noticable amount of gang activity.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Most of your post is pretty well written, but FYI, it's "themselves" or (to be technically correct by avoiding the use of a plural as a gender-neutral substitute) "himself or herself." ("Themself" is not a word. I blame your teachers for not covering this.) But you made some good points.



If it has no negative effects, then how do you explain that heavy users are usually unmotivated and focus their lives on getting high? No, of course it pales in comparison to meth, heroin, etc.--and I'm actually for legalizing it, so we can fight those harder drugs--but it's far from harmless.

Do you realize how old the posts are that you are responding to?

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by dshawg1

Thanks for the advice. May I ask your take on "Yale or Jail" ? A friend of mine said something I found funny: "any school with a rowing program cannot be that bad" HA HA

Both TCW and WP do have crew. WP has a good shooting program. I think Woodson and Robinson are the only other two public schools in NoVA with one. It also has a golf team coached by a PGA pro.

[mcleanexec]

Anyone have an update on Jackson Middle School? As recently as 2009, the school had been infiltrated by Latino gangs.