Flash Mobs in Center City/opinions? responsibility? Worth the price to live in CC? (Philadelphia: coupon, apartment)

[rdugirl]

[big mike 80]

I find a lot of these post to be offensive, bigoted and lacking insight to the underlying social issues that are causing this. As I read the majority of the post on this thread, it makes these issues stand out. For instance what constitutes "undesirables" What you mean is poor black people. Worst of all these are kids too. These are humans we are talking about. This is just as much there city as it is for rich white people. Truth of the matter is, after the factories closed and wealth started to leave the city. The city has gone through a long economic depression. Now that wealth is returning to the city and center city is expanding. Gentrified neighborhoods that the poor can no longer afford. The gap between wealth and services has grown very large. Fueling resentment amongst the poor of the city. Look at the schools and parks in CC and UC compared to the rest of the city. On top of that the stop and frisk policies of the police in the slums creates a feeling of being oppressed. As we work to bring wealth back to our great city we most also try to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. To create a better standard of living to all our city's residents. I could go on and on in more detail but i will let you decide and continue this dialogue on your own. This is an issue that must be addressed.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by big mike 80

I find a lot of these post to be offensive, bigoted and lacking insight to the underlying social issues that are causing this. As I read the majority of the post on this thread, it makes these issues stand out. For instance what constitutes "undesirables" What you mean is poor black people. Worst of all these are kids too. These are humans we are talking about. This is just as much there city as it is for rich white people. Truth of the matter is, after the factories closed and wealth started to leave the city. The city has gone through a long economic depression. Now that wealth is returning to the city and center city is expanding. Gentrified neighborhoods that the poor can no longer afford. The gap between wealth and services has grown very large. Fueling resentment amongst the poor of the city. Look at the schools and parks in CC and UC compared to the rest of the city. On top of that the stop and frisk policies of the police in the slums creates a feeling of being oppressed. As we work to bring wealth back to our great city we most also try to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. To create a better standard of living to all our city's residents. I could go on and on in more detail but i will let you decide and continue this dialogue on your own. This is an issue that must be addressed.

Neither I nor the people you described as suffering from socio-economic inequalities purposefully set out on marauding raids intent on randomly attacking someone out for an evening's enjoyment. Be they white, black, green or yellow, these punks are undesirable to me. It is indeed just as much their city as mine, as you say, but nothing entitles them to violate its laws nor the basic principles governing how we coexist in a civilized society. I'm as much a bleeding heart as the next fellow, but I do not provide cover for the inexcusable.

[nephi215]

Unfortunately they only way to stop these young punk cowards from doing these senseless pointless acts is if one or more of the culprits gets killed by a victim or the police while they are committing the crime. I don't condone violence, but I will make an exception in order for these senseless, embarrassing inhumane crimes to stop.

[big mike 80]

Originally Posted by jm02

Neither I nor the people you described as suffering from socio-economic inequalities purposefully set out on marauding raids intent on randomly attacking someone out for an evening's enjoyment. Be they white, black, green or yellow, these punks are undesirable to me. It is indeed just as much their city as mine, as you say, but nothing entitles them to violate its laws nor the basic principles governing how we coexist in a civilized society. I'm as much a bleeding heart as the next fellow, but I do not provide cover for the inexcusable.

I did not mean to come off as defending these actions. Just wanted to point out some of the social issues that come with our cities rebirth. Something for our cities more affluent citizens to think about. Like the need to enforce a strict youth curfew.

[VincentD]

I was about to move to CC when all this flash mob business started. I have to say I'm glad I changed my mind. CC could be an excellent place to live, but after enduring the high cost of housing, parking, taxes, etc., and then to having to put up with this outrageous nonsense, it's just not worth it.

If and when this flash mob craze blows over, I'll maybe reconsider. For now, the problem only appears to be getting worse.

As far as "addressing the issue" between Philly's welfare class and its middle class, I'm not sure what the issue really is. The Great Society program initiated by LBJ, which was meant to end poverty in America, managed instead to create a culturally depraved underclass that is now hopelessly dependent upon public assistance after multiple generations of subsisting on the public teet.

Philly's middle class has every right to be dismissive of its welfare class. Much of the tax of which the middle class has been paying through the nose since the advent of the Great Society has been toward the funding of public assistance and public services for the welfare class, who pay little if any tax. To add insult to injury, the welfare class does not even appear to be trying. Their drop out rates, crime rates, and bastardy rates are through the roof. Indeed, they have become so shiftless that they are rapidly being outclassed socio-economically by a wave of working class illegal immigrants, many of whom can hardly speak English, but are eager to fill the employment voids of which the welfare class is not.

Philly's welfare class has no moral right to be angry with it's middle class. They certainly have no moral right to assault and rob the middle class citizenry of Center City, or anywhere else. The only people the welfare class in Philly have a right to be angry with are themselves, and, perhaps, the long-gone uber-wealthy elite who outsourced all the manufacturing jobs so many years ago.

[loose cannon]

The Mayor must take action now and have the Police presence doubled. PD need to get out those billy clubs and be prepared to fire a weapon if neccessary. I also call upon African American athletes and musicians to make public service announcements on the radio telling these gangsta hoods that this is the wrong way. Rollins, Vick, Howard, Iguardo (whatever the 76er guy's name is), and of course Bill Cosby should make some kind of statements as soon as possible.

[ApartmentNomad]

big mike 80, some of your points are legitimate regarding the large socioeconomic picture. However, I honestly think a big part of the problem is with a particular strain of African-American culture in which anti-social behavior has taken on a life of its own. Also, based on what I saw in Philadelphia, there is a great deal of resistance to anyone from outside (and probably inside as well) the community who tries to help. Too many African-Americans in Philadelphia will self-destructively stick it to whites, even when in the not very long run that ends up hurting them.

I'm not really sure what the solutions are. Emphasizing education may not be enough, but minimally, people are going to need some sort of education, and they are going to need to behave in ways that are acceptable to employers. Even if economic policies changed for the better overnight (and I certainly see a need for sweeping changes in our economy), there would be very little place for uneducated, barely socialized youths.

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by Angus215

Need to figure out how to keep the undesirables out of center city. that is the key to the city's future. rendell did a great job of this. current mayor, not so much.

There was no flash mobs during the John Street era either, 2000 to 2008

[FBJ]

The main point is no preteens or teens yo to 15 should be in center city after 9pm.


Not sure why the curfew for 13-18 years is MIDNIGHT. This is proved is a IDIOT. So a 8th grader can be in center city at 11:30pm?