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I just double checked the sex offender registry maps. Most are clustered down town/old town; NE along MLK; north of Killingsworth; NE and SE along 82nd Ave; clustered south of Duke; and SE of 148th. Kerns, Tabor, Buckman, Sunnyside, Richmond, Sellwood, Laurelhurst, Ladd's, Eastmoreland, and Woodstock have none as far as I can tell from the maps. SW really has none aside from the downtown area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Metlakatla
That only isn't untrue, it's a variation of the tired old blame the victim mentality that affirms that bad things don't happen to people who live the right way.
Some people are less vulnerable than others, and family situations may contribute to that, but no one has zero immunity.
Yes. My old neighbors had a very, "blame the victim" attitude about this topic and anything that challenged their lifestyle/ situation. I used to work with rape survivors about 20 years a go and it's interesting that our society hasn't changed much even with education and awareness.
Last edited by Yankeemama; 11-03-2015 at 03:49 PM..
Yes. My old neighbors had a very, "blame the victim" attitude about this topic and anything that challenged their lifestyle/ situation. I used to work with rape survivors aboiy 20 years a go and it's interesting that our society hadn't changed much even with education and awareness.
You probably already know this, but it's a way a lot of people have of reassuring themselves that scary bad things won't happen to themselves or their loved ones. I think that's a big part of why some people are so resistant to changing their attitude...the disturbing undercurrent is that the lives of those who don't come from intact families somehow matter less.
I used to work with homeless youth, and hell yeah, these kids were more likely than their housed peers to become victims of sexual predators, but it's a false translation to say that kids who live in intact homes are living risk-free lives.
There are some that sneak into "good neighborhoods" by sharing a rental house. The big apartment companies don't rent to SOs from what I have heard. I checked the registry before I moved to Portland and "my friend" didn't show up on it. I checked another registry after we moved and there he was! His crime was listed by the State where he was convicted and did time so unlike some states where you don't know if the guy is someone who dated a teenager and was 18 OR if he is a true offender, his state listed his crimes and it was bad. It wasn't just the SO though that was a pita but the attitudes of many of my neighbors which enables these people IMO. I lived in NYC for over 15 years so I am not naive to crime but Portland always gave me a weird creepy feeling in regards to crime. I was less worried about murder but more worried that the state of denial many residents seem to be in contributes to the kind of crime that doesn't get reported. Velouria- do you remember the "hazing" at Grant that was essentially sodomy of a freshman boy that got swept under the rug? If that was Roosevelt or Jefferson, which are considered dangerous schools, there would have been arrests because it falls in line with the narrative that many Portlanders feel comfortable with. Tell them that one of their best high schools allowed a boy to be attacked by his team mates though and the denial starts. That is typical of middle to upper middle class Portland. That's a big reason we chose the burbs as well as prioritizing our kids educational needs. I may not be as conservative as many of my Beaverton neighbors but I feel like my neighbors have their priorities straight. This may not be a popular post with some here but it may be enlightening to possible Portland newcomers. I am glad that this this topic was brought up by the OP.
I honestly do not recall that horrific story at Grant, and that just speaks to the fact that it was swept under the rug. How sad and horrible for that boy. I agree with you about people here being in denial. Even in this thread, it was mentioned that "we don't have schools like that here" when I described my high school experience. Well my thinking is, yes we probably do have those same problems in Portland but they are minimized or ignored.
And, yes, I imagine RSOs do fly under the radar by renting rooms, etc. My understanding is that they are required to register and report in to a parole officer so hopefully we know where most of them end up. Obviously it's only one measure of a neighborhood but it indicates how desirable an area is because landlords aren't going to rent to RSOs unless they have to or don't care about their property value, both are bad signs.
You probably already know this, but it's a way a lot of people have of reassuring themselves that scary bad things won't happen to themselves or their loved ones. I think that's a big part of why some people are so resistant to changing their attitude...the disturbing undercurrent is that the lives of those who don't come from intact families somehow matter less.
I used to work with homeless youth, and hell yeah, these kids were more likely than their housed peers to become victims of sexual predators, but it's a false translation to say that kids who live in intact homes are living risk-free lives.
Yes, I see young women on the street as either prostitutes or homeless or both and wonder what made some of these women leave home in the first place. Hmmm...(scratches head) and the fact that nobody ever talks about the effects of the massive sex industry, including the beloved strip clubs attended by cool hip guys, on the society at large. I saw the children of strippers at a school in East Portland and they were affected by the sex industry in negative ways that never get spoken about. It's not cool to talk about anything tragic with a large number of Portlanders however I had an old timer for a buddy in my old hood and he would actually be honest and speak the truth about difficult issues. This forum has been a great example of Portlanders who enjoy drinking the kombucha with their heads in the sand.
Yes, I see young women on the street as either prostitutes or homeless or both and wonder what made some of these women leave home in the first place. Hmmm...(scratches head) and the fact that nobody ever talks about the effects of the massive sex industry, including the beloved strip clubs attended by cool hip guys, on the society at large. I saw the children of strippers at a school in East Portland and they were affected by the sex industry in negative ways that never get spoken about. It's not cool to talk about anything tragic with a large number of Portlanders however I had an old timer for a buddy in my old hood and he would actually be honest and speak the truth about difficult issues. This forum has been a great example of Portlanders who enjoy drinking the kombucha with their heads in the sand.
The myth is that they're spoiled brats who wouldn't follow the rules at home and chose the free life on the streets. The reality is more like what happened to Jenny; she was sleeping in the park because her mother's whatever "boyfriend" du jour of the moment would consider her part of the deal. She froze when she was about 15. This was in Salem.
I honestly do not recall that horrific story at Grant, and that just speaks to the fact that it was swept under the rug. How sad and horrible for that boy. I agree with you about people here being in denial. Even in this thread, it was mentioned that "we don't have schools like that here" when I described my high school experience. Well my thinking is, yes we probably do have those same problems in Portland but they are minimized or ignored.
And, yes, I imagine RSOs do fly under the radar by renting rooms, etc. My understanding is that they are required to register and report in to a parole officer so hopefully we know where most of them end up. Obviously it's only one measure of a neighborhood but it indicates how desirable an area is because landlords aren't going to rent to RSOs unless they have to or don't care about their property value, both are bad signs.
Yup I lived in a good hood and was getting trendy but there were some hold-out houses where you see the seedy part of Portland across the street from a house for over half a million. S.F. used to be more like this back in the day too but the weird attitude by many here makes the creepy more creepy. Google the Grant incident and you can see all of the articles from The Oregonian. There was also an incident in the Wendy's on Sandy in Laurelhurst, where a boy went to use the bathroom and dad waited out side of the bathroom in the hallway. The boy was dragged into s stall by a SO from Southern Oregon, I think, and he had a knife and the boy got out of the stall and the SO was arrested. Big news but no one I knew spoke about it. No one.
The myth is that they're spoiled brats who wouldn't follow the rules at home and chose the free life on the streets. The reality is more like what happened to Jenny; she was sleeping in the park because her mother's whatever "boyfriend" du jour of the moment would consider her part of the deal. She froze when she was about 15. This was in Salem.
Women's issues are always ignored and female victims are demonized. And people wonder why college students are scared to report gang rapes at the top universities in this country because you know... that sort of thing doesn't happen amongst "people like us".
Yup I lived in a good hood and was getting trendy but there were some hold-out houses where you see the seedy part of Portland across the street from a house for over half a million. S.F. used to be more like this back in the day too but the weird attitude by many here makes the creepy more creepy. Google the Grant incident and you can see all of the articles from The Oregonian. There was also an incident in the Wendy's on Sandy in Laurelhurst, where a boy went to use the bathroom and dad waited out side of the bathroom in the hallway. The boy was dragged into s stall by a SO from Southern Oregon, I think, and he had a knife and the boy got out of the stall and the SO was arrested. Big news but no one I knew spoke about it. No one.
The incident with the kid in the Wendy's restroom is the type of story that brings nightmares to us parents. You know it isn't likely to happen, but it wasn't likely to happen to that kid either. And I suppose it could happen anywhere because crazy people are everywhere.
That said, sometimes I think the "live and let live" attitude in Portland and Oregon in general goes a little too far and does us a disservice. It's tough--for example I like not being judged for not being a church-goer (couldn't imagine living in the Bible Belt), but I think we are so conditioned to not get into other people's business that we don't pay attention to people in our surroundings, including our neighbors. I don't know--maybe if the SO that assaulted that kid was being watched closely (by law enforcement, or even by neighbors who knew about his proclivities) that incident may not have happened. Hard to say.
Is the live and let live attitude based on an open and accepting population here in Portland? Yes, for most. But for others I think it's more about not caring, or being oblivious or apathetic about other people's behavior. For this reason I think Portland is really not that different from any other big city, regardless of the hype and fantasy that we are so liberal and wonderful and accepting.
The incident with the kid in the Wendy's restroom is the type of story that brings nightmares to us parents. You know it isn't likely to happen, but it wasn't likely to happen to that kid either. And I suppose it could happen anywhere because crazy people are everywhere.
That said, sometimes I think the "live and let live" attitude in Portland and Oregon in general goes a little too far and does us a disservice. It's tough--for example I like not being judged for not being a church-goer (couldn't imagine living in the Bible Belt), but I think we are so conditioned to not get into other people's business that we don't pay attention to people in our surroundings, including our neighbors. I don't know--maybe if the SO that assaulted that kid was being watched closely (by law enforcement, or even by neighbors who knew about his proclivities) that incident may not have happened. Hard to say.
Is the live and let live attitude based on an open and accepting population here in Portland? Yes, for most. But for others I think it's more about not caring, or being oblivious or apathetic about other people's behavior. For this reason I think Portland is really not that different from any other big city, regardless of the hype and fantasy that we are so liberal and wonderful and accepting.
Jeez, I guess I'm in a downer mood today!
I mentioned the Wendy's story because a few of us were discussing whether convicted SOs are anything to worry about and that's part of my answer. As for the live and let live attitude... I agree it's rooted in positive, well meaning attitudes but like anything can be perverted. I could tell stories of liberal, affluent parents in Portland who have taken that attitude way too far. I am not super religious by any means however I DO enjoy the Beaverton demographics which includes church, mosque, temple, cathedral goers and other kinds of worshippers on the same block! My new neighbors and I may have different beliefs but they call the police when there is cause and they come out of their doors if there is ruckus outside. Not getting involved SUCKS... for individuals and communities alike. I def. think the apathy is more of a Portland thing because people in my hood in the burbs would be talking about "the kid that was dragged into s bathroom stall the other day". It was on CNN but not one parent I knew spoke of it. That is scary.
Last edited by Yankeemama; 11-03-2015 at 05:12 PM..
I mentioned the Wendy's story because a few of us were discussing whether convicted SOs are anything to worry about and that's part of my answer. As for the live and let live attitude... I agree it's rooted in positive, well meaning attitudes but like anything can be perverted. I could tell stories of liberal, affluent parents in Portland who have taken that attitude way too far. I am not super religious by any means however I DO enjoy the Beaverton demographics which includes church, mosque, temple, cathedral goers and other kinds of worshippers on the same block! My new neighbors and I may have different beliefs but they call the police when there is cause and they come out of their doors of there is ruckus outside. Not getting involved SUCKS... for individuals and communities alike. I def. think the apathy is more of a Portland thing because people in my hood in the burbs would be talking about the kid that was dragged into s bathroom stall the other day. It was on CNN but not one parent I knew spoke of it. That is scary.
Yep. Kind of a bubble mentality, thinking that if it didn't happen to somebody they know, it didn't happen.
Realistically we're statistically safer in 2015 in Portland than we would be in most cities of this size, and certainly compared to the 1970s when crime was rampant throughout the US. But the relative safety doesn't explain the apathy that some people here have about the crime problems that we do have.
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, on the society at large. I saw the children of strippers at a school in East Portland and they were affected by the sex industry in negative ways that never get spoken about. It's not cool to talk about anything tragic with a large number of Portlanders however I had an old timer for a buddy in my old hood and he would actually be honest and speak the truth about difficult issues. This forum has been a great example of Portlanders who enjoy drinking the kombucha with their heads in the sand.
