Question About Oakland (Vallejo, Mission Viejo, Piedmont: crime rates, lawyers, schools)

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

It's well known by most respected scholars that geographic proximity to crime isn't the catalyst for social decay. The real catalyst is when there is no diffusion of wealth.

Oakland is the poster child for wealthy white people separating themselves from poor black people.

So, then are wealthy white people in Palo Alto separating themselves from the poor minorities in EPA? Are the wealthy white residents of Atherton separating themselves from poor minorities in Redwood City? How is it different? If the good parts and bad parts of Oakland were divided into separate cities would you still be making your pointless arguments?
There are cities all over the world that are filled with contrasts.
The points you make about Oakland could be applied to many cities across the country.

Also, you come across as completely self-righteous. You live in stereotypically rich and white Mission Viejo...what are you doing in your life to help poor minority people? Heaven forbid wealthy white people not want to live in the ghetto! I'm not rich, and I still would never live in the ghetto. You act as though wealthy people are bad because they choose not to live in an undesirable place. And, you act as though all wealthy people in the Bay Area are white! Have you ever been to Fremont? The wealthiest parts of the city are predominantly Chinese and Indian!

I'm white, so your posts annoy me all the more. I work hard for all that I have, so why in the hell would I live in the ghetto? I'm not rich, but it's the same principle. You fail to understand that many wealthy people worked very hard to get that way!

I'm sure there are many wealthy people in Oakland who take pride in their city as a whole and would love to see the bad areas not be bad anymore. Unfortunately, you can't always help people who don't want to help themselves. Many people living in Oakland's bad areas are used to living that way and have no real desire to do anything else with their lives...that's just an unfortunate reality. And, when somebody does try to step out and move up in life, they're often ridiculed and treated as "sell-outs". This is just the way it is. Why should wealthy people feel bad that they're living in a nice house in a nice neighborhood while others in their city aren't?

Do you suggest that all the wealthy people in Oakland sell their homes and move to the ghetto? Oh, I know...maybe they should all just trade places with people in the ghetto. The people from the bad areas could all move up into the hills and the "evil rich white people" can just move into the ghetto flatland areas. After all, it is the evil white man who's keeping the poor minorities down, right? How about the "have nots" stop blaming the "haves" for everything? Ironically, you never hear poor minorities complaining about all the grossly overpaid minority athletes and celebrities! You just hear people complaining about the wealthy white people!

While it's true that some people are born into a world in which it's much harder for them to succeed in their lives, it doesn't mean that it's the "rich white man's" fault!

I still can't figure out what Mr. Fantastic's deal is. He's either completely ignorant about race relations and economic desparities or he's just trying to rile people up...I just don't get it.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by Nineties Flava

You know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING of what you speak of... seriously. Oakland has one of the largest middle class populations in the country for a city of its size.

Of course, this grandiose statement isn't backed up by any numbers or facts.

Here are some facts:

- 20% of Oakland is BELOW the poverty line.
- The average Oakland citizen banks $35,000.

The Oakland middle-class is non-existent.

[rah]

So why are the SF section moderators not banning mr. fantastic yet, especially if others get banned for the same thing in other forums? Is constant misinformation and insults not ban-worthy here? He constantly has multiple other forumers dubunking his crap, so obviously the problem is with him, and not the rest of us.

Why should we not only put up with constant ignorance, but also people who actually seem to embrace their ignorance? ...you couldn't convince Mr. fantastic he was wrong if you had every member of MENSA backing you up...because, once again, he's a troll with no interest in facts or real discussion.

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

So basically you're saying "Black people are lazy and just want handouts so they can live off welfare and government aid."

That's just racist and ignorant.

Ha ha ha bwwaaaaha ha ha ha ha....what a joke. You have no real comeback so you resort to the tired old "racist" argument. You don't feel like taking the time (or just aren't smart enough) to come up with an intelligent response so instead you just completely manipulate what I said and put words in my mouth.


Seriously????

Now I know you can't be for real! Anybody with half a brain would be able to clearly see the point I was trying to make. The fact that you keep bringing up the race issue over and over shows that you are the one who's racist. I actually don't think along racial lines.
The point I was trying to make is that there are many people from the ghetto who adopt the "ghetto" lifestyle and don't want to change. That is a fact! I challenge anybody to try to argue it. There's nothing derogatory or condascending about that statement. It just is what it is.

Please tell me where I said "Black people are lazy and just want handouts so they can live off welfare and government aid."

I re-read my post and couldn't find that quote. Oh, that's right...once again you're not smart enough to come up with an intelligent response so you resort to totally mutilating what other people said.

I know other people on this board are smart enough to understand the points I was making in my previous posts...unfortunately Mr. Fantastic isn't.

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by rah

So why are the SF section moderators not banning mr. fantastic yet, especially if others get banned for the same thing in other forums? Is constant misinformation and insults not ban-worthy here? He constantly has multiple other forumers dubunking his crap, so obviously the problem is with him, and not the rest of us.

Why should we not only put up with constant ignorance, but also people who actually seem to embrace their ignorance? ...you couldn't convince Mr. fantastic he was wrong if you had every member of MENSA backing you up...because, once again, he's a troll with no interest in facts or real discussion.

I agree...I'm a fool for continuing to argue with this fool!

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by Nineties Flava

... can somebody ban this guy please? This person has lost his grasp on reality.


Dimond
Laurel
Fruitvale
Maxwell Park
Millsmont
Eastmont Hills
Temescal
Frick


are all considered lower middle-middle class.

Yeah, no such thing. Have you even read a book on Social Classification?

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by rah

Is constant misinformation and insults not ban-worthy here?

Please point out where I have spread "misinformation" and used personal insults.

"My feelings got hurt because I have been presented with hurtful facts about where I live" shouldn't be considered an insult.

I've been using FBI Crime Statistics gathered from 2000-2009.

One of the "Oakland Crew" just used the term "lower middle-middle class".

Who is spreading misinformation again?

[Oakland Uptown]

FYI to the uneducated Troll with a fake PHD Lower Middle Class is a real social classification just like Upper Middle Class. If you actually attended college you'd know that, but then again you claim it takes you 6 years to obtain a PhD that should not take more than 4 at the most.

[Nineties Flava]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

Please point out where I have spread "misinformation" and used personal insults.

"My feelings got hurt because I have been presented with hurtful facts about where I live" shouldn't be considered an insult.

I've been using FBI Crime Statistics gathered from 2000-2009.

One of the "Oakland Crew" just used the term "lower middle-middle class".

Who is spreading misinformation again?

Apparently you're also dyslexic...


lower middle-middle class = lower middle TO middle class. You know how to use a hyphen right?

You come up with the dumbest comebacks...

[lmk1707]

Hypothetically speaking, if I was a person who had antisocial tendencies, I would enjoy making other people angry. The easiest way to do this without social ostracism would be to do so in an anonymous environment - say, a message board on the internet. I would then employ the following formula:

- Pick a place subject to some controversy, where its inhabitants tend to be fiercely loyal due to common public misperception
- Goad said inhabitants with brash generalizations and generalized insults (fallacy of generalization)
- Await responses, then appear to have reasonable facts and assertions so as not to be completely ignored across the board
- When conversation becomes too reasonable and de-flamed, switch tactics back to goading (employ generously ad hominem and straw man arguments and sample mightily from the availability heuristic)
- Counter only those arguments that I believe I can refute, ignore the rest (false dichotomy, false equivalence, false causality abound)
- Bask in the glow of attention I have received

The surest way to disappoint me would be to ignore me entirely, causing me to start the cycle over in a new anonymous environment. If I were reported enough times and banned, I would also be forced to stop, though I may convince myself that I've in fact achieved mastery, and have flamed them into submission.

To the OP: If your girlfriend is used to teaching in an urban environment, she'd be fine in Oakland. I have a few friends who are teachers here, and enjoy it very much - there are problems endemic to urban schools and troubled areas, but often that makes the job that much more rewarding.