Comments on: An Attempted Mugging

By: Morrow29Melisa

Morrow29Melisa — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:50:32 +0000

I would like to propose not to wait until you get enough amount of cash to buy different goods! You can just get the personal loans or secured loan and feel yourself free

By: theophania

theophania — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:03:45 +0000

Its funny you bring that up, iv been told in France that you get around 3 months of government support before the government gives you a job to do, cleaning parks, streets, public spaces and even bathrooms. I was told how fast most people find themselves other line of work after that. They kill two birds with one stone. most government jobs are filled with unemployed and welfare type individuals.

By: Miss Anthrope

Miss Anthrope — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 06:49:28 +0000

humans suck.

By: Yo

Yo — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:20:47 +0000

Now I just read a bunch of comments and have seen my point was pretty much stated.

By: Yo

Yo — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:14:28 +0000

Sometimes it by what a person wears or how they wear it. It’s the gangster style that gets me on guard. A young man wearing preppy clothes, to me, seems less likely than him wearing sagging pants and a long-white tee to pull a gun on me and rob me.

A lot of kids look up to gangsters and criminals and dress like them, and wonder why people are afraid.

By: Luis V

Luis V — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:46:39 +0000

I think that the photo and personal information of every person arrested for any type of crime, including mugging, should be posted in the newspapers,public places, and/or in the neighborhood where he/she operates. I also believe that the US Welfare System has to be changed completely. People get “paid” with our taxes and they don’t contribute anything to society except to have more children irresponsibly and enjoy all the time in the world to commit crimes. They should be forced to work 8 hours a day or more like we do.

By: jimbeam

jimbeam — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:09:45 +0000

Yes, because everyone in the Mission who isn’t white is here illegally. You are so backwards.

By: tracy

tracy — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:21:16 +0000

I agree with Ariel. this blurb was written about my experience. the reason I clutched my phone was I was standing right up against the end of the sidewalk and noticed someone walking towards me. I knew there was no reason for someone to walk in front of me cause there was no more sidewalk to walk on. it was strange that this person was getting so close. It had nothing to do with race or the clothes he was wearing. It was the energy I felt.to be honest I didn’t even look at him until he had actually grabbed me.

By: Wesam

Wesam — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:53:55 +0000

Sucks to have any weapon pointed at you, by a thief OR a police officer. I know how both feel. And at least with thief you know you can call someone for help.

As a person of color that enjoys the privilege of living in a relatively crime-free community, i understand very well the reality that “personal safety” as you put, is a privilege, not a right in America. You can look to the hundreds of blighted communities all across the country to see this, 100% have one thing in common: the lack of any real federal/state economic and infrastructural support. If you really want a safe place to put on your Apple ear buds and stroll through the park blasting Enya to your hearts contentment, then advocate for economic and academic equity in that community that you play in, work in, live in. Don’t blame “the punks”. I promise you, they aren’t much different than you or me.

ps – The bootstrap’s argument is so 90′s. I know. of course you embody those good ol’ American values. The problem with these criminals is that they’re just plane lazy right?

pss – The Patriot Act 1 and 2, the secret detention of Muslim Americans in two blacksite prisons on American soil (indiana/illinois), SP1/SP2, City Contract & The Lennar Corp, Prison to School ratios in CA, i can go on…

psss – thanks for engaging in this debate.

pssss – thank you for that anne

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:24:29 +0000

“There is but one unconditional commandment, which is that we should seek incessantly, with fear and trembling, so to vote and to act as to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.”

~William James

By: Glenparker

Glenparker — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:17:54 +0000

I don’t “conflate criminal behavior with communities of color” or any of that other BS. I could give a shit what color you are or what your background is. All I care about is personal safety. I’ve had two guns pointed at me at the same time; both white guys.
Don’t give me that shit about options and how lucky I am “to lean on the city for support.” This city has more options for disadvantaged folks than any other. Nobody has given me shit; I’ve worked paper routes, McDonalds….
Funny how you can’t explain the black on black/brown violence. How can these two groups commit crimes against each other? Perhaps some are just fucking criminals? Is that possible?
And please oh please enlighten me as to what “…regressive policy to pass that target Black/Latinos and Muslim American communities?”
What legislation has passed or is being considered that would implement a regressive policy towards these communities?
SF is more tolerant than just about any city you can name. We bend over backward not to offend or discriminate against anyone.
I don’t care if you’re black or white, brown or red, all that matters to me is you don’t mug me.

By: Wesam

Wesam — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:16:32 +0000

I wasn’t referring to “immigrants” as you put it (which I’m assuming you mean “undocumented or unnaturalized residents”, the way in which you position them in the conversation is f-d up to begin with) that aside, I’m talking about the folks of color that have been living in SF for generations, including the African American community that had the economic bottom pulled from under it post WWII and hasn’t from recovered since.

This discussion (at the point i entered it) wasnt about citizenship. It was about the perception of a threat to property (stuff) and racial/class profiling. What I’m attempting to bring across is that there are many folks out there on the streets of SF who dont have options like you or me. They can’t lean on the city for support. We can say its a class thing motivated by economics, but we cant ignore the fact that the class disparity that exists in this city is starkly divided along racial lines (per capita) (note: there are plenty of poor white folks in this city). Sadly, what ends up happening is people like yourself conflate criminal behavior with communities of color in a way that essentializes them, playing into the structural assumptions about race, region and class. Which is fucked up.

Speaking to Luiss’ last point about being latino and feeling on the spot. Of course, the sad fact is that there is more brown on brown /black on black violence in this city than toward opposing races/communities. The force that create such a tense environment as we find in places like the mission stem from a combination of issues that cant just be summed up as simply as “young black punks” being the problem. Its racist rhetoric like that which creates a space for regressive policy to pass that target Blacks/Latinos and Muslim American communities.

By: marco

marco — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:58:44 +0000

As much as people think they’re they may be “racially profiling” black kids, or latino kids or whatever, I think most people aren’t racially profiling as much as they are profiling based on clothing and characteristics. If you saw a group of well groomed black kids in polo shirts and loafers, I doubt you’d be clutching your wallet. It’s when you see a group of rowdy kids in hoodies and baggy pants, walking the prison shuffle and eyeing your shit that you get nervous.

By: AlexisG

AlexisG — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:02:15 +0000

I think the trick is to be aware of one’s surroundings without so anticipating a negative – or even violent – event that you’re miserable every moment you wait for a bus (which we know may be a lot of moments). My own experience: I was punched hard in the face waiting for #48 at 24th/Mission. Then Mugger grabbed my bag (what happened to first demanding the purse/wallet with a menacing threat? Give me a chance to give it up without breaking my tooth?) but I was so stunned I hung on and got kicked and hit again. The point I want to make is not in the details of the assault but rather to the reaction(s) of people nearby. Like some others here, no one interfered in the actual assault, tackled the perp, whatever . . . but many – yeah, MANY -responded to ME. Someone helped me up, others called 911, another got ice for my face. Others waited with me ’til cops (finally) came. These were assorted Mission folks of various shades. Those who actually saw the attack said they didn’t “believe” what they were seeing (Is this really happening?!!) and those seconds of disbelief caused the pause as my assailant ran down Lilac Alley. I know my own shock numbed me to my injuries until later. As awful as it was, I think it’s better glad it happened in the neighborhood with good-hearted, if slow-reacting, folks from the Mission nearby. In contrast, I took a brutal fall on an Outer Sunset sidewalk last month. With no reason to fear danger to themselves, nobody stopped – or stopped staring – to offer help or even ask if I was OK.

By: Luis Villalon

Luis Villalon — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 23:31:52 +0000

Inmigration doesn’t always bring the best of people. Starting with the pilgrims, who under the guise of religious persecution came to this land, stole it from its rightful owners, started slavery, and murdered innocent people by burning them at the stake, every other ethnic, religious or racial group since has had it share of good people and criminals. When I lived in NYC, the Russian and Israeli maffias made the Italians look like boy scouts, now it’s the Dominicans. I can’t accept the PC idea that criminal conduct is caused by poverty, being disenfranchized, or singled out because of being Mexican, Asian or Black, although I realize that there is a lot of racism in this country. I am Hispanic, law abiding tax paying citizen of the US, slightly dark skinned, and I have never been detained or harrased by the police for any reason. All my Hispanic and Black friends can attest the same for themselves. People should enjoy the goods that they have worked for to obtain, without the fear of walking down the street and being robbed and/or being injured in the process. It’s not a racial thing. I am a Land’s End, Brooks Bros. kind of guy and the 2 times I have been to the Mission I stood out as a sore thumb. Even as a Hispanic, I can be as much of a victim as anyone else.