But yeah, I did get the sense that Ron Fournier was looking at the Obamas and thought that they’re too uppity.
There are ways some elements of society and the press feel certain other segments should act. I have experienced hardly any racism in my suburban middle class life, but I know what message is being communicated here (seriously, I have no idea what “the hood” is like and always laugh at people who make that assumption. I mean, Silver Spring MD and Lauderdale Lakes FL aren’t exactly South Central).
Oliver, I define the “‘hood” as a place where most residents are non-white and most adult males have at least one felony conviction. That also describes my employees, who are from a part of the world where you move out as soon as you get the means.
By that definition, I have spent more time in the “hood” than you have, and because I have left a lot of money there, I am well known and reasonably well liked. I found that being a white guy in that area targeted me for more police attention than being black, because I was easily noticed and out of my “place.”
I never had an opinion of the local Sheriff’s Department until they decided to find out why this bearded, tough-looking white guy gets to hang out with the “playuhs” in an area where they wouldn’t go without a badge and a gun.
Even though I am 62 years old, white, own my company, and have never been arrested, now I get treated by the police like a poor black man, pulled over for no reason other than a warrant check and a vehicle search.
I suppose that’s progress.
Ya know, if part of our population (30% 45% 60%? I dunno) is so hung up on race that a bi-racial, ivy league-educated guy with several years of governmental experience is still unacceptable, it doesn’t speak well of our ability to solve really big problems like energy, climate, and trade issues, now does it?
Gotta watch out in Silver Spring, you might get solicited for a save-the-forests donation.
Of course, Oliver, I cannot figure out these Montgomery County fools who think Silver Spring is “dangerous.” Okay, you can get killed there, but most likely by some DWI GS-13 who didn’t know how to handle her alcohol and tried to drive on a Friday night on Georgia Avenue.
Any of these children of Potomac, Bethesda or Chevy Chase who hallucinate that Silver Spring is “unsafe” need to take a trip w me to the corner of Fulton and Monroe in Sandtown, West Baltimore. They need to walk with me on Broadway north of Hopkins hospital, count the needles, count the hookers, count the bangers, see decrepit housing like you’d expect in a favela in the hills of Rio. 45 minutes there, and they’ll be playing catch with their toddler grandchildren on Georgia Avenue at 11 at night, grateful they made it the 45 miles back from Beirut on the Patapsco.
Watch his step? Does that mean what I think it means?
Wait, there are people who actually think Silver Spring is dangerous? The freaking Pleasantville of the Mid-Atlantic?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-ehrenreich/hillarys-nasty-pastorate_b_92361.html
Oh-Oh… Hillary might have a skeleton of her own in the closet.
Bruce…the “corner” of Fulton & Monroe? Those streets are parallel; they do not intersect. Fulton and Fayette (or Edmonson, Riggs, North) – yeah.
Right now there’s almost NOTHING in the area north of Hopkins Hospital – it was all torn down for their precious biotech park. (There’s no population until you cross the Amtrak line…and then, you see the needles and crap.) So were the perfectly good Chapel townhouses to the south, my home for 22 years. Developers haven’t had a clue what to do with the site.
Another place in Balto. to watch out for is Park Heights Ave., from Park Circle to Pimlico. Anyone who thinks Silver Spring is “too ghetto” needs to spend an hour up here. Hell, I used to know a guy who thought PARKVILLE (Harford Rd. just outside the city) was “too ghetto” and his family moved to (surprise, surprise) Carroll County.
BTW, I’m black. The above observations are based entirely on living and going through those areas.
Yikes, Vinnie. No wonder we haven’t heard anything about it.
whoops.