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Sunday, August 12, 2007
3 Youths Arrested for Breaking Into 24 Cars
The Morning Call reports (read it here) that three juvenile's were arrested and face theft charges after they broke into twenty four cars in the borough between last Sunday and Monday night.
Glad to see you are happy they caught a bunch a kids committing crimes. I am happy as well.
My question to you is, where was all your glee and comments around the crime committed by adults?
You have proven the hypocracy of this area. Only skaters are bad, everyone else is good.
How do you know they were skater? I failed to see that mentioned in the MCall article. Is crime only committed by skaters in Nazareth?
Were the restaurants robbed by skaters? Was the theft of donated funds at Hecktown Ambulance done by skaters? What about the drug dealing/using athletes? Why don't you talk about them?
Were is your proof on this case that is was skaters?
People need to pull their heads out of the sand (or other bodily locations) and realize that we do have a lot of crime, but there is WAY to much time spent trying to attack the "skater" crowd.
We need to start focusing on the ADULTS! And yes, I am 40+ years old and it ticks me off to see a bunch of self-righteous adults that clearly never had a childhood attacking these kids.
Anonymous, you have a problem. It was a joke that worked well, feel like silly now? I have been helping the skatepark, i cleaned the area up myself. Several times. I dont judge people, period. In any case, how about coming up with something new and stop cutting and pasting old posts...sheesh.
I was going to say that all these adults that are commiting these crimes were once skaters, but that would be just tooooo funny.
I am sick of all of the "adults" in this community jumping on the skaters.
I am not a skater, my kids are not skaters.
These people are quick to jump on these kids, but if it is anyone outside that group, they keep their mouths shut.
You can go back through the comments on this site, when it is about an adult, there is very little said. When it is about the skaters, they can't keep their mouths shut.
I was pretty sure that you were using a bit of sarcasm, but I used it as a mechanism to speak to all the hypocrits out there.
Keep up the good work. I will tell you that the other day I saw a couple kids WALKING to the skate park carrying their boards. Shortly afterwards, I saw and ADULT cross in the middle of the road and stop to have a conversation with someone on the side almost causing an accident.
Keep up the good work. The park is a great idea and maybe some of those with inch thick narrow minds will start to remember what it was like to be a kid.
As a point of observation, one of the things I've found over the past year or so is that people tend to view comments as what the "community" thinks about something.
In fact the number of people who post in comparison to those who read is very, very small.
Everyone who reads know I like a less confrontational approach to issues. Yes I want to talk about them, and debate is good so long as it remains fixed on the subject and doesn't turn into an attack on the individual. It should also end with some constructive possible solutions.
The fact that people don't comment on a topic, doesn't mean that they care or don't care, only that they didn't comment (again as most don't). And some posts don't require much more said that hasn't already been stated.
In regard to crime, the adults who attend the Council meeting have kept this issue at the forefront each and every meeting I've been to this year.
The fact that this announcement (from the post) was in the newspaper at all should be credited to those individuals who have questioned why more isn't reported in this regard for Nazareth.
The new police chief will be critical to enacting change and giving the police officers a more stable situation than they've had over the past year or so and hopefully that will allow them to focus on their job.
I couldn't agree with you more that crime being reported in the news is a major step forward, and my hats off to those that have been keeping the heat on council.
Yes, the community on this site may not represent the community as a whole. However, my comments where directly mainly at THIS community.
Mention skaters or the park and they are all willing to jump on these kids. In reality, those that I have seen have been playing by the rules.
If they are that vocal over the kids, why aren't they vocal over adults.
Almost any post about the skate park or skaters in general have drawn a lot of posts, both for and against these kids. Some over the top in their attacks.
Posts about adults doing something wrong (other than about teachers, district or council) don't cause a ripple.
If you are going to express outrage, why one group and not the other?
Am I saying go after the adults on these pages? No. But, maybe posters should give a little thought before they launch an attack against these kids.
Allow me to be a bit long-winded (as if I'm ever very brief;-).
Let's consider the situation that took place with the pool at the MS. There were vehement arguments made in favor of it and opposed to it.
In that case it struck me as a group advocating for an amenity that would personally benefit themself or their child against another group who didn't believe the taxpayers should foot the bill for each request of this nature.
One could also argue on a broader level it was a case of new(er) residents against long-time residents since some of the arguments noted both 'where I came from we had a pool and it was great' and 'we never had one before why now?'
The issue of balancing the qualities of what make a place special with being progressive and meeting new needs is difficult and emotional. As such it brings out many opinions and comments. Plus, as a school project the benefit and cost would impact virtually everyone who reads this site.
Now to the Skate Park and Skaters. This was a more limited audience as it didn't directly impact all readers, though most news and information is borough based, so a large number were involved as well.
There are two separate aspects to this. One was the decision to have a Skate Park or not. The other was in regard to youth who skateboarded on private property without permission.
I don't want to re-engage the old arguments but I do want to consider that the first aspect involved the question of what recreational activities should a community support and at what cost?
I did not buy into this at first. I thought we should spend the money in a way that benefited the most number of residents. Improving existing parks in town. Adding a walking trail or exercise stations around existing parks, etc.
The argument was made by several that certain sports have long been supported - basketball, baseball/softball, tennis, and swimming through borough facilities and that as times change so to do the activities.
I have to agree with that assessment, even if it wouldn't be my personal first choice on how to spend the money, our elected officials decided this was an activity worthy of supporting (by unanimous vote as I recall).
Others disagreed and didn't feel the money should be spent that way. I can't argue with them either, there is no easy solution when it comes to determining what public recreation should be supported and what shouldn't.
In the case of the Skate Park, a second issue came into play, and that was the individuals who chose to skate on private property without permission.
This is a separate issue, but it got pulled in and fueled emotions.
Why reward individuals who don't show respect? Was one argument, countered by you must show respect and give them support (ie a Skate Park) if they are going to reciprocate. (Yes, I'm simplifying this to make the point).
Bringing the two issues together wasn't good because it wasn't all skaters who did this, but they became generalized as all being guilty of it. Others argued that the Skate Park would keep them from skating on private property.
A person who either witnessed or was involved in a situation with a skater or group of them who were skating on their private property or in intersections blocking traffic couldn't understand why these kids were being rewarded.
On the flip side, people who were skaters or parents thereof, didn't like their kid being portrayed as one of those who was doing something wrong.
Where did it leave us, back to the original comment - mention skate, skater, or skate park - and a fury will follow.
So that is my take on why emotions are flared on the issue of the skate park.
By comparison, take the embezzlements. Unlike the MS pool, Skate Park, and certain skaters, where there was no consensus for good reason (there were no easy answers), I think pretty much everyone would agree that embezzling is wrong.
If it is wrong and we all know it, what need is there to comment?
In the end I think that is the difference you are noticing, the actions by the adults who embezzled are decidedly clear, while the decision to spend money on public projects is not and therefore there is discussion which can lead to emotions.
Once the emotions take over, you can forget about civil discourse. I think that is where we are right now with the Skaters and Skate Park.
As I said, it'd be a bit long, but I think the reason is not because people are against kids and let adults off the hook, but instead that the situations were very, very different.
7 comments:
YAY! Caught the bas%$$#. The police did a great job. I am sure the littering in the skate park will go down now!
Tatamite,
Glad to see you are happy they caught a bunch a kids committing crimes. I am happy as well.
My question to you is, where was all your glee and comments around the crime committed by adults?
You have proven the hypocracy of this area. Only skaters are bad, everyone else is good.
How do you know they were skater? I failed to see that mentioned in the MCall article. Is crime only committed by skaters in Nazareth?
Were the restaurants robbed by skaters? Was the theft of donated funds at Hecktown Ambulance done by skaters? What about the drug dealing/using athletes? Why don't you talk about them?
Were is your proof on this case that is was skaters?
People need to pull their heads out of the sand (or other bodily locations) and realize that we do have a lot of crime, but there is WAY to much time spent trying to attack the "skater" crowd.
We need to start focusing on the ADULTS! And yes, I am 40+ years old and it ticks me off to see a bunch of self-righteous adults that clearly never had a childhood attacking these kids.
Anonymous, you have a problem. It was a joke that worked well, feel like silly now? I have been helping the skatepark, i cleaned the area up myself. Several times. I dont judge people, period. In any case, how about coming up with something new and stop cutting and pasting old posts...sheesh.
I was going to say that all these adults that are commiting these crimes were once skaters, but that would be just tooooo funny.
CHILL DUDE
Tatamite,
Sorry, but I won't chill.
I am sick of all of the "adults" in this community jumping on the skaters.
I am not a skater, my kids are not skaters.
These people are quick to jump on these kids, but if it is anyone outside that group, they keep their mouths shut.
You can go back through the comments on this site, when it is about an adult, there is very little said. When it is about the skaters, they can't keep their mouths shut.
I was pretty sure that you were using a bit of sarcasm, but I used it as a mechanism to speak to all the hypocrits out there.
Keep up the good work. I will tell you that the other day I saw a couple kids WALKING to the skate park carrying their boards. Shortly afterwards, I saw and ADULT cross in the middle of the road and stop to have a conversation with someone on the side almost causing an accident.
Keep up the good work. The park is a great idea and maybe some of those with inch thick narrow minds will start to remember what it was like to be a kid.
As a point of observation, one of the things I've found over the past year or so is that people tend to view comments as what the "community" thinks about something.
In fact the number of people who post in comparison to those who read is very, very small.
Everyone who reads know I like a less confrontational approach to issues. Yes I want to talk about them, and debate is good so long as it remains fixed on the subject and doesn't turn into an attack on the individual. It should also end with some constructive possible solutions.
The fact that people don't comment on a topic, doesn't mean that they care or don't care, only that they didn't comment (again as most don't). And some posts don't require much more said that hasn't already been stated.
In regard to crime, the adults who attend the Council meeting have kept this issue at the forefront each and every meeting I've been to this year.
The fact that this announcement (from the post) was in the newspaper at all should be credited to those individuals who have questioned why more isn't reported in this regard for Nazareth.
The new police chief will be critical to enacting change and giving the police officers a more stable situation than they've had over the past year or so and hopefully that will allow them to focus on their job.
Have a great week!
Ross,
I couldn't agree with you more that crime being reported in the news is a major step forward, and my hats off to those that have been keeping the heat on council.
Yes, the community on this site may not represent the community as a whole. However, my comments where directly mainly at THIS community.
Mention skaters or the park and they are all willing to jump on these kids. In reality, those that I have seen have been playing by the rules.
If they are that vocal over the kids, why aren't they vocal over adults.
Almost any post about the skate park or skaters in general have drawn a lot of posts, both for and against these kids. Some over the top in their attacks.
Posts about adults doing something wrong (other than about teachers, district or council) don't cause a ripple.
If you are going to express outrage, why one group and not the other?
Am I saying go after the adults on these pages? No. But, maybe posters should give a little thought before they launch an attack against these kids.
Allow me to be a bit long-winded (as if I'm ever very brief;-).
Let's consider the situation that took place with the pool at the MS. There were vehement arguments made in favor of it and opposed to it.
In that case it struck me as a group advocating for an amenity that would personally benefit themself or their child against another group who didn't believe the taxpayers should foot the bill for each request of this nature.
One could also argue on a broader level it was a case of new(er) residents against long-time residents since some of the arguments noted both 'where I came from we had a pool and it was great' and 'we never had one before why now?'
The issue of balancing the qualities of what make a place special with being progressive and meeting new needs is difficult and emotional. As such it brings out many opinions and comments. Plus, as a school project the benefit and cost would impact virtually everyone who reads this site.
Now to the Skate Park and Skaters. This was a more limited audience as it didn't directly impact all readers, though most news and information is borough based, so a large number were involved as well.
There are two separate aspects to this. One was the decision to have a Skate Park or not. The other was in regard to youth who skateboarded on private property without permission.
I don't want to re-engage the old arguments but I do want to consider that the first aspect involved the question of what recreational activities should a community support and at what cost?
I did not buy into this at first. I thought we should spend the money in a way that benefited the most number of residents. Improving existing parks in town. Adding a walking trail or exercise stations around existing parks, etc.
The argument was made by several that certain sports have long been supported - basketball, baseball/softball, tennis, and swimming through borough facilities and that as times change so to do the activities.
I have to agree with that assessment, even if it wouldn't be my personal first choice on how to spend the money, our elected officials decided this was an activity worthy of supporting (by unanimous vote as I recall).
Others disagreed and didn't feel the money should be spent that way. I can't argue with them either, there is no easy solution when it comes to determining what public recreation should be supported and what shouldn't.
In the case of the Skate Park, a second issue came into play, and that was the individuals who chose to skate on private property without permission.
This is a separate issue, but it got pulled in and fueled emotions.
Why reward individuals who don't show respect? Was one argument, countered by you must show respect and give them support (ie a Skate Park) if they are going to reciprocate. (Yes, I'm simplifying this to make the point).
Bringing the two issues together wasn't good because it wasn't all skaters who did this, but they became generalized as all being guilty of it. Others argued that the Skate Park would keep them from skating on private property.
A person who either witnessed or was involved in a situation with a skater or group of them who were skating on their private property or in intersections blocking traffic couldn't understand why these kids were being rewarded.
On the flip side, people who were skaters or parents thereof, didn't like their kid being portrayed as one of those who was doing something wrong.
Where did it leave us, back to the original comment - mention skate, skater, or skate park - and a fury will follow.
So that is my take on why emotions are flared on the issue of the skate park.
By comparison, take the embezzlements. Unlike the MS pool, Skate Park, and certain skaters, where there was no consensus for good reason (there were no easy answers), I think pretty much everyone would agree that embezzling is wrong.
If it is wrong and we all know it, what need is there to comment?
In the end I think that is the difference you are noticing, the actions by the adults who embezzled are decidedly clear, while the decision to spend money on public projects is not and therefore there is discussion which can lead to emotions.
Once the emotions take over, you can forget about civil discourse. I think that is where we are right now with the Skaters and Skate Park.
As I said, it'd be a bit long, but I think the reason is not because people are against kids and let adults off the hook, but instead that the situations were very, very different.
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