somerville is now full of yuppies and tufts kids. so the hood promptly moved over to medford, which is having all sorts of issues.

quincy is not better than jp. if anything, quincy is becoming chinatown 2.

JP is becoming Somerville 2!

JP still has its share of 'hood.

and since gentrification is slowing down everywhere...

And yes, if can't move he can probably find some place to volunteer and actually help out the community instead of just bemoaning it. I put in some time at http://www.826boston.org in Roxbury and helped some kids with literacy skills and imagination and just showing them that some kid whose own parents came from another country and didn't speak English and didn't have any advantages (well, except for white skin which is a great advantage) could do a little something with his life. And look, they want musician volunteers: http://www.826boston.org/volunteer/

Man up, OP, and go help out.

I'm gonna check this out. We do work for charities/commuity, and donate our time/money/efforts toward these things. I like the sound of this program (I'm an immigrant, although from U.K)

The overarching structural issues, and appropriations toward programs, are unfortunately something that's beyond my control. I raise awareness in different ways, but don't sit on the city, school or other councils, to directly impact on these decisions, through votes.

private charity is one essential component of ensuring safer neighborhoods, and better communities, but not the only one, or even the key one. Policing numbers, town/ward/parish allocation (within cities), and outreach by law enforcement are all equally, or more important, to ensuring progress that will last.

Having hope, isn't just having hope that money will come in, but hope that as someone's self identity changes, and the way they present themselves to the world, and carry themselves within it matures, that society (especially law enforcement) will accept that, and not reinforce notions of inherent criminality, or pre-destined poverty and underachievement.

Walk out your front door, turn right, walk 4 blocks. Look for "For Rent" signs. GTFO out of the ghetto.


moving out of a neighborhood due to crime rates is racist.

fields corner vietnamese ain't nothin' to **** with.

Or Revere Cambodians. Nothing like a gangbanger who grew up in the killing fields watching people getting plasic bags taped over their heads for knowing how to do long division.

refugee populations in general tend to have some crazy gangsters.

whoopty doo. any punk can shoot someone and go to jail. Oops, now they are locked up and no guns to hide behind. Meanwhile, the smart ones work their ass of and get to take showers alone if they choose. Yeah, they're called nerds.

**** gangbangers.

whoopty doo. any punk can shoot someone and go to jail. Oops, now they are locked up and no guns to hide behind. Meanwhile, the smart ones work their ass of and get to take showers alone if they choose. Yeah, they're called nerds.

**** gangbangers.

They have the same clicks in the 'burbs, it's just, the way in which these clicks are perceived, within these groups, differs, depending on how fucked the neighborhood is.

People are a product of their environment, to a large degree. Take me, I'm from a 12th century village in the British Countryside. The area I'm from, is especially notable for cows, sheep and hills to walk on/in/around.
My entire childhood, I was hammered with "please and thank you's" "elbows off the table" and scores of 'manners', that constitute English country 'culture' (it's not homogeneous, but the 'teatime' stereotype is real, I lived it).

In spite of this, if someone came at me with some bullshit today, after my time in the city, we'd have a horrendous issue, and they would never know, (other than my rage bringing out a faint English accent) my quiet past, (really quiet, there were no shops in my village even) or exemplary training in the nuance of country manners.

I've become this way, because of my time here (plus, I loudly stand my ground endlessly in the subway, while playing, and dealing with these fucking haters)
Youth from hard situations/poor nations, who haven't been here long enough to soften down at all, are going seem pretty hard, cos they still are.


I should explain something. Boston is largely clicked up, by street. The sets/clans/gangs/clicks etc.........'str33ts' are grouped by either housing project, or street. The point of them naming their set, having tags etc, is to prevent/deter/avenge kids from other streets, or other bricks, robbing them/victimizing them.

Regardless of what 'teh burbs' and it's occupants, feel about it, when your day starts and ends in the midst of people who will victimize others, and do enjoy ganging up on people who are alone, and will jump, and rob, and roll people, having a group of tough and seemingly crazy friends counts for more than almost anything. Not everyone who projects the aura, lives the life, and often the real G's, don't advertize. It's never easy to see what's what.

Not everyone in a 'gang' fucks over people, not every gang or click is criminal by design, shooting people is seldom a group activity (because it's too hot), and is often over specific offenses, between the craziest of individuals...or straight up robbery.

In this town, with it's deeeeeep hip hop roots, every group of friends is a set, to a timid person's possible perception. It's as natural as anything for young friends to name their group, be it a music, or a social thing. Tags, throw-ups and pieces are about hip hop culture, more than violent intent, and about self-perception, and belonging more than anything.

It's easy to see everything as a gang, and say **** it/them all. Just as easy as saying **** the black people, or **** the immigrants, or white people, or Canadians ay, or teh gheys, or anyone.

It's never so simple, which is why gang outreach, and not enforcement only policies, works best. The Boston Miracle was due, in large part, to this.

Vinh, I'm trying, break it down for em? If you look like a mark, you are treated like one here. That's the best I can say it. It's just as hard to not get jacked up, if you walk a bunch, in the city, as it is to get your degree, or any other achievement. You have to understand, for poor people with no car, in high pop. density areas, staying in one piece, counts as much as anything.

end epic rant.

Tags, throw-ups and pieces are about hip hop culture

look up these terms, if you don't know them. Graffiti and modern urban gallery art, and music, are intertwined, in the past.... and even vandalism, which seems so simply demonized, has roots in social protest, and artist interaction, and street community.

Just like paranoid consp. nuts see evil feds/aliens/etc everywhere, it's easy to see 'gangs' as an easily defined group, separable from youth culture, in general. You can define definitively gangs about as easily as you can define music. OK, gangs are groups of people, music is planned sound. Now we're still nowhere.

if you don't roll, you get rolled up on.

My entire childhood, I was hammered with "please and thank you's" "elbows off the table" and scores of 'manners', that constitute English country 'culture' (it's not homogeneous, but the 'teatime' stereotype is real, I lived it).

Is this the place?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFV3X2VPSvg

I don't think anyone's getting on your case, because you got out.
They might be, because of pretty much everything else you said.

That may be the case - it's obvious that some of my personal feelings have been clouding what I'm attempting to say; so I'll try again.

What I'd like to see is:

Not sure what happened here see below

That may be the case - it's obvious that some of my personal feelings have been clouding what I'm attempting to say; so I'll try again.

What I'd like to see is:

I think your personal feelings are clouding your ability to finish a sentence.

I don't think anyone's getting on your case, because you got out.
They might be, because of pretty much everything else you said.

That may be the case - it's obvious that some of my personal feelings have been clouding what I'm attempting to say; so I'll try again.

What I'd like to see is:
All kids to be taught to respect the law, and the rules (school etc)
Parents that demonstrate the same
Parents and friends that pressure kids into taking responsiblity for actions.
A societal refusal to accept bad behavior and excuses for the same.
Parents that stress the importance of hard work and personal discipline

That may be the case - it's obvious that some of my personal feelings have been clouding what I'm attempting to say; so I'll try again.

What I'd like to see is:
All kids to be taught to respect the law, and the rules (school etc)
Parents that demonstrate the same
Parents and friends that pressure kids into taking responsiblity for actions.
A societal refusal to accept bad behavior and excuses for the same.
Parents that stress the importance of hard work and personal discipline

ok, so other than waving a magic wand, please list some ideas you have for actualizing these goals.

i'd like to see people the world over stop killing each other over religion. that doesn't mean it's gonna happen just cause i say that i'd like to see it.

look up these terms, if you don't know them. Graffiti and modern urban gallery art, and music, are intertwined, in the past.... and even vandalism, which seems so simply demonized, has roots in social protest, and artist interaction, and street community.

Just like paranoid consp. nuts see evil feds/aliens/etc everywhere, it's easy to see 'gangs' as an easily defined group, separable from youth culture, in general. You can define definitively gangs about as easily as you can define music. OK, gangs are groups of people, music is planned sound. Now we're still nowhere.

No need to look them up, I've been writing since '83.

I suppose I could have said "**** gangbangING". Emulating moronic behaviour, set tripping, turf wars, it gets old. Being proud of where your from, being there for you friends, standing up for yourself, I'm all for it. Even if you need to box for whatever reason, no biggie, But these "crazy gangstas" doing drive-bys as quick as they can are cowards in my book.