Maybe there's a better video out there, but why is there an assumption that there's six black males in this video? Other than the really big guy, I can't tell -- they all have hoodies on and none are looking up! They are obviously well organized, though, with smoke bombs and a precision strike. Not good.

Last I checked, a lot of young men -- black and white -- are wearing hoodies and baggy pants in Fayetteville.

Criminals, unfortunately, come in all races. Let's try not to throw kerosene on a fire just to get folks talking trash on here.

but maybe they have enhancers!
I noticed where some criminals now take the videos with them when they leave.
I don't understand why the go to the expense of putting up video cameras and put up ones that you can't see! Satellites now can read your license plates from 200 miles up!

I read the Citizen to find out what's happening in Fayette County. I try not to look at the comments because I know I'm going to get upset. Unfortunately, I allowed my eyes to drift to the right today and saw this comment. I usually have better sense than to respond to ignorance but today I just can't help myself.

Yes, SIX black males robbed a Fayette business. I fail to see why every black person on the face of the Earth is responsible for the evils of SIX black males. In fact, the average black person hates hearing about these stories because we know that irrespective of our own levels of education, moral values and lack of criminal records, we will still be lumped in with the individuals you see on the news.

If you limited your comments to these males I would have no issue with your statements. I am just as concerned about six criminals armed with guns as you are and I don't care what color they are.

Take a moment to imagine how you would feel if we labeled all white men as potential child molesters because of the barrage of internet predators we've seen busted in Fayette County. Or perhaps we should label all of you as serial killers or bar you from the nation's schools because of the prevalence of school shootings. Oh, we can't forget about the white executives who have stolen millions from corporations and thus deprived thousands of elderly people of their retirement savings.

When I see that a white person has committed a crime that's all I see. One white person committed a crime. I do not attribute it to the entire community. I know that takes a higher level of intelligence but I'm sure you can figure it out if you'll give it a try.

I don't expect to change your attitude. Issues such as these require more assistance than I am qualified to give. Just try to understand that your comments are incredibly offensive to the majority of us who are law abiding, tax paying citizens of this community. And yes, I realize you intended to be offensive. I'm just hoping that somewhere inside of you, probably way down deep, there's a scintilla of human decency.

"Yes, SIX black males robbed a Fayette business. I fail to see why every black person on the face of the Earth is responsible for the evils of SIX black males. In fact, the average black person hates hearing about these stories because we know that irrespective of our own levels of education, moral values and lack of criminal records, we will still be lumped in with the individuals you see on the news."

Didn't you guys all go on a buss to Washington to protest against hate crimes about the Jena 6? A white boy beaten, but it was ok? cause he was white....? There is comming a backlash to all this...I for one am totally sick of the reverse discrimination against whites. Yeah, they looked black...don't blame whitie, go find the robbers and blame them for making you look bad!

No, oldbeachbear, I didn't go on a bus to Washington but thanks for proving my point!

As for your statement that it was ok for a white boy to be beaten, well, I didn't say that either but you since you brought it up... The Jena 6 received disproportionate punishment for the crime they allegedly committed. I don't believe they should be absolved of ANY punishment. For those proven to have taken part in the beating, appropriate charges should be filed but I've never heard of kids being charged so harshly for fighting in school.

Now for the video. No, they don't look black. They look like six people wearing hoodies. I'm truly hoping the Citizen indicated that these boys were black based on additional information, not on the video alone.

As for your last show of idiocy, if I have to take the blame for these boys breaking into a gun shop, I guess you have to take the blame for today's mall shooting in Omaha.

Jena 6 ...did get disproportionate punishment. The NAACP came in and kept them from getting what they deserved. Maybe where you come from they try to beat each other to death and think nothing of it, but I can assure you, for most, that is not normal behavior. Blacks put Blacks into slavery, whites fought a war to get them out. When blacks robb and steal, you blame whites. You need to go find your bro and talk to him about blame, not whites, we didn't do anything, and I don't know how to tell you this, but till the blacks got here, we didn't have nearly so much crime. Go back and look, could the 2 go hand in hand? or are the white sneaking out and doing it and blaming it on the blacks?

Many of us new to Fayette County have made an effort to see what politicans you support - and vote against them. If thy support your point of view - we can do without them.

if the the "you" is referring to a particlar poster, whatever.
but if the "you" is referring to most Fayette county citizens, well, please move somewhere else!

Why do you think Fayette County is one of the nicest places to live in Metro Atlanta? Well, logically it would be because of the leaders that have been voted in, the zoning, and other laws the citizens throughout the past have approved. Why would you want to screw up the qualities that made you want to move here in the first place? I just hope you wouldn't do something so stupid as to rule out a candidate just cause some traditional Fayette county folks support them.

I don't doubt that for an instant, just shows how dumb you are and that you can't think for yourself. Really smart, lets not vote for the best, let's vote against beachbear! Wow! the think tank that came up with that is awesome. Tell me, do you collectively play bingo?

I would address this latest stream of racist garbage but it is quite clear that you will only reply with further, off-topic, nonsensical replies. Thus I will leave you to go down that road alone. I've got better things to do.

The truth for you is hard to overcome?

Blame the guys who commit the crime, leave the rest of us alone.

I see you're new here. These are posters who claim that they are only against 'crime' - and not all 'blacks'. Thanks for your comments. Maybe they'll see their ignorance through your eyes. They would be highly offended if anyone here said that all whites were like Timothy McVey who killed many innocents with his treacherous bombing; or the four misfits who kidnapped and tortured a black women. If I lived near the hills of Virginia - I wouldn't want poor, uneducated, cousin-marrying individuals invading my neighborhood - but I wouldn't express myself as being against all white poor people - or trying to mimic hillbilly dialect. Classless. Once more - the black residents of Fayette County are just as pleased that these six criminals were caught as the white residents. Home-owning, tax-paying citizens of all races find those who steal and kill a deterrent to any community - and a dangerous threat to our family and friends.

I've read your comments here many times before, and I know that you are s thoughtful, concerned citizen. I understand what you are saying, and you have a point. Not all blacks are guilty of creating the mess that we are in with all the gangs and violence in urban Atlanta, (and urban America, for that matter) but it is predominantly black, like it or not. Just look at what's going on in Clayton County. On the other hand, I work for a black person and with a lot of black people who are fine, hardworking people like me, and once you get to know a person, their skin color becomes much less important. The problem is that we can't get through life without stereotyping. There are way too many snap decisions required of each of us for us to make a carefully considered decision on a stranger's true character, so we make a long series of snap decisions based on our initial impressions. Unfortunately, those initial impressions include skin color and how they are dressed, how well they speak and act. We ALL make similar snap decisions--we HAVE to, in order to get through each day's worth of immediate decisions.

Realistically, the best we can aim for is to temper our snap decisions with a second opinion once we get to know somebody. Too many of us on both sides of the racial divide are too comfortable with letting that negative first impression become our final judgment.

Well, it's getting late, but for what it's worth, I find that most people are willing to give you a fair chance once they get to know you in person, unlike the situation in the 50's and 60's. The dialog on this website is better than no dialog at all, even if we occasionally put our foot in our mouth. So "Thanks" for your inputs!

Snap decisions are making us ALL victims of racism/classism. Thanks for your input. I find that most of the people that I meet in Fayette County are working very hard at seeing past the color of one's skin or how he/she wears their clothes. The churches here are an example to the rest of our country. Their outreach is phenomenal. Facts are facts - but the majority of black Americans are not criminals. The majority of criminals in Fayette are reported to be black. The cause for the black crime is a black community problem that the black community is addressing. Continually belittling the entire black community is ignorant - just as blaming the entire 'white' community for child molesters; serial killers; prostitution; 'white collar' crime etc. is ignorant. We need to all stop reacting to or pointing out 'race' - and LOOK FOR THE THUGS that have 80+ guns in our community!!

What I have said before, on a different thread, is that some of us don't seem to realize that we are all in this together, and when one segment of the population fails, we all fail to some degree. For example, all the unwed teen mothers who have multiple babies with multiple biological fathers. We can sneer at them if we wish, but we ALL pay the price for their bad choices. We are in this together!! When somebody commits armed robbery, we are all in danger. You're right to point out that the majority of black Americans are not criminals and are just as interested as whites in keeping their community safe. Most of us white folks are aware of that.

By the way, when I mentioned "snap decisions", I'm referring to the thousands of individual decisions we each make every day of our lives. Most of those decisions are not conscious, they are made without thinking about it or being aware that a specific decision was made. Many of those decisions are indeed based on stereotypes, but not just racial. All sorts of stereotypes, many of them wrong. We ALL make them, including you. Often, we only become aware of our stereotypes when we reflect on them, as with some of the discussions here. So even if some bad feelings get vented by some hot heads, it does serve to bring these feelings out into the open for discussion. So let's keep the lines of communication open. Your inputs on this website are valuable--I hope you keep it up.

Why can't we see everyone as neutral, this has been my hang- up. Okay, Git- Real you know now, I am white. It drives me out of mind to see the media refer to someone who commits a crime as a certain race- what in the world does that have to do with it?

Granted most people in prison are black, that's a different story in it's own.

Martin Luther King was suppose to be our hero to stop this garbage of white, black, etc. As the life of his wife went on I felt she kept putting coals on the fire- all I heard when referring to her was black, black, black, I wonder if he was still alive then- would he do that.

Martin Luther King saw things the way I did, I was just a kid who could not make a difference, but I have to wonder If I was his age at that time and tried to do what he did, would people respond to me like they did him.

His buddies, I think you know who I am talking about, can't let the black issue go. Everytime I see one of them it's the issue of race.
By the way, I love all races because I see netural.If they did they would shut up and stop complaining what they think we still owe them. I can not help that in slave days my race chose to do what they did, does that mean I thought it was right- NO- LIFE IS VALUABLE AND A GIFT FROM GOD! So, they can stop blaming me and other who feel like me. Even if we could we could not ever repay- forgiveness is all they can do.

Since my Son was 3 - I taught him LOVE has no color. Maybe some will get that. We see neutral. If we all did , I think we would get along alot better.

By the way if we trace our family tree who knows what race is in all of us?

The truth of the matter is God created all equal- there is no color to Him.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "neutral."
We are not neutral, and just saying it doesn't change that fact. We are all different, not only in complexion, but in many other ways. I believe tolerance is the right word. One must live decently with those who are different from you.
Until we stop such high fences as Black Beauty pageants, 100 Black Men,
White Masons, White Mormons, etc., we will never whip this thing.
A description of robbers or murderers in the paper or on TV seems reasonable to me. Providing they know it to be true!

I think they go hand in hand- I pray for tolerance with JESSE JACKSON- tell me where did his a REV. come from? Talk about loving everyone- wooow he stirs up the heat!

Last night I attended a Christmas program at a Fayetteville Church. This program is given annually for the community. It was wonderful. The audience was truly representative of America at it's best. The music was outstanding. The message of 'love' for all mankind was warmly received. The friendship that was expressed to all who entered the doors of this church was appreciated. Fayetteville will continue to attract persons of all races because of the apparent desire of the majority of citizens of this city to model the American dream. It will be sad for 'racism' to cloud the reputation of this American paradise. Even though in this forum, there are not many who care to discuss racial relationships - I feel, like you, it is important - so I will continue when I feel it's appropriate. I've been blessed to live in great communities all of my life. Fayetteville, GA will probably be the last community that I live in. I have been in Fayette County since 2003 and a resident of Fayetteville since 2004. There is nothing like Southern hospitality and courtesy. . . and Fayetteville represents the best in the lifestyle of the new South. (In my opinion.)

Um... you know, there are a lot of us out here who were born in West - by gawd - Virginia, and we were horrified by what happened to that young woman near Charleston. Horrified not because the four misfits were white or the victim was black, but that anybody would treat any human being that way -- of any color.

You know, it's just plain prejudice to talk about hard working, poor hillbillies, too, by the way. And for the record, I'm proud that my educated WV parents (WE ARE MARSHALL!) are clear to the 3rd cousin. We are particularly proud of that, since Mom's family lived on the top of a mountain, and Dad's family were bottom-landers of the same mountain. Pretty close in proximity, but still clear out past the 3rd cousin (it gets kind of muddy after that, what with all those different families being in that area).

Anyway, could we remember that prejudice doesn't follow race or class lines? Assuming something about a group of people based on the actions of certain people of the same race, creed, national origin, sex, or religion, is just plain dumb... or as we say in West Virginny, just plain ignorant.

Thanks for your input. We as Americans all suffer from this 'race/class' ignorance. Not one of us is 'not guilty'. But we're improving!

and never will. You Al Sharpton in drag? His cousin twice removed? Same old David's mom, you always come out of the woodwork about race. Never will give it a break. That's why I think you be Al, or is aborted twin, can't make a livin without keepin the race deal alive. My how much money we must collect making everyone feel guilty bout us...pour pour you...do you stand outside of WalMart ringin a bell..? Give to David's Mom...she should have it cause we did something to her ggggg somebody... oh my god.

no one want to see this. maybe if we hire some more blacks then less of this can happen. try reaching out to the neghbors and those who aint got all what you got. also white people rob too so dont act like they dont and some of them might be black posers.

The only real cat in town

maybe they can work like nice black folk have done for years....why? cause they are nice...nice black folk can't stand you no mor anybody else...maybe less!

maybe if we hire some more blacks then less of this can happen.

you thinks a job will actually straightens these boys up. Yo crazy. I alreadys hired roaches like these and they be stealed me near blind. it ain't gonna happen again sista. Like i'm puttin' them in my warehouse? Sheeeeoooooot.

try reaching out to the neghbors and those who aint got all what you got

no needs to. thay already be reaching out and helpin themselves.

also white people rob too

Yeah dey do. and weez try to put dem in da jailz too.

so dont act like they dont and some of them might be black posers

you knows you mite be rite. kind of like them posers in the mlk parade earlier this year prentendenizing like they was white chilrens on da bus make the darker ones ride da rear o da bus.

I was jest tellin' my old buddy Hambone that those robbers wuz probably a bunch of Merriwhether County white trash who wuz puttin on black face and posers of the brothers. He saids to me.. Git outa town.. sheeeeoooot... Them white boys ain't that smart.

Anyways it be nice heering from you OnlyRealRacist.

You are having way too much fun with this.
-------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

With some job applications and a package of ambition and hard work.

They already get by for free with welfare, food stamps, and section 8 housing.....what else do they want??? If I could give them moral values and a shot of protestant work ethic I would, or a kick in the pants. (which they sorely need)

"maybe if we hire some more blacks then less of this can happen" Do what?? Yeah, thats really worked in the city of Atlanta and Detroit hasn't it, or closer to home rivercrimedale.

Get a clue, people who do work hard are sick to death of supporting those who don't. They are a waste of clean air.

Ben, Dusty et al. Here is a sign I would like to see posted at your buisness and others:
No Trespassing
Violators will be shot
Survivors will be shot again.

My husband and myself we were discussing this the other day. It is hard to believe that we live in Atlanta and people can not find a job.
It may not be the job that they want, they pay they want, but there are loads of jobs if people would work them.

As far as if we like to work, my husband thrives on it, it makes him feel as if he has accomplished something- myself, I would rather be just Mom- part- time preschool teacher, because I love kids.

The facts is we have to work-

If you are REALLY disabled, which I have a sister that has a condition that she can't and a leg that had taken off and her health is still going down hill- she can hardly live.

It does make me upset that some want hand outs when my sister is in this condition, her husband dumped her because of her sickness, she does not have anyone but family to help her, a little goverment check which she can hardly eat.

Race does not have anything to do with getting a job, you can say it a million times, I don't believe it- MAYBE IF WE STOPPED SEEING COLOR, AND SAW ONLY NETURAL WE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM.

My husband does not care what race you are, if you are willing to work, in his job their are some qualifications that have to be met to be able to do the job. Never once did race play an issue- as a matter of fact, he would hire the less experienced if he saw the more of desire for the job.

I still believe jobs are there- take what you can- look while you are working for something better while working. Life has not offered us a free ticket nor does anyone owe us anything. We are all equal as far as working goes.

It drives me out of my mind when parents don't work and have kids, what in the world is wrong with them? Someone please explain that one to me. I have a child, I promise you, he will never go hungry- his Dad and myself love him too much.

This race bit is a cop out- Please!

No Trespassing
Violators will be shot
Survivors will be shot again.

Used many times in parts of California during the 50's and 60's by 'colored' people who moved into 'white' neighborhoods. Stop the labeling by color - but rather by actions. Ben and Dusty would be no more victimized if the 'criminals' were green with yellow polka dots. I'm even more fearful of those who received the guns that are now on the street! If you think that only black kids with guns should be feared - you're not dealing with the reality that you constantly boast about. Reaching out with job applications to those who lack the desire or education to work is a wasted effort at this point for many of the criminals on the street. Parent education and meaningful training for those who are considered ‘at risk’ regarding home maintenance/budgeting, etc. is needed for all of our young people - regardless of color!

You and a couple of your friends are the ones bringing up race. I hate the crime. I hate this crime just as much as the one on the news tonight.
In clayton county on Oct. 31st a white man tied up a white woman in her home and burned her to death. He is scum and I hope he gets the death penalty (although thats to good for him) hopefully the other prisoners will take care of him long before that. They just arrested him today.

Responsibility for yourself has to start somewhere. Those who "lack the desire to work" need to be executed while commiting their crimes. I have no sympathy for them, and I am sick of supporting them with my tax dollar.

I don't want to work either, but it is an ugly fact of life. If you want a nice home you have to work unless your relatives are rich.

You need to blame the people doing the crime, not the people who point out that crime is wrong.

With your excuses for bad behavior, you make me embarrassed to be human.

Happy Hanukkah

For those of you celebrating secular christmas (santa, rudolph, frosty, lots of elfs) or religious christmas: Merry Christmas

You said this to David's mom:

"You and a couple of your friends are the ones bringing up race."

Did you miss the below post by Melungeon? Have you ignored the many others that caused David'smom, and the smart lawyer guy, and me, and Resident A to say, what in the bejesus has gotten into our neighbors when they see the word "black?" And do you not find it odd that stories with white perps don't illicit the same response? Even when those crimes result in death, or prey on children?

"(NAACP) Naughty African Americans Caught Pilfering
Submitted by Melungeon on Wed, 12/05/2007 - 2:02pm.
Hmmm ... a local Fayette County business is robbed by six BLACK males wearing baggy pants and hoodies..."

Skyspy, better read through again and check dates if you think black folks on this post brought the focus off of the crime and onto the color of the criminals.

Cheers, and realize this black man desires nothing but the best life has to offer for you, your family, and every other law-abiding American. No cheese intended.

Kevin "Hack" King

Thank you for saying what you said and NOT HIDING behind a Screen Name like most others on here.

is a woman. But thanks for the compliment.

Forgive me if you were referring to another attorney but I get excited when lawyers are mentioned by anyone other than those carrying torches and pitchforks.

That is my question to you. Are you reading the same stories, and blogs I am??

I'm sorry but you always cry when the news stories are about blacks.

First of all, when the stories are about the child molestors they have already arrested them and their picture is in the paper.

The woman who killed her husband went and sat in her car, they arrested her and the news cameras were rolling, as well as her picture here in this paper......hence no need to say she or any of the other pervs were white. Their pictures were here on the news for all to see.

The men (using the term very loosely) from this story are still wanted so a description is needed.

The only time I have seen any news source give a description of a criminal, is when the police are still looking for him.

I questioned davids mom and others, and the "jessies and the sharptons" because they are always making excuses for why the criminals had no other choice but to commit the crime. Any excuse is pure BUNK!!!!! I'm sick to death of hearing excuses from criminals and the people who support them.

Didn't you read any of the comments about the : woman who murdered her husband, the many sex offenders,(too many to count), the wrestler who had no choice but to kill his family. How could you miss the scathing criticism???

The news about the omaha kid never made it to this local paper. If it had I would have been all over it and his scum parents, for starters.

I moved here to be safe from inner-city crime. I assume that is the reason you also moved here.?

I hate criminals accross the board. I really wish most crimes were capital crimes.....but that is just me. I'm sick of paying for people who are nothing but a cancer on society, and will never be reformed. I think we are wasting our money and time, and clean air, and water by trying to reform these cancers.

I wish the best for you and your family Hack. I hope we all make it out of this county safely.

I won't apologize for hating crime or owning guns. I won't apologize for my rabid hate of criminals. I won't apologize for resenting the fact that my tax dollar is used to keep them alive in prison.

What bothers me the most is that people like you, davids mom, sharpton, jessie, and others want to cry about people who point out that the criminals (according to the article) were black. You don't want to complain about the crime, you want to complain about the people complaining. That stinks like a Dpac member in PTC.!!

My last point is I think nitpickers had it right when he said people are afraid of violent crime. We are especially afraid when it is driven by gang activity. That is the main reason I have guns in my home. I really did not want to have guns in my home, but I like it now, and it feels kind of good. I'm not foolish enough to think, I can take on a gang that breaks into my home, but I will die trying to kill them. The NRA stickers aren't for decoration. I'm not going to try to injure a criminal, .....my goal will be to kill them.

Hack we are neighbors. Happy Hanukkah.

I use to live in Fairburn, well first, Tyrone and then Fairburn- while living there for 5 years things were fine, untill we were selling our house, which Thank God, we sold it.

Long story short, while it was on the market, my next door neighbor kid broke into it, with some friends.

I even went to the kids house because guess what this kid was at home in detention because of school - to ask him about it, said it saw nothing. Then I went to a neighbors house- she said she saw kids hanging around the house at a certain time and would tell the police if asked.

When the police came- they hand-cuffed this kid-( My son was in the car with me, this use to be one of his friends) ( He stopped hanging with them because they changed and their behavior was so bad) I sat in the grass and sobbed- because I felt like he's like this because Mom and Dad are gone all the time, they were- this is my son's ex-friend and he is 13 and is going through this. He did confess.

Later I got a call from the police station, asking will you just take the money for the damage, I said yes- I contacted the Mom and she said Oh, he said one of the other kids did it. I called the police station- the policeman that took my report they said had transferred to Douglasville.

I went to the police station, there was no record of anything- I hand delievered these to them, my son and myself statements. Long story short- THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING- IF I WANTED TO TAKE IT TO COURT I COULD- IF I WANTED MONEY FOR DAMAGES I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO CLAIMS COURT.

I learned a valuable lesson- my heart is huge for kids- ( I even went over and hugged this kids while being handcuffed- and wept and told him I was sorry) but I did learn- if I want to better their life, while sobbing my eyes out- I must press charges or my records will be lost and they will do it again or step up a level to a higher crime. I felt bad for my son and did talk to him about the situation, I think he felt betrayed- etc.

Parents, as sad as it is don't care- simply don't care- I probably love their kids more than them.

My lesson to my son was when someone is doing something that is wrong even if you are not doing it- leave right then- call me or someone you trust to help you.

While at the police station, I have to say with all the ( I don't know what word to use) I was so angry, which it takes alot to make me angry- they made me feel like I commited the crime.

Please tell me what is wrong with this picture?

I love kids, PARENTS PLEASE WAKE UP AND LET LITTLE JR. KNOW YOU ARE SUPERVISING WHAT HE OR SHE IS DOING! I want to make a difference, but don't know where to start.

Sad thing is untill today, many many phone calls the police have not done anything about it.

Take a look at the posts and see if you notice a difference in sentiment.

As someone observed, the Kansas mall shooter was a white kid.

Indeed, most of the major shooting incidents around the country in the last decade or so have had white perpetrators.

I have a good friend who is a (national)expert on profiling violent criminal types. He has pointed out that, statistically, the guy who goes into, say, his place of work and shoots people up is a politically conservative white male between the ages of 30 and 50. (I'm 50, white and fairly conservative. But don't worry: I own no working guns.)

So why aren't we seeing replies to yesterday's shooting along the lines of, "Oh boy, what a surprise! White male shooter. Who knew?"

And I agree that David's Mom has always tried to be a voice of reason and balance on such issues. She doesn't deny that there is an African American subculture with problems. She joins everyone else in condemning the crime. But I've always read her as trying to stress our common humanity and appeal to people to move beyond racial hatred.

______________

Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of man.

What excuses have I made for unacceptable behavior?

I suggested that these men work instead of commit crimes. You responded by saying they "lack the desire to work." My response is I also lack the desire to work, but I do work anyway because I like living in a home as opposed to the street.

Saying that they lack the desire or education to work, is a cop out. It doesn't take much education to work many retail or restaurant jobs. Granted without much education they will be low paying jobs, but still a job. I am suggesting that we stop making excuses for their bad behavior. They can't blame their parents or society forever.

One has to be taught responsibility. You were taught that you had to work. Facing the reality of the criminals lack of desire to work and earn legally is not a 'cop out' or excuse. It's reality - of the mentality of the thug on the street or a CEO in coroporate America. As much as you say you want to just 'lock 'em up and forget 'em' - this attitude does not solve the problem. Unless we address the problem now for future generations - our American youth are in danger. I have not made excuses - just joining others in getting to the root cause of the problem - and developing strategies to solve the problem. Yelling 'victim' by both whites and blacks in America has accomplished nothing. The mentality of the thug on the street and the CEO or the irresponsible legislator is 'why earn the responsibile way - if I can get what I want by stealing?' We've got to have our youth (our future) learn responsibility - it has to be taught! Not by those who espouse 'family values', but by those who live family values and are role models for our youth.

I agree with the getting to the root cause part.

I don't want to lock up the criminal that breaks into my home. I want to execute him on the spot.

I don't think there is an easy answer for the "root cause"

I have to get to work. Have a good day.

Reaching out with job applications to those who lack the desire or education to work is a wasted effort at this point for many of the criminals on the street.

I was just talking to a person of color about this a couple of minutes ago and we were both saying the same thing. Many are beyond any hope. What really concerns me is this is already a huge problem in both the white and black communities and I fear most of these characters will never become productive citizens.

There is no 'easy' answer to this problem in our country. Many educators, of all races, are looking at programs that have actually assisted those who have lost the American concept of responsibility for self and community. We need to start with the future generations in K-12 - and Pre-K. We need to have meaningful parent education for all new parents!! You're right - it is not just a problem in the black community - but the black community is suffering from an unbelievable break-down in adhering to 'family values'. We need to look at what we can do for the next two or three generations. I feel we've lost possibly three generations in the black community - and one or two generations in the white community. We're losing the AMERICAN youth!! Not just academically - but socially. However, to focus on failures in the American community - and not celebrate the successes would be a big mistake. We have children who are achieving at high levels throughout our country. We MUST celebrate them - and make them the role models for our youth!!

Ditto to all of your comments. My main sentiment is with Sky in that we will have to pay to feed their sorry behinds. And I hate this for Ben and his store.

In agreement with you. Sometimes I wish the government were the only ones allowed to sell guns. Also to boot, the guns were sold at an Armory with full military patrol.

*sarcasm* Oh, thats a great idea! Let the government be responsible for the allocation and distribution of firearms.

The bill of rights was added to protect citizens FROM government.
Whats next? You want government press? Government approved speech? Government sanctioned religion?

I don't want the government to EVER be in charge of selling firearms.