There was a mugging in the NW corner of the TC this weekend as reported on the TruxtonCircle.Org discussion board. A group of youths violently attacked a couple and their reasoning makes no sense (see below). I’m sorry, I don’t think any under funded city run youth program can redeem these criminals. The unnecessary violence used reveals a deep corruption of spirit, that may reveal a moral poverty in their family life. There are too many kids looking to beat people up. Anyway here’s what was reported…
Around 1 a.m. this am at 4th and Rst, NW Three men and a woman were mugged by a group of at least a dozen youths, some on bikes. The agressors threw the woman against a tree and punched one man in the face. Another one had been struck in the leg.
The group of kids were black, all male, from what I gathered, ages 12-17. The victims described them as “highschoolers.” They approached the victims from several directions, and initially threw a bottle or can over the heads of the victims. The kids wanted their wallets and phones. One of the victims yelled at kid, causing him to run away, without obtaining the wallet. Another kid said this was “for Obama.”
What the….?
I saw the original post on TC, but has anyone heard any feedback from the police on this matter?
Hate crime. Why don’t we just say it? It’s getting bad… if this sort of thing happened to black people, there would be hell to pay (and there should be, no matter who it happened to).
TO clarify, I meant if this sort of thing happened where the races were reversed and the white kids had said it was “for McCain”, it would be a clear hate crime. This sort of hatred needs to be addressed in an emergency fashion by the Mayor and the DCPS. I know we all think diversity training is BS, but people need to know hate is hate, and that is just is not acceptable. It may be too late for these kids, but not for the youngins still in elementary and middle school.
Later that night at around 3:30am on our way back home from Town, we crossed paths with a guy on 5th near Q who had a bloodied face. We stopped and considered what to do, turned around and caught up to him to offer him cab fare home, but he seemed out of it and determined to keep going.
We’ve learned that he’s OK having gone to the doctor on Sunday for stitches and an exam. He’s got mild trauma but is now OK, but can’t remember much of what happened.
This now makes 7 people I know who’ve gotten mugged in the last year near Shaw, U Street or Columbia Heights. I can’t stress enough the importance of being aware of your surroundings or just taking a cab home when you can. It’s just not safe in our neck of the woods these days.
Personally, I wouldn’t put much stock into the fact that one kid said it was “for Obama”. It was not for Obama, it was just something a dumb kid says while assaulting innocent people. That doesn’t make it any better, but I don’t think that had anything to do with their motivation. Their motivation was robbery, not some grand political/racial statement.
I agree with the meaninglessness of the Obama comment, but you can’t ignore that the victims of these attacks have all been white in a city where whites are the minority.
Hello, Everyone.
I have been informed that MPD has no record of any event matching this description having occurred on the 400 Block of R St or in all of PSA 308 in the past 60 days. In PSA 501 there were 4 reported crimes in the last 60 days with 4 or more suspects. The two closest to this reported location were at: Flagler Place NW, just north of W, and at Quincy Place NW, @ Ekington.
If anyone knows the person who reported this crime, please encourage them to contact MPD to file a report. Again, MPD states they have no record of it.
Thank you,
Mark Bjorge
“I agree with the meaninglessness of the Obama comment, but you can’t ignore that the victims of these attacks have all been white in a city where whites are the minority.”
Miguel, it appears you haven’t heard that the topic you raised is TABOO in this city! The prevailing unspoken “wisdom” is that white people deserve to be victimized in DC.
Besides, these attacks occur regularly in Ward 5. Harry “Tommy” Thomas Jr. is the Councilmember for Ward 5, and last year he briefly, publicly, toyed with the idea of forming a race-based political action committee with the goal of keeping blacks in the majority becuase “it is something we’ve enjoyed for some time now.”
The idea was dropped quickly as soon as the Washington Post caught wind of it.
PSA 501
Robbery F&V
SHIFT: MID 11/08/2008 0100 UNK
4TH AND R ST NW, Street/Highway/ Road 501 08159205
08159205 is the ID number of the criminal offense that took place.
Hmm, they have a case ID number which confirms a report of this crime, yet MPD cannot/will not disclose the information to Mark Bjorge.
Incompentence? or Cover-up? Either is unacceptable. We need Al Sharpton to come to DC and lead a march in protest of the civil rights violations that take place daily in this city. Wait, what’s that, you say? The victims are white and/or gay? Nevermind – those types of civil rights violations get swept under the rug. Daily.
lyon, I’m hoping that sarcasm. I got a separate email from Mr. Bjorge with more info showing that this incident has attracted the city govt interest. Also I’ve heard the GLBT liason/office with MPD does good work, so that doesn’t get swept under the rug. However, which crimes get the most attention depends on the community (geographic or gay or ethnic) taking it on as a cause.
Racial attacks are wrong. However, some folks have taken the vicitm mentality and used it as an excuse to commit crimes and slights against others. Which is wrong, and comes from an immoral spirit of envy/covetness and hatred.
I do know that not everyone who I’ve corresponded with who has been attacked has reported the attack to the police. As to why I do not know…embarrassment, fear, or some other factors might be involved. I think there are attacks that are not being reported. I encourage these people to contact the police and make a report, so a trend can be tracked. We gotta do what we can.
“We gotta do what we can.”
Yes, such as: move to communities where it is safe to walk down the street.
I don’t think anyone mentioned the race of the victims, but the Obama comment does suggest that they were white. I agree that that Obama comment was just some stupid kid spouting off. I would like to note that these same kids are likely robbing the black folk as well. I know too many middle aged to elderly black people that have been mugged by black teens to think otherwise. It boils down to a simple lack of respect for others.
Regarding the Obama comment-
About a month ago I [I’m white if you couldn’t tell from above] I was in the alley with a 50 year old white neighbor of mine when a group of young kids [the youngest was probably 6 or 7] came walking down the alley with a guy who looked to be in his 20s. All of them were black. The smallest of the kids picked up a stick and playfully wacked the slightly larger one with a stick to the backpack. We were sort of watching with amusement. The young kid came over and was playfully talking to my friend. Something along the lines of What’s up with You. This went on [with reply from my friend] for about a minute. Then the adult male told the kid to tell the adult to Shut up whitey. Then he told him to say F–k you whitey. The kid complied, to which my friend said That’s a nice thing to teach a kid to say. The adult male just shrugged and said Obama, as if that was some justification for his behavior. My friend replied, I’m for Obama too, but I don’t think Obama’s out in alleys saying that kind of stuff in front of kids. So yeah, some people are just idiots. Unfortunately, some of those idiots are role models for kids.
And on a side note, how anyone could be so ignorant as to completely misunderstand the message of such a well run campaign is beyond me. I just hope that guy isn’t the little kid’s father or brother.