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Tea Party says Jefferson Park has highest homicide rate in the city
08/21/2013 6:46 PM by John M
In an article on The Atlantic, Tea Party folks are blaming poor turnout at their rally in Jefferson Park on the area’s homicide rate:
As for the poorly attended Richmond rally, [Roy Beck] acknowledged it was disappointing, but blamed the lack of turnout on a bad location choice. “We picked a spot that, it turns out, has the highest homicide rate in the city, and apparently a lot of people were afraid to come,” he said.
Yep, I’m sure that’s what happened…
Wow. It was a poor location choice but not for safety reasons. Their target population lives way out in Mechanicsville / Midlothian and couldn’t find Jefferson Park on a map.
un-freaking-believable
Yet, a week ago when I claimed that there were racist/xenophobic undertones to their rally, people claimed it was preposterous and said I wasn’t willing to discuss the issues. I don’t discuss serious issues with bigots and racists. TeaPartyers don’t want to come to the city or Jefferson prk because it is diverse and there is also a nearby high concentration of highly educated urbanites who aren’t interested in their foolery.
Dammit John, I’m not afraid to say I feel a manly kinda love for posting this so damn fast. I read your comments (on The Atlantic) below this heinous article. I think you’ll enjoy mine just as much as I did yours. If these jackwagon’s EVER come back, I think could arrange good ‘ole OLD SCHOOL Church Hill
fireworks display. Hopefully ammo prices will have leveled off by then…
Larry-
You can keep your cheese, Cracker.
I guess they didn’t get the memo that is ISN’T Cantor territory. Can’t cure stupid.
Here are some actual 2013 factual statistics and a map. I count seven homicides (one third of the city’s total) in the east end as a whole and one at 18th and Marshall being the closest (within two blocks) of Jefferson Park.
http://rvanews.com/richmond-homicides-in-13
Methinks Mr Becks pants are on fire…
Larry,
Will poses a good question. You give meaningless cliche’s meant to taunt. Larry, are you from Church Hill? Do you know Jefferson Park? Do you the concentration of bachelor’s degrees or higher within cities? Do you know the homicide rate of Jefferson Park? Do you know why the Tea Party would make such strange accusations?
Beck is empirically wrong. That is obvious. I would say that he is advancing a view of this entire neighborhood that is shared by many ‘educated urbanites’ who live outside the neighborhood. Also, is it not the height of absurdity that the people least affected by competition for low-wage and low-skill jobs are also the biggest and loudest mouths on both sides?
Unless you already had a great deal of neighborhood support then why would you choose Jefferson Park to begin with? There is very limited parking. Was the backdrop of the Richmond skyline the reason? It’s a pretty park but very small. Is this the cheapest venue out there? Was there a local outcry for Tea Party support in Church Hill? If it’s such a dangerous place, don’t you think that this is something to look into ahead of time? It is a city not a country club. I’ve never been to a large city without a few bad spots. I just visit parks because they’re attractive open spaces in the neighborhood so I don’t know the cost of renting out the venue. It still annoys me that Tea Party activists would even use a taxpayer funded park to begin with instead of paying for a banquet room at a hotel or restaurant. Oh wait, that’s where the Mexicans are working and they might revolt.
@16 – 90% of what you said makes sense but the perceived hypocrisy you think you see with a group using something they already paid for is weak. The alternative is stupidly wasting money on a venue when it’s not needed.
Would you be appalled if a group consisting entirely of folks who didn’t pay taxes used the park?
While I have never heard of any homicides in Jefferson Park, sweep out a mile to the north and west and take in some pretty prize winning neighborhoods such as Mosby, Fairfield and parts imbetween, the statement takes on some traction. As far as suburbanites are concerned it’s a distinction without a difference.
Alex,
I know that my post has a strong hint of sarcasm and it’s not hard to figure out that the Tea Party and I rarely agree. I’m just reminded of a rally picture of Tea Party supporters that used a public park and displayed signs saying they didn’t want ANY taxes. In the picture, they used a public sidewalk on a public park in view of a stop light on a public street which was all paid for by taxpayers for that community. I guess that I get a little upset but I actually did wonder if it costs anything to rent the facility. Years ago I knew someone that inquired about the building in the back corner of Chimbo as a wedding reception and there was a fee at the time to host an event.
I also have been a guest at multiple company functions and the person that coordinated the event would be held to high scrutiny if they booked something in such a dangerous place as these folks have asserted. Calling your own choice of venue into question for the lack of support calls your own judgment into question.
Can I host a party/rally there and how much is the fee? Eeyore’s birthday party perhaps? Save the Ales rally? I have no doubt that plenty of people use our parks that don’t pay taxes or that take public support of some sort. Parks are meant to be enjoyed by all for free and they don’t check for your ID or Green card upon entry so the Tea Party is included but seriously, let’s have a party there.
Based on the high volume of scofflaw public weed smoking that goes on in Jefferson Park on breezy afternoons, the libertarian element of the Tea Party picked the exact right spot.
@20 – as a proud card carrying libertarian, I can tell you that most of us have left the Tea Party and there is no more “libertarian element of the Tea Party”. 😉
The folks we were trying to escape in the GOP followed us over. The Tea Party is just the cranky branch of the GOP. Libertarians are back to being their own party.
@Paul hammond-
With all due respect Sir, ***please*** do not (politely or otherwise) offer any legitimacy/explanation or etc. for individuals who are very well paid, yet still make ridiculous silly statements like Mr. Beck.
@ Paul Hammond
& by the way-
If I gave a damn what “distinctions” suburbanites made, I very likely also wouldn’t be smart enough to know what a FANSTASTIC neighborhood Jeff. Park resides in. If I ever do give a damn however, may monkeys fly out of my ass.
Wait, aren’t the tea party people in the former demographic responsible for “these colors don’t run!” I guess they just don’t show up.
Go there all the time. Seen no guns or corpses. No one’s offered me a cup of tea there either, though. There you go.
we walked by that gathering during my daily dog walk, i for one was shocked that they had the balls to say what they were saying within that park and Church Hills’ specific demographic. The only ones that needed to worry about violence at this specific time within the park were the speakers themselves, given the subject matter.
@Thornly
I said nothing about the Tea Party, period. And as far as suburbs (and suburbanites) are concerned, most of your neighbors formerly hail from there. If Richmond expects to grow, more and more of them will come from there. Church Hill and the rest of Richmond should welcome their presence (and their money).
Good luck with your monkey problem.
Was there crumpits? Or do we not have those at these tea gatherings ?
wow!
@Paul Hammond
Sir, I thank you your kind words about my backside. However, I must disagree with your ASSumption that most of my neighbors hail from there. It strikes me as funny (& a little sad) that you’ve just made a poorly formed assertion about the demographic of my neighborhood not unlike Mr. Beck’s.
This will likely peev you further but: 1.) Do you live in Union Hill? & 2.) Do YOU hail from suburbia?
Please take a breeth and count to 10 before answering.
Thornley, do you enjoy pouting like a child?
Thornley is kind of a bully…
@Michelle & Neighbor:
Didn’t realize I was pouting, but if I have to do some Mick Jagger style pouting to get my point across to *some* folks, then just turn your heads away.
And labelling ME as a bully because I won’t bear people bashing my neighborhood? I am firmly Anti Bully…& antibullshit.