More Troubles with Teens
Last week, we reported on an incident at the Court Street Barnes & Noble, in which a band of teens had an altercation with a manager and one eventually socked the guy. A similar problem seemed to happen yesterday, according to this note from Park Slope Parents: “All of 5th Street between 6/7 Aves is…
Last week, we reported on an incident at the Court Street Barnes & Noble, in which a band of teens had an altercation with a manager and one eventually socked the guy. A similar problem seemed to happen yesterday, according to this note from Park Slope Parents: “All of 5th Street between 6/7 Aves is taped off tonight. According to the policeman: ‘Stabbing’ ‘After School’ ‘Yes, it was students.’ He is not allowed to confirm if it was a fatality, but given all the investigation still going on at 8pm, I fear the worst. I have walked through the groups of teenagers on 7th Ave at 3pm almost every day last year and often this year and while they are often rowdy and often oblivious to anyone else on the street, those same students can also be very respectful and polite. It is scary and sad and yet another issue we should all be aware of and talking about.” Meanwhile, another group of Brooklyn teens was arrested for attacking another youth. Well, let’s talk about it, then. Thoughts?
sixyearsandcounting,
Thanks for pointing out the error. I hate my spelling mistakes as well. I could say I am practicing my texting.
urs tru,
pig3
It had nothing to do with white kids or black kids. I have both. It had to do with behavior. Everyone on this post seems to make everything about race. John J. has every race. It is also a very poorly performing school. I want the best education the public school system has to offer for my children. PS 51 has every race as well. Performs very well, but is full of the “snotty rich kids” people were referring to earlier in the post. I know this because my oldest went to PS 321 (over rated and over crowded). Someone referred to Far Rockaway High earlier having produced Nobel Prize winners in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s – only to be shut down recently for failing as a school. Now that I know your daughter is out of college, your opinion of MS 51 and its students is out of date. You have no idea what is going on now. I know parents who have children there now and see the students and their behavior every day. The “just young kids” you refer to will soon be in high school. If the behavior is ugly in middle school, what do you expect to happen when they move on?
I’m not the thought police, but I’ll be the spelling police:
It’s John Jay, not John J.
p3, I lived almost directly across the street from 51 for a decade. Honestly, I’ve never seen really bad behavior from 51 students. My daughter was never harassed or insulted or in a fight. There are security guards and at least one police officer there at lunch and dismissal. They’re just young kids. In HS things can and do get uglier, I agree.
Of course I went to an inner city HS as one of about 3% of kids who were white, so it may be that I have looser standards than you.
BTW MS51 and PS321 were and maybe still are the only schools that are even allowed out at lunch in the entire school system. I read your question as wondering if white kids are in terrible jeopardy from the other less white kids at MS51 when they go out for lunch. I can assure you that they are not.
But I hope you find an satisfactory educational environment for your children. 321, 51, and LaGuardia HS worked well for our daughter, who went on to a decent private college and is now well employed and pursuing an MFA at the New School.
Miss priss, since when has any subject on this blog stayed totally on topic? Everyone is free to digress where they will, and usually does, so please stop acting as if I invented it.
Bringing up the issues of race and class is hardly race baiting. Oddly, that term seems to only come up when the issue is danced around and never addressed, and someone shines a light on it. You don’t want to talk about it? Fine. You have no idea what real race baiting is.
And how am I being the thought police? Everyone thinks whatever they want about these or any other situation. The narrow thinking you are accusing me of is yours. I would welcome a genuine discussion of youth violence, or tensions between Park Slopers and the kids who go to the local schools. But that would mean a real discussion of race and class in Brooklyn. And I don’t think very many of us are comfortable with that.
MM – Show me where I took a single word of what you said out of context. You can’t. And that’s because I was not obfuscating at all, deliberately or otherwise. I was taking issue with the points you made, and responding to them. Maybe you’re trying to back away from them now, or to revise your statement to something so general (We have issues with perceptions of race and class in this country. No kidding?) as to be pointless. That’s fine, and that’s your right. But if you don’t like having the “throw-away phrases” that you inserted into the discussion mirrored back at you, perhaps you should reconsider using them in the first place. Taking rational counter-arguments personally and responding by calling names belies the culture of respect you’re criticizing these kids for lacking.
pig three, my apologies too for taking your comment the wrong way. Sorry for being so quick to attack when you were merely trying to post a sincere response to my question. I wish you all the best with your three children and hope you find an area and school that you’re happy with.
Biff,
My post was answering your question. Period after your name. “You” being third person – anyone making reference to John J. Understand?
Biff,
Not trying to be snotty, sorry if it came across that way. Now I know why you are always “misunderstood” on this forum. Anyway, leaving the snottyhood behind.
Denton,
You should spend some time outside your daughters school at lunch time. Not model citizens. Are the “gifted” program kids allowed out at lunch time?