| Re: Two cyclists attacked and beaten in Portland
Tom Keats wrote:
:: In article <12qp184jj457i66@news.supernews.com>,
:: "Roger Zoul" <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> writes:
::
:::::: Maybe it was just a random occurence. Who knows. Geez, people.
::::::
::::::
:::::
::::: And MAYBE the black girls attacked two white women because they
::::: were white, and did so while calling them racial slurs. Geez,
::::: Roger.
:::
::: Given that you nor I were there, we'll never know. For all you
::: know, one of the women on bike could have said something to incite
::: them.
::
:: As you say, we weren't there.
::
:: But I just can't help intuitively feeling that
:: perceived affluence & corresponding attitudes was
:: a larger factor in this incident, than "race".
Could very well be...
:: Maybe my own life experience of growing up in a
:: city with a distinct "east side" and "west side"
:: is affecting my view.
::
:: I don't know where Legacy Emanuel Hospital is in
:: Portland, but I do know that Portland is more
:: complicated that cities with simple east/west or
:: north/south economic demographics.
::
:: But the M.O. of punks from the working-class/industrial
:: area/immigrant-enclave part of town, standing in the way
:: and beligerently challenging oncomers (especially "rich"
:: interlopers) is all too familiar to me.
::
:: So I have the feeling these victims may have been
:: picked-on because they were /perceived/ as "rich chicks"
:: with fancy, expensive bikes, sticking their /perceived/
:: Conspicuous Consumerism in other people's faces.
::
Very possible.....
:: Or maybe the perps thought the cyclists were gay,
:: and it's a case of [misguided] gay-bashing?
::
Again, very possible...
:: I dunno.
::
:: But as a life-long city boy, I do know when I'm
:: confrontin'. And I know when to back-off.
I tell you what....I'm surprised the ladies on bikes let them get so close.
It's hard to know the circumstances, but if I were riding and saw them
threatening kids ahead in the bike lane, I'd have either turned around or
swung wide with speed. Could be the problem started with the kids standing
in the bike lane and the cyclists trying to use that lane too.
::
:: I guess these ladies didn't.
::
Right. Perhaps the kids were gang members trying to earn some respect.
::
:: cheers,
:: Tom
::
:: --
:: Nothing is safe from me.
:: Above address is just a spam midden.
:: I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
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