Trends

I interact with people from nearly all demographics in my business. I talk with and discuss many things with many people of many backgrounds and ancestries.

I have only one philosophy about my interaction with these people aside from learning new things:

I really only care what color their money is, and if they have anything insightful to say or teach me..

I don't care what their religion is, their ancestry is, what their culture is, or their choice of partners or how they couple. I really don't.

All I ask is that you not threaten me, or be rude to me or others...

But I do expect that people, at least in public and when interacting with others, will have a standard of politeness and decency. I don't expect that they will all join hands and sing Kumbayah or anything like that, but up until a few months ago I generally found that most people were, if not polite to others, were at least decent...and patient and tolerant of others. Perhaps standoffish or not friendly, but at least decent. This was true across all race/religion/culture barriers.  Unless, of course, an individual gave them a significant reason not to be.

Until lately. Now, the following is going to be perceived by some as racist. I do not mean it to be, nor is is an indictment of everyone that has a certain "look". Honestly, I don't notice those who don't give me a reason to. Just because you have a certain "look" doesn't make you a bad person. 

While my sample size may be small, and my observation not entirely unbiased, I have noticed a trend lately...and not a good one.

While many older black people (say 25 or older) are as polite and generally courteous as always, there is a significant subset (by no means all of them) of the younger black kids, both male and female, who are not only rude, but actively antagonistic to other races. Comments which would best be kept unsaid (or said in private), many of which are openly confrontational.....actions which, were the recipients not generally inclined to be courteous and patient would lead to violence....

And the majority of these acts are perpetrated by folks who look "ghetto". Appearances can, of course be deceiving, but they all fit a stereotype....."ghetto cruisers"....flashy clothing...large, cheap jewelery. Loud, offensive rap music....often with lyrics that are offensive to, or promote threats towards, white people.

And it appears that there are more of them. Travelers all. Not folks in their home environment, but rather traveling from one place to another. There must be more money floating around in that demographic than before, or perhaps their actions are offensive enough to me and others that we are now noticing them more. I dunno. I do know that many of these folks are not offensive enough that I even notice them. But an ever increasing percentage of them are.

What I do know is that, where in the past they were not offensive...honestly not really noticeable unless you cared that they were different in appearance or by the vehicles they drove, now they are offensive, pushy, rude and "in your face"... especially to whites.


The comments they make (loudly!) to each other, and their body language and gestures are racist and  threatening. They tend to travel in groups, so others notice the threatening group actions. And they don't care that they are perceived as threatening and rude and offensive or racist. In fact, they appear to revel in the discomfort they can evoke. And they have a "whatcha gonna do about it?" demeanor.

So far, everything in my area has been, if not copacetic, at least ignored by the locals and the other travelers. (but as one local pointed out to a group with particularly threatening comments..."You'd best remember that you folks are only 22% of the population. You ain't gonna "take over" or take everything from me and mine.... Shut up") But the level of provocation is....escalating. The trend is ominous.

People of other races (and yes, the latinos, middle easterners, asians  and others of mixed races don't like the behavior and comment on this as well) are becoming less tolerant because of this. They are viewing all blacks with suspicion. The news media is telling us about ever increasingly violent attacks on white as well. They aren't even trying to downplay them anymore. In discussions with the local sheriff's deputies, I have found that they too notice a trend of ghetto looking folks being more aggressive. As one pointed out to me..."these Yo's think that everywhere (and everybody) is like their home turf........they are gonna find that out in the country or outside of the inner city people aren't gonna put up with their behavior...and it ain't gonna be pretty when it happens."

Honestly, I have seen a great deal of behavior ....actions and language that, were the recipients not constrained by their culture and for fear of being called "racist" would result in violence.  

If this trend continues, I see a great deal of trouble on the horizon. The escalation is reaching a point where it will not be ignored.

But more importantly, I fear the young(er) black folks are going to provoke a serious incident...that the behavior of these youngsters will make an incident happen that will lead to a significant race war...especially if it is "processed" by the same spinmeisters  that did the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman incident.

And trust me, where I work, an incident between an inner city group and the folks that live here will not end well. Many of the locals are armed, and, while not looking for a confrontation, will not back down from one if the incident is serious enough.

The trend, as I said, is ominous.

Someone (or someones) is (are) are going to get hurt. Not only the perpetrators, but a lot of innocent people of all races as well.