Just a heads up, this wasn't CC'd to the list which is what I assume you
intended to do :)

--
-- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙

On 11/18/2013 09:14 PM, Chris Bee wrote:
> I posted this earlier....it may seem somewhat out of context but I think
> it finishes well (or is at least relevant to the conversation)-
>
> "Except that it doesn't work this way. Based on what I've seen and
> experienced as a Oakland resident for the past 15 years, you're
> proposing putting another 300 well-armed and connected thugs on the
> street to deal with violent crime. Doesn't matter which side the thugs
> are on, they're going to do what they're going to do....aside from a few
> exceptions to the rule it's all they know how to do, and when they're
> operating under the color of public mandate really nasty things can
> happen. I've dealt with enough cops in different situations to know that
> at the end of the day they're simply another gang. Best to avoid them
> altogether and take care of yourself...that means not looking
> conspicuously wealthy (or easy to rob) in certain parts of town without
> acknowledging some level of personal risk. To do anything less is the
> height of irresponsibility and entitlement."
>
> For the record, I am a rapidly approaching 40 yo larger bodied male of
> fairly light complexion. I prefer to not align with any race or
> sexuality because I think it's arbitrary...I'm concentrating on being
> the best human I can be, and I think setting labels aside could help me
> get there. Or not. Time will tell, I suppose.
>
> I was robbed at gunpoint by two kids in 2006...it didn't happen because
> I was white and they were black, it happened because I was visibly drunk
> and they were opportunistic. Since then I have made it a point to not
> look like someone who would be worth robbing, as far as a) what I may be
> carrying b) my awareness of my surroundings and c) and how much
> potential I have to turn the tables on the situation. The first two
> ANYONE can do. The latter, maybe not so much...it has to do with how you
> carry yourself in certain situations. In other words- if you look shook
> you look like a much easier target. But if you look like you're on point
> and like you might be willing to dish out a little more than someone who
> wants to fuck with you, then you will generally be left alone.
>
> As far as what Rhodey said about helping sudoers helping sudoers avoid
> shitty situations of this nature, I can offer one huge piece of advice-
> most strong arm robbery happens near BART stations and transit hubs, so
> be especially aware when you're near one. That means paying attention to
> who is near you and what they're doing. Do NOT walk down the street
> chatting on your iPhone at 1 am in front of groups of
> strangers....almost every holdup story I've heard over the last few
> years started off this way, and there's absolutely no reason why it should.
>
> I should add that since embracing those three guidelines I have felt
> safer living in Oakland than anywhere else I've lived (and I've lived in
> a lot of different places). I definitely feel safer here than I did
> growing up in Millbrae....that may sound strange to some of you, but try
> being a freaky looking queer teenager there and tell me how that works
> out for you. I had WAY more stress there than I ever had in
> Oakland....had I known then what I know now I would have moved here a
> lot sooner.
>
> In short, at the end of the day YOU are responsible for your own safety.
> Not the cops, not Oakland at large. So be safe out there.
>
> -chrisbee
>
> On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 8:30 PM, rhodey <rhodey@anhonesteffort.org

> <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>> wrote:
>
>     There is a class of discussions I feel comfortable having on a public
>     mailing list and a class of discussions I feel more comfortable having
>     in person. While I agree that race and age are relevant factors in being
>     the target of crime, the target discussion is not a discussion I'm
>     interested in having or intended to spur.
>
>     What I'm more interested in exploring is the preventative measures that
>     can be taken to decrease crime at the society level and how Sudo Room
>     can lend a hand.
>
>     --
>     -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙
>
>     On 11/18/2013 08:17 PM, Sonja Trauss wrote:
>     > no way man! your age/ race / gender is super relevant I think for
>     how at
>     > risk you are for being hassled, and in what way.
>     > I think gender is the most important. Super crazy people and females
>     > will rob ladies, but crazy people, females AND healthy, red-blooded
>     > American bullies will rob boys. I would bet $70 that the three
>     times you
>     > were robbed, if I had walked by that corner instead of you, your
>     robbers
>     > would have said "hey girl, can I go w chu"? to me and I would not have
>     > been robbed.
>     >
>     > I also think it gets less fun to rob men as they get older.
>     >
>     > David - you're black, do you have any info on the relative safety from
>     > mugging of black women and men?
>     > I would expect the same dynamic to play out - it's not that fun to rob
>     > women, it's not as cool of a story. What about the relative safety of
>     > black and white men? I think white men and women imagine they would be
>     > safer in a black neighbourhood if they were black, but I don't believe
>     > that. I'm pretty sure the main victims of black criminals are other
>     > black people.
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 7:59 PM, rhodey <rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>

>     > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>> wrote:
>     >
>     >     I am sincerely sorry that I've made you uncomfortable. It was my
>     >     intention to share an experience that better helped me understand
>     >     motivations for crime, not an experience with other ethnic groups.
>     >
>     >     Retrospectively I'd rather not have answered the last question
>     because
>     >     it wrongly places focus elsewhere.
>     >
>     >     --
>     >     -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙
>     >
>     >     On 11/18/2013 07:50 PM, David Barthwell wrote:
>     >     > To all the people sharing fun stories and uplifting
>     anecdotes about
>     >     > encountering black people in Oakland:  Let's not forget that
>     there are
>     >     > actually some on this list.  In fact, I'm one of them!
>     >     >
>     >     >
>     >     > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 7:36 PM, rhodey
>     <rhodey@anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>
>     >     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>

>     >     > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>
>     >     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>>> wrote:
>     >     >
>     >     >     Oh yes, it is worth noting that I'm a white male in his
>     early 20s.
>     >     >
>     >     >     --
>     >     >     -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙
>     >     >
>     >     >     On 11/18/2013 07:12 PM, Sonja Trauss wrote:
>     >     >     > this reminds me of a comment I overheard on the bus when I
>     >     lived in st
>     >     >     > louis:
>     >     >     > "I'm getting that government money man, fuck street
>     money, it
>     >     >     ain't even
>     >     >     > worth it."
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     > ps are you a boy or a girl?
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 6:55 PM, rhodey
>     >     <rhodey@anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>
>     >     >     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>
>     >     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>>
>     >     >     > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>
>     >     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>
>     >     >     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>
>     >     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org
>     <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>>>> wrote:
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     Receiving and contemplating the perspectives of others
>     >     is one
>     >     >     of my
>     >     >     >     favorite ways to burn metaphorical CPU cycles. The
>     level of
>     >     >     respect I
>     >     >     >     show for differing perspectives is something I hope to
>     >     never be
>     >     >     >     content with, that is to say I believe it's an endless
>     >     process
>     >     >     and I'm
>     >     >     >     still working on it. I have a tendency to keep my head
>     >     stuck in
>     >     >     >     projects and have realized is that I've been
>     holding out on
>     >     >     sharing
>     >     >     >     many of my most valued perspectives, more
>     specifically my
>     >     >     experiences.
>     >     >     >     It is my hope that through sharing experiences we
>     can better
>     >     >     >     understand how to conduct ourselves within Sudo
>     Room and how
>     >     >     we Sudo
>     >     >     >     Room can better conduct ourselves within our local
>     >     community.
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     I arrived in the "bay area" May 1st by way of some
>     >     airport in New
>     >     >     >     England, in search of hackers, activists and
>     uncomfortable
>     >     >     >     experiences. After subletting an apartment in the
>     >     mission for
>     >     >     all of a
>     >     >     >     month I moved to West Oakland. Since arriving in
>     Oakland
>     >     I've been
>     >     >     >     robbed three times, to me each experience has been
>     >     indescribably
>     >     >     >     educational in its own way. However, my first
>     crime related
>     >     >     experience
>     >     >     >     in Oakland was not a crime at all.
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     There is a corner store within ~6 minutes walking
>     >     distance from my
>     >     >     >     apartment by West Oakland BART called Happy Times.
>     To me
>     >     it is
>     >     >     usually
>     >     >     >     a liquor store, but this day I felt like working
>     through the
>     >     >     night so
>     >     >     >     I bought 2 large redbull energy drinks. Walking home
>     >     holding the
>     >     >     >     redbull as best I could in one hand I passed two
>     >     African-American
>     >     >     >     youths, one female, one male and both no older
>     than 17. We
>     >     >     passed each
>     >     >     >     other and at this time I was about 20" from home
>     then from
>     >     >     behind me I
>     >     >     >     heard "hey man, can I get a redbull?".
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     I turned around to face the two of them with a bit
>     of a
>     >     guilty
>     >     >     smile
>     >     >     >     on my face, after all who the fuck really needs
>     32oz of
>     >     redbull?
>     >     >     >     Caffeine, other energy drinks, productivity and I all
>     >     get along
>     >     >     >     swimmingly, all the better if I can help someone
>     else get
>     >     >     things done.
>     >     >     >     "Sure" I said, followed by "make good use of it" in an
>     >     attempt
>     >     >     to make
>     >     >     >     the situation more casual. I walked up and handed
>     him the
>     >     >     redbull, his
>     >     >     >     face lit up, he went nuts.
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     **and I quote** "Oh man! Asking is so much better than
>     >     stealing!"
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     The smile stayed on his face as he continued
>     celebrating,
>     >     >     exclaiming
>     >     >     >     all possible iterations of the above statement as I
>     >     stood their
>     >     >     >     dumbfounded. This continued for minutes until we
>     parted
>     >     ways,
>     >     >     up the
>     >     >     >     stairs and into the house I could still hear him
>     talking
>     >     with his
>     >     >     >     friend.
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     This was certainly not the first time he'd been
>     told of this
>     >     >     >     sentiment, but after ~17 years of living it was the
>     >     first time
>     >     >     he had
>     >     >     >     ever believed it. There are at least 3 other
>     experiences I
>     >     >     would like
>     >     >     >     to share in time, but for now I'll leave it at this.
>     >     >     >
>     >     >     >     --
>     >     >     >     -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙
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