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Tiny-Cheesecake t1_j5ovjar wrote

"Ruining our businesses, frightening our customers. It’s like having a ghetto in the heart of a wonderfully safe neighborhood community.”

This is... maybe not... the best possible phrasing in a historically Jewish neighborhood, never mind the anti-black tones of the word. (Kids do sound like assholes, though.)

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JustHereForTheSaul t1_j5piat5 wrote

These kids are starting giant brawls and raping girls and your chief concern is that a business owner should watch the words he uses to describe them?

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motociclista t1_j5p0cju wrote

That sentence gave me pause as well. It had a sense of “Those people” should stay in their own neighborhood. Maybe it wasn’t meant that way, but it was tone deaf phrasing. Sensei George is going to regret that, methinks.

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5p1eva wrote

Yeah, you don't get to casually use the word "ghetto" when you are located in the actual Jewish center of the city. Sensei George should take a lesson in "reading the room."

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[deleted] t1_j5pchar wrote

[deleted]

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5pexq9 wrote

Also, it's real weird that the argument seems to be whether or not this person offended Black people or Jews, and not "Maybe don't call a place a ghetto just because you feel like the neighborhood has the "wrong" people in it."

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5pe89f wrote

I don't think it's outrageous to expect that a business owner maybe understand the area where his business is located and not put his foot in his mouth by using a term that, at best, has racist connotations, and at worst, is the exact name that the people who didn't like Jews came up with to describe the place where they deserved to live.

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imadv8r2 t1_j5pihil wrote

“Those” is a demonstrative pronoun. The fact that so-called pc attitudes and cancel culture have made its use of merely specifically pointing something out is ridiculous.

In this case, it isn’t people at large, it’s those people who leave Alderdice and hangout at Starbucks while waiting for the bus who are creating the problem.

You know, those people who shoplift at all the stores in that area and beat up an elderly female shop owner who tried to protect her business.

Those people who assaulted a uniformed city police officer in Starbucks and sent him to the hospital.

Those people who are underage and openly smoke marijuana on Murray Avenue (and in buildings on Murray they break into).

Those people whose daily, riotous behavior scares the elderly residents off the streets, and makes egress into the pediatric orthodontist and the physically therapy facilities within the Starbucks building dangerous.

Those people who leave their garbage strewn about the sidewalks, overturn trash cans and shatter plate glass windows.

Those people who gang raped a 15 year old special needs girl in the bathroom inside Starbucks and at an adjacent vacant Murray Avenue property they broke in to.

Those people who ditched loaded handguns in the surrounding Squirrel Hill neighborhood outside of Alderdice.

Stop getting caught up in this fashionable inclusion rhetoric when “Senei George” is merely pointing out those people responsible for the myriad problems on the block.

In fact, your terminology could be equally construed as a similarly racist comment, except for George is an actual sensei, much like those people are actually directly responsible for the issues (and more) enumerated above.

But hey, why don’t you come down to Murray and Forward around 2-2:30 and see for yourself?

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motociclista t1_j5pr8wk wrote

I’m not sure I understand your outrage. I didn’t take issue with the word “those”. Context matters. I merely pointed out that his statement may be taken in a way he didn’t desire. And even pointed out that may not have been intentional. I’m not offended or calling for anyone to be “canceled”. Just made an observation. And I don’t think I said anything negative or racist about Sensei George. In fact, I don’t know George’s race, so it would be pretty hard for me to have racism in my heart for him. I get it. You hate modern pc cancel culture and had a rant chambered, but I’m not sure my comment was worthy of your diatribe.

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imadv8r2 t1_j5pszuh wrote

If you didn’t mean it that way, why would you quote him and then say it was “tone deaf?” His…annunciation??

What else could you possibly be insinuating?

I don’t hold it against you—I was just making the observation that it was, indeed, those people, and calling someone out for a grammatical choice rather than coming out against the behaviors he described is simply ridiculous.

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motociclista t1_j5puuae wrote

I meant what I said. I didn’t insinuate anything. I stated, that he may regret that word choice. It comes off in a bad tone. Again, context matters.

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BRDeschain t1_j5qkqra wrote

Well what is he insinuating then? I’d love to hear it since it isn’t anywhere in their comment.

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5pj3cq wrote

lol it only took until Tuesday to get a Tough Guy Invite this week!

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j428h t1_j5plodm wrote

Honestly those people typically take longer to send out invites

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imadv8r2 t1_j5pufho wrote

To be fair, those people wouldn’t know what an invite was, let alone send one out—mainly because they’re skipping school en masse and smoking their way through life and destroying Squirrel Hill South.

But this person does, and welcomes you to come on down from behind your keyboard and experience firsthand what those people are doing.

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5pzm30 wrote

Do I need to wear body armor like everyone is suggesting? I'll grab some around the corner after I'm done at the juice bar and shoe store.

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motociclista t1_j5ps185 wrote

He was probably at karate practice yesterday, didn’t have time to send out invites until today.

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madirish098 t1_j5rdywh wrote

probably been getting their self confidence up at sensei George’s dojo!

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Caiterz4catzz t1_j5pt9zf wrote

What business did the shop owner assault happen? (Not doubting, I just hadn’t heard of that one)

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PittsburghChris t1_j5s1kfh wrote

Also, the use of the word ghetto isn't privileged to any singular class of people. The business owner is clearly trying to explain that when lawless behaviors occur daily, it is like, well, a ghetto. Where society is broken.

The only racial connotation I picked up on was from commentary in this thread being critical of the use of the word, like it is protected. It is not. Ghettos happen. If you don't like it, don't attack the person who mentions that he suffers from it. Changed the policies that created it.

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aboutsider t1_j5tem4u wrote

A group of teenagers acting anti-socially in the space of a few blocks is not at all comparable to a racially segregated neighborhood built on systemic injustice. If you think that ghetto doesn't have racist connotations then I have a hard time believing that you understand what the word means.

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madirish098 t1_j5rdecl wrote

Bet they challenge the sensei for his dojo again once they read this article.

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anthrax3000 t1_j5pbme4 wrote

They damaged his property, raped another student nearby, 5 boys entered his karate student and challenged him to a fight

You think having 30-50 teens from low income families " just hanging out" is good for a community?

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DesertedPenguin t1_j5rv209 wrote

Is having 30-50 teens from affluent families "just hanging out" good for a community?

Why is their income status worth mentioning?

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anthrax3000 t1_j5s55ne wrote

Because we live in the real world and income is the highest predictor of crime? Do you feel safer in shadyside or Homewood?

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DesertedPenguin t1_j5sabld wrote

People with road rage or an inherent inability to drive are much more of a risk to me than simply being in Shadyside, Homewood, Bloomfield, Wilkinsburg, Squirrel Hill, or anywhere else.

I have never once felt unsafe in any of the lower income neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh area.

The reality is that there is obviously a problem with SOME of the teens who are congregating in this area after school, and that it will take collective effort on behalf of Pittsburgh Public, PRT and the community to solve it.

But there are also a lot of people in this thread painting with some really broad brushes. According to the state, 41.6% percent of Allderdice students are economically disadvantaged. That means 58.4% percent are not. There is no way of anyone in this thread to know for sure what the socioeconomic demographics are of those who are causing problems. Everyone else is making a classist assumption.

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anthrax3000 t1_j5t8te4 wrote

Lol you've never felt unsafe in Homewood? Have you ever walked there past 6pm?

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5phri0 wrote

Sorry to break it to you, but there's no rule that says 30-50 people aren't allowed to be in public without your express permission. Even if they're teens!

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>They damaged his property, raped another student nearby, 5 boys entered his karate student and challenged him to a fight

You sure those were all the same people? Clutch those pearls a little tighter. Squirrel Hill isn't turning into 1980s-era Compton.

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imadv8r2 t1_j5pltdm wrote

But there is a rule that says they can’t be disorderly. Or assault anyone. Or damage property. Or—wait for it—RAPE someone.

And yep, it was those people—unless there’s another group of duplicitous Alderdice students who regularly invite mayhem while waiting for the bus at Starbucks.

But you’re right—it’s nothing like 80-era Compton.

It’s more like being on its way to 60s Watts.

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WorkingPleasant t1_j5rc8mn wrote

I can tell you as a student at dice who knows people involved in some capacity in all of these incidents, none of these were committed by the same group of kids

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Sankara_Connolly2020 t1_j5qokuy wrote

The upvotes to this are a sad reminder to never underestimate white liberals capacity for getting more upset over possibly offensive language than violent actions.

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Zenith2017 t1_j5zv7qm wrote

Maybe both things can be true at the same time, that it's a poor choice of wording and that this destructive and unacceptable behavior must be addressed.

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aboutsider t1_j5tesnq wrote

You're only assuming they're more upset about wording than violent actions.

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Silly-Donut-4540 t1_j5puc50 wrote

This also crossed my mind. An extremely valid concern, seemingly taking the correct steps in going to the school board…. But then topped off with very questionable wording. I’d be afraid of retaliation against the business and owner for that comment, before any action is taken by the district

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5p04mp wrote

White guy running a business and doesn't like the neighborhood it's in or the people who are nearby? Sure, let's call it a ghetto! He's not racist, we swear! He has a Black friend!

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AntiStatistYouth t1_j5p6u6x wrote

>“There can be over 50 kids hanging out, waiting at the bus stop at any given time. Many hang out in front of my building. Last week, the kids broke my large play glass front window of my karate studio. $975 to replace. Every day, they litter and more,” Mowod said.

If you have a storefront in a business district by a city bus stop there are going to be lots of people hanging around. If there is a giant city highschool around the corner, there are going to be lots of teenagers. There will be litter, there will be loud crowds, etc. That is just reality.

That said, something should be done if windows are getting broken. That is way too far. Guy should be more selective with his word choice though.

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anthrax3000 t1_j5pbptt wrote

They even entered his studio and threatened to fight him. Do you know how many students will no longer feel safe signing up for his business now?

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GargantuanWitch t1_j5pir6l wrote

No one is avoiding a martial arts school that's been in the area for 40 years because one time kids went inside and made him look like a dummy.

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anthrax3000 t1_j5pqx4t wrote

"Kids went inside and made him look like a dummy"

No, you're going to avoid it because 5 young adults (teenagers are not kids and are often tall AF) can enter at any time and threaten to fight people.

Would you feel safe at work if 5 young adults came in and threatened to fight your manager? And then continued to hang out outside your workplace every day?

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Strongbow85 t1_j5rso63 wrote

Exactly, you can be a professional boxer or MMA and you're not going to win 5 on 1. Not to mention they may have weapons on them.

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meet-kd t1_j5t92xj wrote

Except ya know, maybe the owner.

It’s not like our government makes it easy for a small business to survive, let alone thrive. Being beaten down by the handicap of not being a giant corporation magnifies the way this affects the business.

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GottaWanna t1_j5pdhuo wrote

🙋‍♂️never littered on the streets here or anywhere else. Not once. It is 100% avoidable.

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Strongbow85 t1_j5rseyk wrote

> That said, something should be done if windows are getting broken. That is way too far. Guy should be more selective with his word choice though.

It goes beyond windows, a girl was gangraped in the bathroom of a neighboring business.

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