This weekend a QUADRUPLE SHOOTING NEAR WESTPORT once again brought home the fact that Kansas City isn't close to being safe for the kind of commerce and stable living environment that a so-called "Downtown Renaissance" is going to require.
A flurry of gunshots (12 to 13) sent hundreds of people scurrying for cover early Sunday Morning . . . Right in line with KC tradition, almost nobody stayed around to report what they had seen . .. In other words the stop snitching movement is still relevant in KC and seems to be gaining momentum in the hipster community as well.
Now, here's what I know . . . If crime statistics are any indication, the shooters were probably Black. Is it racist to point this out not only given that stats hold out the supposition AND every summer the McDonalds on 39th and Broadway along with the Chubby's parking lot in the immediate vicinity become a perpetual crime scene? Additionally, every now and then a white person has to get shot and maybe die around one of the hipster clubs on Broadway in order for anyone to show any interest in the fact that for years "The Broadway Corridor" has been anything but safe.
Still, I hope I'm wrong about the racial identity of the shooter and it really doesn't matter (unless you admit that: If a white person shot into a crowd full of minorities, there would automatically be round-the-clock nationwide coverage of the media event AND maybe I'd get a chance to meet Al Sharpton in person) . . . Still, the race of whoever did the shooting isn't important (or else they'd mention it, right?) . . . What's important is that yet another instance of violence in Kansas City has so vividly illustrated that KC's urban core will never meet the grandiose aspirations of this city's cheerleaders if it doesn't address the topic of crime in instances that don't exclusively involve white people.
If KC Proper is going to become the primary destination for area hipsters and other brands of interlopers THEN time and again these folks will unfortunately fall victim to the same violence which has plagued this town for years and ultimately (most importantly) that just isn't good for business . . . Sadly, another homicide reveals that we're all in the same boat when it comes to the consequences of crime and killing in KC.
Early this morning, here are the best links available on the subject:
Another Reason To Avoid Westport on Weekend Nights
4 hurt in Westport shooting
Westport shooting leaves some residents worried
Shooting At Westport Walgreens
Hello my sexy-bro-ham. I saw this link on YouTube and became sick to my stomach not only because I couldn't find a video clip of this story at any other reputable media outlet in KC (not that there are any in KC); but also because every time I come home to see your sweet ass I always visit this particular Walgreens at around 3 am to buy condoms or to generally waste time if there's nothing to do. I think I'm just going to try staying in when I make my quarterly visit home. KC is getting to dangerous. Here's the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRh2BFsnPVg
Love your nuts.
Hate crime? Unpossible. Hate crimes can only be committed by white people against minorities. Black on white crime is never racially motivated wink wink nudge nudge.
ReplyDeleteYour blog invites racism, you yourself are a RACIST!
ReplyDeleteThis blog is racist also because it's obsessed with race. If TOny isn't blaming the white man for his problems then he is making factless observations against African-Americans.
ReplyDeleteBut I will say that this shooting is scary. Firing into a crowd of people just isn't cool.
Westport sucks. People who go there should be shot, at least in the butt.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I know the comment:
ReplyDelete"Westport sucks. People who go there should be shot, at least in the butt."
was most likely said in jest, but the person who got shot and killed at the Walgreen's was a person very near and dear to me and many other people. He wasn't partying in Westport, he was down there trying to find a friend who had been out partying. He was a wonderful person, who died while telling other people to get down to avoid the gunfire. Some spineless coward took that opportunity to shoot him in the back of the head. I am also sickened by the fact that 100s of people possibly witnessed it, but they all took off.