"Flash Mobs" in Philly; "Smash and Grab" in Atlanta.. 365 Black!

Flash mobs in Philly. Smash and grab in Atlanta. All thanks to Black people!

First, The New York Times on the Black Flash Mobs in Philadelphia:

The flash mobs have raised questions about race and class.

Most of the teenagers who have taken part in them are black and from poor neighborhoods. Most of the areas hit have been predominantly white business districts.

In the flash mob on Saturday, groups of teenagers were chanting “black boys” and “burn the city,” bystanders said.

In a Feb. 16 melee, 150 teenagers spilled out of the Gallery shopping mall east of City Hall during rush hour and rampaged through Macy’s, knocking down customers and damaging displays.

The police arrested 15 of the teenagers and, according to one report, some had not been allowed to call their parents six hours after they were detained.

Clay Yeager, a juvenile justice consultant and former director of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in Pennsylvania, said he believed the flash mobs were partly a result of a decline in state money for youth violence prevention programs.

Financing for the programs has dropped 93 percent to $1.2 million in this year’s budget compared with $16 million in 2002. City financing for such programs has dropped to $1.9 million in the past three years compared with $4.1 million from 1999 through 2002, a 53 percent drop.

Mayor Nutter, who is black, rejected the notion that race or the city cut in services was a factor.

“I don’t think people should be finding excuses for inappropriate behavior,” Mr. Nutter said. “There is no racial component to stupid behavior, and parents should not be looking to the government to provide entertainment for their children.

Atlanta was once burned by Sherman, but Black youth have decided to have 21st Century fun in the city by engaging in Smash and Grab techniques at stores causing massive damage and a lot of stolen property. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:

In 2006, there were 17 so-called “smash and grab” burglaries in Atlanta, causing more than $51,000 in damages and losses.

By 2008, according to Sen. Preston Smith, that number jumped to 130 such burglaries with more than $1.4 million worth of windows broken and fancy sunglasses and hip jeans stolen.

“This has become a prolific activity,” said Smith of Rome. “Especially in Atlanta.”

To combat the sudden wave of activity, Smith passed legislation in the Georgia Senate on Wednesday that would actually make smash and grab a new crime and a designated felony act.

Senate Bill 423 creates a new statute in Georgia law that defines smash and grab burglaries as entering a retail establishment without authority with the intent to commit theft and causing more than $500 of damage. Under this legislation, these burglaries will be considered a felony, punishable from two to 20 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine. A second conviction carries a prison term of five to 20 years and/or a $100,000 fine.

Previously, property damage and burglary were two separate crimes. Juveniles, many of whom were committing these crimes, were rarely, if ever charged, because of their ages.

Now, under SB 423, burglars under 17 would be charged with a designated felony in juvenile court and could face the toughest legal penalties, Smith said.

Smith estimates that of the 363 retail burglaries in 2008, about 44 percent of them were smash and grab.

TBW - This is a Black World - is a new game that Black youth engage in, knowing full well that public sentiment will never allow any punishment nor condemnation of these mere juvenile exploits. Indeed, the only crime worthy of police investigation and national news is the scandal of the public address system at Wal-Mart.

Stealing the PA equipment and making derogatory remarks about Black clientele is sin that even Dante himself couldn't pen a suitable punishment for in hell.

Help Stuff Black People Don't Like out: send an email to us stuffblackpeople@gmail.com about any TBW activity in your city, on part with Smash and Grab in Atlanta and Flash Mobs in Philadelphia.

What's going on in Memphis? Baltimore? Washington DC? Miami? New York City? Chicago? Durham?

How is TBW being played in your city? SBPDL is a one man operation, but we get a lot of emails that help pace editorial decisions. Thank you. Keep them coming.

We'll be back tomorrow with two new posts. In the meantime, relax. Some places exist where TBW can never be played. America and planet earth is headed to 365 Black.