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[Two Words]

Guys, maybe the mob didn't intend to cause too much damage?

 

[Apt101]

I'm not sure how to stop these violent flash mobs without dragging the parents into it. Which can be dubious legally anyways.

And why are kids these doing this? My friends and I did some petty vandalism when we were young, like 12-14. Nothing like this. This is crazy, to get to a point where 40 - 50 teenagers are ransacking a place. I guess social media helps.

And racist or inane comments on news articles stopped shocking or surprising me a while ago, it's to be expected. What's funny is one can search these names and find them commenting on articles from all across the country all day long - while accusing others of being lazy, not working, being hateful, etc. Now I sometimes just glance through the comments to find the inevitable conspiracy theories hidden in non sequiturs.

 

[BigDes]

How in the world did 40 to 50 people only manage to do $2000 worth of damage? Did they skip the electronics department?

Historical Vandals would be less than impressed.

Look at these losers

Pretending to be vandals

Whole model village is still standing

 

[The Elite]

I...what? You're really trying to compare the two things?

I get what the OP is trying to say but you guys are crashing and burning trying to explain.

It's a shame, really, because the OP has a point but the whole thing has been so poorly executed.

 

[Vicetrailia]

I'm kinda surprised that 50 people only did that much damage. Youngsters stayed clear of electronics that's for sure and likely just raided the grocery section?

Wal Mart Has insurance so let them have fun with it.

 

[User 73706]

It's highly unlikely this was something she just thought of. I'm sure she was a racist asshole when she was teaching as well.

I know, I was referring to this.

 

[Lunar15]

Put me in the group that thinks $2000 seems really low for 50 people sacking a walmart.

The comments are super gross, though. Like, really? What the kids did was awful, but to make it a race thing is stupid. It's not like there aren't stupid white kids that vandalize shit.

 

[Nesotenso]

why the flashmob style vandalism though? Not the first time it has happened.

 

[OctoMan]

Lol at having to use Facebook comments to detract from a real story. Gross behavior. My local convenience shop got over run by 100 teens at 4 am 1 month ago. Like wtf. How does that even happen. How do you get that many people who think it's a good idea.

http://www.cwbchicago.com/2015/05/circle-jerks-boystown-convenience-store.html?m=1

Bringing this thread full circle. The store was at the location of where the major gay pride place took place. You even have comments blaming the gays! Albeit jokingly.

 

[commish]

So as much as it upsets me to see the comments from people who would make these assumptions about me based off my skin color, I gotta say... I'm a bit more upset that the Wal-Mart was overrun by 50 teens and thousands of dollars of damage caused.

Between the two, honestly, the comments bother me less.

It's sad when this is the case. I view such deep and hateful racism as more problematic than teenagers destroying some Walmart merchandise, especially since it appears no one was actually injured.

And no, that doesn't mean me, or anyone else, is actually condoning the behavior by the kids.

 

[The Elite]

why the flashmob style vandalism though? Not the first time it has happened.

A dumb trend?

Is this the new planking?

 

[turtle553]

The story did not identify the race of the perpetrators other than the picture of one guy who got caught. Yet everybody assumes they were all black kids on both sides.

Y'all a bunch of racists.

 

[AJLma]

I'm kinda surprised that 50 people only did that much damage. Youngsters stayed clear of electronics that's for sure and likely just raided the grocery section?

Wal Mart Has insurance so let them have fun with it.

They're still kids. Chances are most of them were scared of doing something that could actually ruin their lives.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

As an individual act, I find the sacking of the shop worse than the comments. As a symptom of something wider, the comments are much worse. It's not often that shops get sacked by anyone, but comments like those come from the mouth of every other American given perceived anonymity.

 

[Trigger Warning]

Oddly different reception between this thread and this one

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1071143&highlight=salt

Wow, way to compare law-abiding citizens who just want to get married with violent, destructive criminals.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I think this thread needs a mulligan.

 

[WaffleTaco]

In all honestly, racist people are going to be racist and most likely not change unless something life transforming incident befalls on them. We should not be acting like they are doing the worse crime though. Seriously did these kids have nothing else to do? For shame. For the workers, the parents and the kids doing this.

 

[SturokBGD]

They didn't shoot up a church though.

Perfect.

 

[SheHateMe]

50 kids go and trash a WalMart. I'm not condoning it at all, but full disclosure: I care about WalMart as much as they care about their employees.

Those kids turn into idiots the moment they pushed an old man off his riding cart. Don't give a rat's ass what race they are.

The problem comes in when folks use this one example to attack and disparage an entire race because of what 50 people did.

But what do I know? As far as the media and some people are concerned, Black people are monolithic. We all move and think alike.

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

If these kids trashed a store for fun, can you imagine how hopeless their lives must feel? If they do something with such a high risk of imprisonment, that tells me they don't feel like prison is that much worse than what their lives are like everyday. I would never do something like what they did because it would ruin my life. Maybe they have always felt their lives were ruined.

 

[vikki]

How do these kids go about organizing a 50 person mob? Do they put out a flyer or what?

 

[Squirrel Killer]

It should always be news, and every one of those people should be shamed out of a career forever.

I'm totally on board with talking about talking about racists and outing their ugly, racist comments, but this is where you lose me. Racists are scumbags to be sure, but to say that they shouldn't ever be able to make a living for themselves goes too far.

I'm just going to repeat what I said in the "Eat, Sleep, Rape, Repeat" thread:

I hope you're joking, because I am so tired of this constant bloodlust calling for people to be fired. Joe Paterno, sure. Justine Sacco, I understand. The woman who dressed as a Boston Marathon bombing victim for Holloween, maybe. Michael Slager, abso-fucking-lutely.

But this guy? That guy that bitched out a Chick-Fil-A drive-through cashier? The teacher fired over a pro-vegan Facebook post? Calling for people to be fired for things not related to their job is mean-spirited at best.

 

[Slayven]

Real interesting people are going to the criminals, who is defending them in this thread? They did some fucked up shit and will be punished for it. Good.


But in shitting on racists we are defending them? How ?CNN type logic going on there. Real Weird

 

[JDSN]

It's a shame, really, because the OP has a point but the whole thing has been so poorly executed.

Its such a weird self derail, theres always some dumb comments online about dumb people doing dumb shit. Its like making a thread about a cop killing someone and focusing on the "Fuck cops" comments.

 

[Metaphoreus]

The comments bother me more than a couple dozen bored fuckwits with more time than respect for property... but they're still fuckwits.

I get the sense you've miscalculated the size of the group by about 100%

2k$ damage with 50 people?
Is this the world's least competent vandal mob or something?
I feel like we're not getting told the entire story here.

They must have gone in the GM entrance and been fruitlessly throwing down birthday cards, school supplies, and t-shirts.

 

[Amory]

I disagree that them ransacking a store is "more civilized than the comments".

I'd put the two groups on just about the same level. Asshole pieces of shit vs. racists.

 

[marrec]

How do these kids go about organizing a 50 person mob? Do they put out a flyer or what?

Facebook man, or Line maybe? YikYak!

*old man voice*

When I was a lad you had to organize through the schools messenger system or with good old fashioned phone calls.

 

[The Elite]

If these kids trashed a store for fun, can you imagine how hopeless their lives must feel? If they do something with such a high risk of imprisonment, that tells me they don't feel like prison is that much worse than what their lives are like everyday. I would never do something like what they did because it would ruin my life. Maybe they have always felt their lives were ruined.

I don't know if there is a socio-economic connection to be made here.

Do we even know the race or financial well being of the vandals? Do we need to know?

Edit: We do have the photo in the article but that is one person.

 

[Yaponchik]

Damn racist commenters on social networks, those poor kids did what they had to and these guys come comment against them!

 

[Daingurse]

Real interesting people are going to the criminals, who is defending them in this thread? They did some fucked up shit and will be punished for it. But in shitting on racist we are defending them? CNN type logic going on there. Real Weird

Yeah not sure what's up with the false dichotomy. These were a bunch a stupid ass teens, doing stupid shit. The blatant racism simply bothers me more than what the flash mob did, and thats why I choose to focus on it.

 

[Dishwalla]

They must have gone in the GM entrance and been fruitlessly throwing down birthday cards, school supplies, and t-shirts.

At 2 in the morning the only entrance that is open is the one by the grocery area.

 

[Zornack]

If these kids trashed a store for fun, can you imagine how hopeless their lives must feel? If they do something with such a high risk of imprisonment, that tells me they don't feel like prison is that much worse than what their lives are like everyday. I would never do something like what they did because it would ruin my life. Maybe they have always felt their lives were ruined.

How old are you? I'm guessing you're not a kid and don't remember how kids think. They're not constantly running cost-benefit analyses for all of their actions.

For example, kids who have had proper sexual education don't forgo condoms because they think having a kid won't affect their lives. They have sex without condoms because they want to fuck and aren't thinking about the ramifications of their actions.

 

[Vicetrailia]

The story did not identify the race of the perpetrators other than the picture of one guy who got caught. Yet everybody assumes they were all black kids on both sides.

Y'all a bunch of racists.

See how powerful the media is.

 

[User 73706]

It's not like there aren't stupid white kids that vandalize shit.

No, no, when white kids do it they're just having some harmless fun because their favorite sports team won / pumpkin festival / fuck it they're white cut them some slack they're just teens man.

 

[marrec]

At 2 in the morning the only entrance that is open is the one by the grocery area.

Think of the number of cantaloupes it would take to equal 2000 dollars worth of damage.

 

[Maridia]

Oddly different reception between this thread and this one

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1071143&highlight=salt

Surely it's not surprising that the "Gay Marriage Salt Thread" and the "Raid on Wal-Mart and Assault of Handicap Man Salt Thread" have been received differently?

All these kids have done is make trips to Wal Mart a little scarier for people who live in their area.

 

[dskillzhtown]

If these kids trashed a store for fun, can you imagine how hopeless their lives must feel? If they do something with such a high risk of imprisonment, that tells me they don't feel like prison is that much worse than what their lives are like everyday. I would never do something like what they did because it would ruin my life. Maybe they have always felt their lives were ruined.

Ummm...what? Kids do dumb shit. That fact crosses all races and economic lines. When I was a teen, I knew of a rainbow coalition of peers that would do dumb shit. Breaking windows, blowing up mailboxes, knocking over store displays, etc. They were bored, with hormones going crazy so they did dumb shit.

 

[Amory]

Yeah not sure what's up with the falso dichotomy. These were a bunch a stupid ass teens, doing stupid shit. That blatant racism simply bothers me more than what the flash mob did.

Oh fuck that. That's bullshit.

Something like this isn't explained away by "oh you know those teens, doing their stupid teen things". They're criminals, doing criminal things.

 

[OctoMan]

No, no, when white kids do it they're just having some harmless fun because their favorite sports team won / pumpkin festival / fuck it they're white cut them some slack they're just teens man.

I swear that pumpkin festival has done more damage for neogaf race relations than Dylan Roof could ever dream of.

 

[soundahfekz]

welp hopefully its time for some reactionary idiots to lose their jobs over being racist on Facebook.

yup

 

[Daingurse]

Oh fuck that. That's bullshit.

Something like this isn't explained away by "oh you know those teens, doing their stupid teen things". They're criminals, doing criminal things.

Yes, stupid teens doing stupid criminal acts. If you think I'm defending them, you're wrong. Don't get it fucking twisted.

 

[andycapps]

Look at these losers

Pretending to be vandals

Whole model village is still standing

True, and they're helping some dude funnel a beer. Looks like a party to me.

 

[shadowhunter89]

Apparently this is what you do when you are bored now... this is what all the cool kids do now...

 

[marrec]

Yes, stupid kids doing stupid criminal acts. If you think I'm defending the kids, you're wrong. Don't get it fucking twisted.

Seriously, me and all my friends (all of them) were criminals at one point or another when growing up.

Rural living is a drag.

Not trying to defend these fuckwits but lets not pretend that they're particularly more shocking than most teens who act up.

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

How old are you? I'm guessing you're not a kid and don't remember how kids think. They're not constantly running cost-benefit analyses for all of their actions.

For example, kids who have had proper sexual education don't forgo condoms because they think having a kid won't affect their lives. They have sex without condoms because they want to fuck and aren't thinking about the ramifications of their actions.

So you think they're still at that age when they think they're imortal and nothing bad can happen to them? I guess. I think we'd have more mobs of kids trashing stores if that's all it was.

 

[Two Words]

I'm totally on board with talking about talking about racists and outing their ugly, racist comments, but this is where you lose me. Racists are scumbags to be sure, but to say that they shouldn't ever be able to make a living for themselves goes too far.

I'm just going to repeat what I said in the "Eat, Sleep, Rape, Repeat" thread:

Why should a teacher making public racist comments not be fired? How can you have any confidence he or she will treat kids equally?

 

[Christopher]

50 kids go and trash a WalMart. I'm not condoning it at all, but full disclosure: I care about WalMart as much as they care about their employees.

Those kids turn into idiots the moment they pushed an old man off his riding cart. Don't give a rat's ass what race they are.

The problem comes in when folks use this one example to attack and disparage an entire race because of what 50 people did.

But what do I know? As far as the media and some people are concerned, Black people are monolithic. We all move and think alike.

Sounds like what the media does to the police.

Whatever beings in views/clicks though right?

 

[The Elite]

Why should a teacher making public racist comments not be fired? How can you have any confidence he or she will treat kids equally?

Now I can agree with this. If you out yourself as a racist you should be fired.

They can make a living for themselves but not in my place of employment.

 

[starchild excalibur]

It's sad when this is the case. I view such deep and hateful racism as more problematic than teenagers destroying some Walmart merchandise, especially since it appears no one was actually injured.

And no, that doesn't mean me, or anyone else, is actually condoning the behavior by the kids.

The article in question could be "Hungry black male steals one grape from fruit vendor," and the Facebook comments wouldn't be too dissimilar. Yeah, it sucks, but there are reasons why the comments section in news article are always to be avoided - it's mostly idiots that post there regardless of the topic or content.

In the grand scheme of things of course racist views are more deplorable than $2,000 worth of damaged goods. But I guess the reason why I'd rather focus on the teens in this instance is because this is what the article is about. I'd rather we not anchor every thread about news not around the news itself, but what some fuckwits typing behind the keyboard happen to feel about the news.

 

[Daingurse]

Seriously, me and all my friends (all of them) were criminals at one point or another when growing up.

Rural living is a drag.

Not trying to defend these fuckwits but lets not pretend that they're particularly more shocking than most teens who act up.

I've done my share of criminal acts, and I would also say that I was a fucking idiot when I did them. You are right though, what these kids did is not all that shocking to me though, this is like the 3rd case I've heard of flash mobs doing stuff like this.