"This is my neighborhood. You don't belong here." - Man faces felony hate crime charge

[Bluebear]

A Seattle man faces a felony hate-crime charge after being arrested Thursday for threatening to stab an African-American man waiting for a bus in the Loyal Heights neighborhood of North Seattle, and telling him, "You don't belong here," police say.

The incident occurred shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, after the victim got off a Metro bus and waited for another bus at a stop near 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 85th Street, police said.

The suspect, described as a 43-year-old Hispanic man, approached the bus passenger and pulled a knife with a six-inch fixed blade from his backpack, police said.

The suspect then allegedly told the victim, "You walk any closer to me, and I'll stab you," before calling the bus passenger a racial slur, police say.

He also allegedly told the victim: "Go back to Pike Place. This is my neighborhood. You don't belong here," police said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009332105_webharass12m.html

[Suich]

1. This happened in Ballard? North Ballard?

You gotta be kidding me!

WTF?

[Dramarama]

2. They're getting older

Violent racists

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Sounds a lot like the generic gang violence in the LA area

though the perp is a bit old for that kind of crap

[KT2000]

4. What I hear

from a friend who lives in Ballard, is that the area is becoming a magnet for the homeless who have been kicked out of downtown, especially the Pike Place Market area.
The area is abuzz over this so rather than a strictly racially motivated attack, it is likely over the homeless moving into the area.

We need to come up with better ways to look after the homeless. Some of the problems she mentioned were: people sleeping all over, an area staked out by the meth users, people defecating on sidewalks and people's yards, crummy campers and rv's being rented out by the night and parked in neighborhoods, and more.

This guy is obviously a jerk for doing what he did but he probably felt justified because of the current furor over the homeless moving in.

[marmar]

5. So, if it's about the man being homeless, why the racial slur?

Sometimes racism really is just racism.

[KT2000]

9. Very likely he is racist

and I did not mean to imply that he was not. I am sure he is a real ignoramus too. But I am talking about the motiviation - these idiots are feeling empowered by the collective angst over the homeless moving in and spotting an "offender" by skin color is easy.
What I am saying is that the entire community is upset about the area being taken over by homeless people. More and more people will be taking matters into their own hands if the problems are not addressed.

[Bluebear]

7. 'before calling the bus passenger a racial slur' - sounds racial to me.

[KT2000]

11. Man - I knew people

were not going to get my post. Of course the assh#*e is a racist. I am saying the homeless that have been living in downtown Seattle have been kicked out and they are settling in Ballard. The rumor is that they are given bus fare to leave the downtown area.
The entire community is upset about this for the reasons I mentioned. People talk about it a lot and they email about it. It is the talk of the community.

The point is that a racist attacked the man supposing he was part of the homeless problem.
The city and community leaders, social agencies and police need to work toward a solution or there will be more of this sort of thing - or worse.

[enlightenment]

12. I appreciate and understand your point, but I think you should

stop short from assuming you know why he attacked the man, unless you know something not in the article.

It doesn't say anything about the assailant indicating that the other man was 'part of the homeless problem'.

[KT2000]

13. EEEK!

From the article:

1."Go back to Pike Place Market" - this is where the homeless are being kicked out and some say given bus fare. Pike Place Market has long been an enclave for homeless people but since it now has condos for the rich, they are being kicked out.

2. "You don't belong here. This is my neighborhood." - this is the way some in Ballard feel about the homeless moving in.

3. Local media has been reporting on the success at getting the homeless out of downtown. They are not asking where they are going.

The point of my post was that there is more to the story. The background info does not excuse anything and it is still a hate crime. Ballard is known as a family oriented, peaceful community and anyone who knows the area would be shocked by the story.

[enlightenment]

15. I understand that.

But unless you're a mind reader, you do not know with certainty that the assailant was reacting BECAUSE of the points you stated (including point #1).

It may be true, but for the moment it is only an educated guess on your part.

How the town of Ballard feels about the act is irrelevant.

[KT2000]

17. Ballard is a neighborhood

of families.
You just are not understanding what I have said.

[BlooInBloo]

14. hahahaha!!! Gotta love the It's Not Race It's Class racism deniers.

[KT2000]

16. Racists and their acts

sometimes exist within a larger context. To understand what that is, is not racism denial. There is anger and frustration in Ballard because of the homeless moving from downtown Seattle to Ballard. It will manifest in many ways, racist being just one, until the problem is solved.

Why the sarcasm? Is it classism when people do not want human urine and feces in their yard, collections of drug users in the parking lots, rental campers rented by the night parked in front of your house? I would not feel safe if it happened in my neighborhood.

[Hannah Bell]

18. straw man.

[EFerrari]

6. We need a "Today in Right Wing Hate" forum.

:(

[Bluebear]

8. Sorry, exceeds bandwidth

[krispos42]

10. It's been outsourced

Alas, it's forbidden to mention most of them.