Phil R.
People say “things like this don’t happen in a place like this” because such things haven’t happened where they live before. People build up a sense of false security – their own little world, if you will. A place where all the yards are nice, the neighbors are friendly and it’s safe everywhere. You say that it’s always white people who say these things. May I remind you of the Oklahoma City bombing: There were no ethnic barriers on the people saying “Why here, why us?”
I believe white suburbanites see the black neighborhoods as battle zones, a place where all the gang-bangers are creepin’ in their cars and tote’n a 9. And since this is everyday life, all black people are used to it. People expect this to happen in the hood over drugs or gang warfare. Some of this is spurred on by the media. I know better. I believe that the truth of the matter is that people don’t communicate with thier kids so they don’t know wether something like that could happen in a place like that or not. It’s not a white thing, It’s a shock thing. It would shock me no matter where it happened.