Dodging Bullets

[IanRichardSharpe]

For the few of us that worked the Junteenth Celebration at the Theodore Wirth Park in Golden Valley, it was a festival of dodging bullets as I'm sure you've seen the news.  I was lucky however the young intern working for the WCCO station was shot in the ankle.  Next to us at the US Bank tent, a girl who had just showed up to work was shot in the thigh twice.  POP!  POP!  POP!  Isn't what one expects to hear when promoting the MRF.

http://wcco.com/crime/Juneteenth.shooting.minneapolis.2.753938.html

[Muffin]

Yikes!!!! How scary!!! Glad everyone will be okay!!!

[Cobaltblu]

I have to say this should be nothing new and shouldn't be unexpected.  I am surprised legitimate businesses even take part in these celebrations since they attract criminals who want an excuse to shoot and maim people.  Riots and overturned cars and looting are only a step away.  Local government shouldn't allow these gatherings unless they put everyone through a metal detector and have one police officer for every participant.

Regards,

CB

[Sandman]

I have to say this should be nothing new and shouldn't be unexpected.  I am surprised legitimate businesses even take part in these celebrations since they attract criminals who want an excuse to shoot and maim people.  Riots and overturned cars and looting are only a step away.  Local government shouldn't allow these gatherings unless they put everyone through a metal detector and have one police officer for every participant.

Regards,

CB

I gotta say Cobalt, that's a privileged position you take.  You are propagating the same message the corporate media, police, and local government would rush to side with.  When in all actuality, it's this marginalization and repression of truth that often leads to an environment of hopelessness.  Whether you're from a place where everyone's been to jail, and no one's been to college, or if you're in a minority community constantly oppressed by cops, no one is going to step in and change it for the better, in fact history as a tool would tell us these demographics are usually the first to be trampled on, for the greater benefit of those who are educated, and not continually oppressed (AKA the higher class).  It would be pretty shallow to say that you don't support slavery, while you support the current rhetoric and practices that keep members of minority and impoverished communities virtually enslaved.
How many public high school shootings are done by overly privileged white perpetrators? Almost all of it?
Why should inner city violence(which I assume you are far removed from, but in an area where you hear about it frequently) disgust you more?
Maybe you don't think it does, but as a society we definitely do.
Consider this, when a high school gets shot up, we blame music, video games, parenting, bullies, anti-psychotic drugs, and whatever is easy to get over.
When a (wo)man of color is charged with a violent crime, we never ask what's to blame, but we sure as hell will lock them away for cheap labor, and ensure that rehabilitation is not an option, if not shoot them outright and give the cops that did it a payed vacation.
In the equal rights movement we call this racist, privileged ignorance.
I'm not saying you are a racist, but the result of your comment breeds that racism, that people are all too quick to announce does not exist.
Personally if I were an admin of this thread I would have deleted your post because of it, but that is the prerogative of the admins to decide.

[IanRichardSharpe]

I only wanted folks to know that it wasn't one of the best promotions we've participated in.  Minnesota Renaissance Festival has indicated that they won't participate in this event next year.  There was a shooting at this event last year as well, which would give one cause to reconsider involvement.  The poor fellow I was working with is fine, although he had been complaining of a sore on the back of his achilles tendon from a door catching it.  I in jest told him I could use my sword blade and trim it off.  Someone's bullet did that bit of work for him.  Any event or promotion where a large number of people gather could conceivably have a percentage chance of something violent occur.  Given the history of this particular event, I tend to agree that there should be some sort of screening for weapons that aren't part of a participant's costume. 

At any rate, it won't be a worry for next year.