So you thought your kids were safe in a suburban school? Think again!

[Eccentric Cat]

If you listened to WBEN this morning, you now know. There is increasing gang activity in Amherst by many gangs, including the Crips and the Bloods. There are gang members in the school, even though the school (Sweet Home) seems to believe, in spite of the increased real gang activity outside the school, that they are immune and there is no problem. Their solution is simply to tell those showing the gang colors to stop showing them. No disciplinary action, no one expelled, nothing.

No, I'm not a happy parent right now.


Sorry, I cut and pasted this from the Amherst thread for better exposure...

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

If you listened to WBEN this morning, you now know. There is increasing gang activity in Amherst by many gangs, including the Crips and the Bloods. There are gang members in the school, even though the school (Sweet Home) seems to believe, in spite of the increased real gang activity outside the school, that they are immune and there is no problem. Their solution is simply to tell those showing the gang colors to stop showing them. No disciplinary action, no one expelled, nothing.

No, I'm not a happy parent right now.


Sorry, I cut and pasted this from the Amherst thread for better exposure...

Was this the shocking item you posted last week? I am sorry you have to go through this as a parent.
I went to South and can speak for a lot of people who think a school is defined by the tone set by the administration. South has been in decline since Ahern sp? left. He was gone before I got there but I was able to go to South during the transition. Now, it is not the same place. Very sad.

[Trolls_r_us]

I know from experience that Sweet Home is a ROUGH school

last year there were fights nearly EVERY day

and they have gone through numeroud principals in recent years

something is REALLY wrong with that school.... it always felt like something was simmering there

[granpabob]

they cant lock up the kids just for wearing colors or expel them because of what they are wearing. some law has to be broken first. every one has fought hard for free expression of our thoughts and ideas. because you dont agree with their ideals does not mean they can be locked up. its a sorry state of being when you have to allow this but the laws give them freedoms. if they fight in court they will probably win and be allowed to wear their colors. all we can do is hope they do wear uniforms like this so we know who to watch. its the sleepers who dont wear their colors that get to your kids Many groups besides gangs wear colors if you stop them then every group that wears color will also be banned. the band football team cheerleaders etc all wear colors dont try to ban the colors unless you want to open a real can of worms

[Eccentric Cat]

they cant lock up the kids just for wearing colors or expel them because of what they are wearing. some law has to be broken first. every one has fought hard for free expression of our thoughts and ideas. because you dont agree with their ideals does not mean they can be locked up. its a sorry state of being when you have to allow this but the laws give them freedoms. if they fight in court they will probably win and be allowed to wear their colors. all we can do is hope they do wear uniforms like this so we know who to watch. its the sleepers who dont wear their colors that get to your kids Many groups besides gangs wear colors if you stop them then every group that wears color will also be banned. the band football team cheerleaders etc all wear colors dont try to ban the colors unless you want to open a real can of worms

Not true. The school has a policy against wearing anything that promotes violence or pertains to hate groups or gangs. Violation of this policy can and should result in disciplinary action.

FWIW, I didn't suggest banning the colors. That was the school's idea. I think it's a stupid idea for the same reason you stated -- now they will have a harder time keeping track of who's who. They should EXPEL those violating the policy and be done with it.

[Eccentric Cat]

Was this the shocking item you posted last week? I am sorry you have to go through this as a parent.
I went to South and can speak for a lot of people who think a school is defined by the tone set by the administration. South has been in decline since Ahern sp? left. He was gone before I got there but I was able to go to South during the transition. Now, it is not the same place. Very sad.

Yes it is. Thank you. You're right, BTW. "Crap" flows down.

[Trolls_r_us]

Sweet Home admin (as a whole) has no backbone, and is afraid of the kids

teachers were told last year not to write kids up anymore... kids would skip detention and nothing was done...

this is what you get

[Shovel ready]

Expect to see a general decline in the inner suburbs over the next few years

What goes around comes around....

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Expect to see a general decline in the inner suburbs over the next few years

What goes around comes around....

Yup. And after that, you'll see the second ring suburbs decline because they are too close to the inner-ring suburbs and people will head to three-ring towns like Newstead -- and complain when traffic, noise and crime follow them.

[LaNdReW]

Not even close to the city schools.... Much safer in suburban schools, better education than city schools, do I need to keep going??

[Shovel ready]

Yup. And after that, you'll see the second ring suburbs decline because they are too close to the inner-ring suburbs and people will head to three-ring towns like Newstead -- and complain when traffic, noise and crime follow them.

Haha. Yeah That's how the natural progression of things will have it.

But the reality is that our nation will be too broke to build the highways needed to serve these far-flung towns. This is a good thing. Places like Newstead, Alden, Boston, ect. will retain their wealth of productive, arable land, instead of being paved over into more detached paradises for more timid people.