This is f'ing ridiculous. Truly at a loss for words.

I was also at SOTG, and don't see the connection to this shooting. Just because it happened a several blocks from the park at Peachtree & 10th doesn't mean we need to link the name to this event. None of the major media outlets have correlated the two. Let's avoid the hint of smear.

Nicole- Lets not be naive. Did you not see the throngs of black youth coming to and from the SOTG from the Midtown MARTA station on Tenth Street? Nothing against black youth mind you, just the ones that shoot people. Nicole, certainly you don't think "major media outlets" that serve Atlanta such as the esteemed AJC always provide readers a full and comprehensive view of the news. How could the AJC even link the two events? There were only two sentences about the shooting as of this morning.

I happened to be stuck in traffic on 10th by the park during all the trashy ghetto drama. The FACT is there was a large mass af people, at least 50, acting like complete idiots. Screaming, cursing and standing in the street talking without regard for cars trying to pass. FACT: every single person participating, were BLACK. Several black men were yelling racial remarks. I'm sick of racism being one sided. Blacks are just as guilty and fuel the fire as well. I also took video of the events. Upon multiple review, not a white person in sight!

Wow...proof that rasist people still walk the earth *smh* So just because a few blacks do dumb shit we'll all put in the same catogory...stupidity as its finest!

Who said every black person was put in this category?

Guess they'll just have to build a better, bigger and whiter park even further north of the city with no Marta link...that'll solve the "problem."

That's actually the worst thing that could be done. How about some pro-active security? I'd be willing to be that these guys who were involved in the shooting gave off the impression that they weren't there to watch 16 candles. Nipping the problem in the bud, which may involve profiling, is the first step.

The problem is not about building a bigger whiter anything. For the individual, it's about knowing how to act decently in society no matter where you are and no matter what race you are. For everyone else, it's about not tolerating people who yell and scream racial epithets in public and shoot people.

Lola- with all due respect, if you are going to play the "you're a rasist" (sic) card on a public forum, it helps to know how to spell the word correctly. FYI it's r-a-C-i-s-t. Ironically, you did spell stupidity correctly.

Justus...interesting name for someone with no sense of it! I was there and there were MANY MANY whites there too...so I'm not sure wht park u were at but clearly not the same one as me! Everyone does stupid shit so get over yourselves...at least we don't become serial killers or get high on meth a stab our moms!! (See I can racially profile too)

I went to the first 2 SotG's this year, sat pretty near the front for both. "Back to the Future" was a prety well-behaved crowd all around me, but "Imitation of Life", the crowd was terrible. There was a constant stream of kids walking around, talking in normal voices to each other or on their cell phones. 3 blankets away from us a group was smoking a joint, which I could really care less about, but there was a constant stream of conversation coming from their blanket the whole movie. The irony was, halfway through the movie, a security person made someone near them put out a candle that was burning (against the rules) but ignored the chatty blanket.

Leaving at the end of both of those movies, (I walk towards Juniper) it was obvious that the back half of the crowd had been there to socialize, not watch the movie.

Last night I had company in town so couldn't go to the movie, but we did walk over after the movie had started, I wanted to show off the fun event in my neighborhood. We just stood for a few minutes way back (on the hill) taking in the scene, and it was just embarrassing how much walking around and talking was going on. Same on the walk to and from the Park. LOTS of kids who obviously weren't there to watch "Sixteen Candles".

I feel really bad for the security guys there, they're doing their best for the most part, and you would think just their presence would deter some of the socializing, but it doesn't. You can't police every square inch of the event, and we shouldn't have to.

I love my Park, I have been a huge fan of Screen on the Green since the very first ones (and the ones over on the softball field for a year or 2 even). But no more for me this year, and sadly, I think it's time to just let it go, it's not pleasant anymore, and the unpleasantness has spread to the whole neighborhood. SofG's been ruined by probably a small segment of our society, but ruined nonetheless. It's kind of just the world we live in though.

We didn't have these issues in Midtown when the gays were in charge.

This is a situation where making an example out of a few people could go a long way. Kids socializing, talking, and disrupting the people that are there to respectfully watch the movie - kick them out. People loitering around, clearly not interested in the movie - kick them out. Place temporary barricades around the major entryways to the screening area, and if anyone is loitering around outside the barricades - cite them for loitering. Being passive, and cracking down on people with a candle, while ignoring the real problem just fuels the fire.

But if you kick them out, they'll just go a block away from the Park (or even just elsewhere in the Park) and continue doing what they're doing. That would help the noise situation for those really there to watch the movie, but it doesn't help the neighborhood in general. Midtown Blue can't be everywhere on these nights. These kids are going to congregate wherever there's a free event, and if you kick them out of the free event, they'll still congregate near it. I'm afraid cancelling the free event is the only answer that will really work.

If more people smoked joints there, less shooting would happen. I walked through a couple of weeks ago and at least 50 city police were there.

Urbanist, you make a very good point. The security should be proactive. Make the Screen on the Green not fun for people that just want to come to socialize. If they are being harassed by security constantly they won't want to return.

If something is not done then this event should just be shut down. It's starting to attract the wrong crowd anyway.

Start showing films like The Sound of Music and Herbie the Love Bug and the shooters of all colors would stay away.

You could put them in prison -- that's been our solution thus far.

No one's addressing the underlying social issues that give rise to young Blacks ruining public spaces -- well maybe Bill Cosby. They have no jobs, no education, their parents were likely kids themselves with the father absent. These aren't Black college students btw. These are kids from hoods (like the one I live in) who got nothing to lose and don't know better. Three hots and a cot...well maybe I'll get some street cred and see my daddy. I saw a mother yell at her baby at the bottom of the steps, "get your ass up here!" repeatedly...to a toddler in diapers who could barely crawl. Otherwise the drug using adults in the house just yell at the babies to "shut up!" Nice environment. ANYONE raised in this atmosphere of neglect and deprivation will not be "socialized" and is a problem for society.

But we just want to watch our fun "sixteen candles" movie in a manicured park. Don't ask us to pay more taxes for intervention programs or actually live near "these people," so that we might make a difference in their lives as a community.

AGB, you're right. The problem with crime in Atlanta, and elsewhere, is that there is a neglected populace that is absent education, employment, and the responsible behavior that follows those. Now, many of you might not make this connection the way I do, but I think a primary factor for this neglect, is the way Atlanta has structured itself.

It has allowed itself to turn into a city where people can run away from the problems, and find solace in a highly segregated, distant suburb. It has provided roads and public transportation to areas that are far outside the city, while neglecting the transportation needs of the city itself. It has allowed it's finances to become severely strained, by catering to the desires of the "metro area" without imposing the appropriate cost for this accommodation. The more Atlanta builds outward, the larger this strain will become.

Seriously? Really? Did you just say that? The majority of the reason that "these people" act and live this way and destroy everything decent for everyone else, is that they have grown up leaching off of people who educate themselves and have, at the very least, basic social skills. What they can't get from "social assistance" or "intervention programs", they just take from someone else who worked for it. Yes, it's a problem, but no, it's not my fault. People make choices in life, and suffer the consequences, or reap the rewards, which doesn't mean that working hard and not shooting people in the street will make you happy or rich, but it does make you not a worthless, annoying asshole. If every group of people who has suffered social injustice and inequality throughout history decided to play "victims of the 'system'", the entire population of the planet would just sit around whining day and night. From what you said, it seems that you have managed to stay afloat in a terrible environment, which no doubt is the direct result of choices you have made, and you should expect others to do the same, on their own. And before anyone rails on me for being against social programs, I am not at all, but any social program that will ever work has to reward work, not burn more funds and energy giving handouts..... >

Remember that the next time an aggressive bum tries to charge you for a Marta fare that he got from Midtown Assistance Center. The one that they gave him to "mobilize him to find gainful employment."

My comment, which was the first posted on this story, should not have been censored by deletion. I merely predicted, when the story broke, that the perpetrators were black males. I was correct.

I made the prediction not out of "hate" or "racism" but because history has shown that certain groups tend to be the spoilers in certain situations. Just like contemporary terrorism. I always predict that it was perpetrated by young muslim men with facial hair, and I seem to always turn out to be right.

The point is that, contrary to hip and PC opinions on the matter, the first step in solving a problem is to positively ID those who are causing the problem.

Marc - I sincerely hope you're not overweight or elderly or even balding because those are also physical attributes that people have negative and incorrect associations with. Judging people based on physical attributes they cannot control only shows just how small your world really is.

Your prediction was correct in this particular instance so I hope you gave yourself a much deserved pat on the back. Good job! And I really hope someone from another race other than African American doesn't shoot anyone anytime soon because I'd really hate for you to be wrong.

AGB,

"Actually live near these people"

Have you even notices what's been going in the city the last 20 yrs?Whites ARE moving back into the city AND changing neighborhoods,Grant Park,West Midtown,East Atlanta.

We have the highest property taxes in state (aren't these funds used to build schools hire teachers and discipline students?

Please,the people moving back into city are cleaning an d rebuilding parks on their OWN.

We are currently paying the highest water rates in the country.

We are thought of as nothing more than MARK and or a piggybank for our cities corrupt leadership.

Have you seen the facilities and parks these kids have access to?Take a look at the rec ctr of HG Holmes go to Washington park. I only wish I had access to facilities like these as a kid.

I knew many black young men that grew up in bad circumstances and never resulted to behavior like these thugs.

You wanna know the reason kids behave like this?Because they CAN and because thet want to.

tres - I have to correct a few inaccuracies in your statement.

(i) We have the highest property taxes in the state, because we're the biggest city. That's the way it goes. We also have high property taxes, because a large portion of people that call themselves "Atlantans" don't pay property taxes into city of Atlanta coffers.

(ii) We don't have the highest water rates in the country. As a matter of fact, we're nowhere even close. Jefferson County, in Alabama, charges their citizens a water rate that is almost 3x ours.

(iii) Whites are moving into the city. But, our population growth had been an annual average of 320 per year over the past 10 years...weak would be putting it nicely.

Great Spinning Urban?But not even closee

"320 a year for the last 10 yrs" WTF are you talking about?Look at the 1990 census and look at the 2000 and 2010 census at the percentage change of blacks. and whites.
Please name another urban city where whites are moving in at a faster rate.

Re Water Rates Name another city over 25k in this country that has higher water rates?I'm talking about some hillbilly's that got screwed over in wall street deal.

Property Taxes; Are you freakin serious? Lots of people who call themselves Atlantas don't pay into our coffers" are you serious? Name another city of our size that has more city council members? How 'bout our 16K to 18k per year we are supposed to spend on students.

Problem with this city NOTHING to do with more people paying into the coffers

AlwaysGettingBetter : Yes, that sounds familiar. "give us your money or we'll shoot you". Sounds a lot like a threat, because it it.

Without pointing fingers or hurling insults or trying to place blame, can we all not agree that these types of incidences are indicative of much deeper problems within our society? And until we can ALL try to understand the how's and the why's we will NEVER find any solutions, and it will only get worse. For the record, no one race holds any monopoly on being knuckleheads, however much we might like to think so.

Yes, Terry, I agree. There is a larger social sickness here, but it still stands that social intervention has to come from within, and there is a long standing history of some groups receiving, and repeatedly taking advantage of outside "help", which has led to several entire generations of people who blame everyone else for their problems. The reality is that the only solution is to let some people go, and try to minimize the damage in the process.

Urban,

Go aheade,use 20 gallons of water in NYC,Birminham,Las Vegas...you name it.
And use 20 gallons in Atl.In which city are you gonna have the HIGHEST water bill? With ALL that includes.(Sewer Fees etc)

So you don't think our city has a spending problem?I notice you didn't address the 16k to 18K on our per capita HS student spending.Great results huh?We're cheating in standerdized test and still can make the grade. How 'bout the size of our city council.Can you name another city the size of Atlanta that has a bigger one?

Look at the funds the city is spending on pensions the fraud and waste that goes on at the airport(consessions, does that ring a bell?)

What's your solution?Raise property taxes(again)No offense,but I seriuosly doubt you are a property owner so maybe your all for it. How 'bout rasing water rates?Oh yea,that just happened again
We can go to 9 percent in our sales tax.

The city has finally experinced growth the last 2 decades and the ruling junta of this city is doing its best to drive people back out.
.

I never said we didn't have a spending problem. I said we have a revenue problem. Those two can happen simultaneously.

I've suggested before a congestion tax, increased tolls, commuter taxes, etc. to alleviate the strain that OTP imposes on ITP. I don't think raising prop taxes is a good idea, as it demotivates people to own property in the city. I think there is a huge burden on this city that is largely the result of a transient crowd that bears no cost or responsibility for the stress they impose on the city.

Well,I wouldn,t disagree on raising revenues on OTP'ers that work inside the city but you have to be careful on how to approach it.I also would like some type of transportation fee for these trucks that are RUINING our surface streets.So there,I think we have some common ground.

Urbanist,
While you are correct that the total population only increased by 3,500, I believe Tres was attempting to point out the fact that between the 2000 and 2010 Census 'the city gained 22,763 white residents while losing 28,795 black residents.'
The percentage changes include 2000 white 33.2%, black 61.4%; 2010 white 38.4%, black 54%.

So it is settled now. Show "The Sound of Music" in the park and both crime and water rates will drop!

Its fine that people find the behavior of these teens unacceptable and desire better law enforcement which is certainly needed. The difficult part is understanding that these people do not behave this way because they are black. All of these behaviors can be traced to fatherlessness which can in turn be traced directly to government programs that essentially paid women to remain single beginning in the 60's. That's when you see historically black neighborhoods across the country begin a downward spiral. We as a society are still suffering the consequences of this destruction of the black family and our society will continue to decline to the extent that fatherlessness grows in other segments of our country.