WSU Math Instructor Shot in Woodbridge

DetroitPole · December-03-10, 10:06 AM

http://thesouthend.wayne.edu/index.p...tor_shot?&cp=1

This hits a little too close to home because I am good friends with him, and, as you may have guessed, as a math instructor he didn't have any beef with anybody or involvement in the drug trade, etc. Mostly he just does math. This was outside his house, by the way.

Thank God he is okay. It could have been very different.

And in one of Detroit's "up-and-coming" [[up-and-slumming) neighborhoods [[This probably won't appear in ModelD). I like where I live, but I think once I start to form a family, it is time to get the hell out of Dodge, and Michigan, because a place where innocent people getting shot is a normal, daily occurance is unfit for human habitation.

DetroitPole · December-03-10, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by Planner3357

Right...because all white people are angels. Get a life dude...it's racist's like you that bring this town down.

Sorry, I disagree. It is thugs and murderers who gun down innocent people outside their homes who "bring this town down." As inexplicable as woodwardboy's post is, part of the problem is that people are more outraged over stupid comments than the fact that an innocent man almost lost his life over nothing. Probably actually nothing - he's a math instructor - he doesn't have any money.

Don't believe me? If prof was packing heat and blew these guys to kingdom come, how much you want to bet somebody in this town would cry racism? Or that they were "good kids" and that the use of force was unjustified. Sorry, if they weren't starving and holding him up for a loaf of bread, I don't care what their life was like [[mine was no bed of roses either) there is no excuse for the kind of senseless violence that happens every day in this town. I don't care how poor you are, that doesn't give you any reason to take someone else's life.

In fact, Woodwardboy had it right in part - sans the racism. An innocent, educated man in one of the allegedly "livable" neighborhoods of Detroit is shot multiple times in front of his house during the day. Guess what this tells me? It doesn't matter where the new stadium goes, or how cute the houses are in Woodbridge, or how trendy the lofts are, or how good the new crepes are, this town is never, ever going to rise again, because the violence is unceasing and unaddressed.

**gazhekwe** · December-03-10, 10:46 AM

Neighbors of ours at WSU [[young white couple) bought a house on Commonwealth in 1970. I've always wondered how it went for them. They had high hopes for the area. Not too long after that, another young neighbor of ours at WSU was killed walking home from the bus. The thieves took his keys and went to his apartment and killed his wife and baby, too.

I am so sorry about the math professor. That someone cannot walk down the street in front of their house is a huge blatant sign of absence of quality of life, something we have been fighting with all these many years.

DetroitPole · December-03-10, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Blueidone

This is nothing to do with black and white. It has to do with the economy and what is happening in this City because of the lack of jobs, lack of population, lack of tax income and the resulting lack of city services.

I think this is only a partial explination for the violence in this town. I don't go around murdering people when my garbage doesn't get picked up, and no one has ever had to call the cops on me and wait for them because I don't go around murdering people. There has been a nationwide recession that some refer to as another Depression, and we haven't had a bloodbath or a revolution nationwide. I've been out of work before and that also did not cause me to murder people. Sorry, not buying it anymore.

**English** · December-03-10, 10:51 AM

How do you know that the instructor wasn't black? Or east Asian? Or Latino? Or Indian? Why are people so quick to jump to conclusions [[the same way they did on the Lafayette thread)?

And there is room for both outrage towards the thugs AND outrage towards ridiculous comments. One does not negate the other.

**English** · December-03-10, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

I think this is only a partial explination for the violence in this town. I don't go around murdering people when my garbage doesn't get picked up, and no one has ever had to call the cops on me and wait for them because I don't go around murdering people. There has been a nationwide recession that some refer to as another Depression, and we haven't had a bloodbath or a revolution nationwide. I've been out of work before and that also did not cause me to murder people. Sorry, not buying it anymore.

Neither have I. Neither do most black Detroiters. Chill.

DetroitPole · December-03-10, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by English

Neither have I. Neither do most black Detroiters. Chill.

I understand, but so I don't get more irate I'm going to take your glib "Chill" as, "I know you're upset because your friend was shot but please try to calm down"

DetroitPole · December-03-10, 11:33 AM

http://www.freep.com/article/2010120...obbery-attempt

10:28am? Does it get more brazen than that? Shot while running away? Shoot a guy in the back? There isn't even honor among thieves here. They'd shoot their own mothers execution style if she had a $20 bill on her.

How do they expect to find these guys without a description? Then again, they probably don't expect to, care to, or have any intention of finding them.

**pffft** · December-03-10, 11:44 AM

Not buying the "economy" excuse. The guys who shot the poor guy who was gassing up his car near 7 Mile -- that was for nothing, too. He wouldn't give up his car keys, so they killed him and got nothing. Who does that because they don't have enough money or lost a job?

**JStone** · December-03-10, 11:50 AM

Man that is so messed up. I used to live just up the block. 10:28 a.m.? WTF.

Thank God he is going to be okay. Do you think he'll stay in Detroit after this?

This is the kind of thing that has the potential to destroy any positive gains that have been made over the last decade. What if something like this happens [[or worse) to a popular and beloved Hipster/Building Hugger/Business Owner/Activist/Artist/Socialite??? Somebody that everyone knows. How fast do you think it will take for the collective whole [[Detroit Boosters) to say ,"Hmm maybe I should rethink this and find something else to fill my time with" because obviously it's not worth losing your life over?

This really bums me out...so sorry to hear about your friend.

**Meddle** · December-03-10, 12:20 PM

Can Detroit go one day without shooting somone or is this part of the "hip-hop" culture?

I'd be curious to know how many days in the last 30 years have passed without anyone getting shot in town.

**leland_palmer** · December-03-10, 01:34 PM

I used to house-sit a flat 3 blocks down. Not cool!

**Jimaz** · December-03-10, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

...How do they expect to find these guys without a description? Then again, they probably don't expect to, care to, or have any intention of finding them.

From your first link:

Police obtained a description of the assailants at the time of the incident from a witness and the victim, Holt said, but they have not been able to follow up with him because doctors are still treating him.

**Zacha341** · December-03-10, 01:52 PM

Uh, it's not just a white thing... I'm black and lived on Commonwealth and move after my apartment was broken into in 82 or so. With small kids who needs all that drama! I always thought the area had many rough spots which got broader the closer you get to 14th street. Though it was fairly walkable then and I enjoyed the proximity to WSU.

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

Neighbors of ours at WSU [[young white couple) bought a house on Commonwealth in 1970. I've always wondered how it went for them. They had high hopes for the area. Not too long after that, another young neighbor of ours at WSU was killed walking home from the bus. The thieves took his keys and went to his apartment and killed his wife and baby, too.

I am so sorry about the math professor. That someone cannot walk down the street in front of their house is a huge blatant sign of absence of quality of life, something we have been fighting with all these many years.

**Zacha341** · December-03-10, 01:53 PM

Indeed alot of assumptions go forth. I am certain the 'comment' section of that article is full of questionables.

Originally Posted by English

How do you know that the instructor wasn't black? Or east Asian? Or Latino? Or Indian? Why are people so quick to jump to conclusions [[the same way they did on the Lafayette thread)?

And there is room for both outrage towards the thugs AND outrage towards ridiculous comments. One does not negate the other.

**R8RBOB** · December-03-10, 02:14 PM

woodwardboy since you have all the answers how do we decrease the number of Black folk in Detroit? Do shoot them down like dogs? Do we round them up and put them into camps? FEMA camps? [[Shoutout to Glenn Beck) Do we put a blockade around the city and like the people starve? Do we breed them out by having the White men rape the sistas so they can produce White babies? What should be done to decrease Black folk?

**English** · December-03-10, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

I understand, but so I don't get more irate I'm going to take your glib "Chill" as, "I know you're upset because your friend was shot but please try to calm down"

Good. Because I was just as infuriated by your posts. Glad I logged off for a while.

**DW313512** · December-03-10, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by guito13

Don't forget Lack of Parenting and Lack of Education.

No morals at all.

**GOAT** · December-03-10, 05:44 PM

Glad your friend it alright Detroitpole. I don't blame you for leaving either. It is just too common in Detroit for shit like this to happen. Yet most do squat about it but defend Detroit only to say, "it isn't that bad, we're potrayed so negatively in the media"...[[insert any other form of BS excuse here). The fact remains most people just don't give a shit and are unwilling [[police included) to put these punks out to pasture.

Can I now say thems people are living in Mad Max times?

**Johnnny5** · December-03-10, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by justanotherboy

"Do shoot them down like dogs?"

Yes - to those that try and rape, mug, kill you etc. This is why everyone in Detroit should apply for and carry a conceal weapon.

The unfortunate part is that even law abiding citizens with CPL's are barred from carrying while on any college campus. So any bottom feeding, low life can be rest assured that all students and faculty are unarmed while traveling to or from campus.

**Det_ard** · December-03-10, 06:06 PM

This shooting is terrible. Understandably it may have the victim questioning whether he wants to stick around or not. His friends and family may have similar feelings.

Multiply that by thousands of violent crimes and burglaries every year, multiply that by decades and should we really wonder why so many have left the city and relatively few are moving back? Looking past the outright racism of the troll in this thread, and the thousands still like him [[yes, they exist) and one of Detroit's top problems remains that there are hundreds of thousands of people who suffered at the hands of violent criminals or with chronic property crime that seem endless.

There's a cloud of danger and lawlessness that hangs over Detroit and suppresses any upward momentum. All the original woodwork, independently-owned restaurants and cultural activities in the city won't convince most people to put themselves and their families at risk, hence our current state of affairs.

Augustiner · December-03-10, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

This shooting is terrible. Understandably it may have the victim questioning whether he wants to stick around or not. His friends and family may have similar feelings.

Multiply that by thousands of violent crimes and burglaries every year, multiply that by decades and should we really wonder why so many have left the city and relatively few are moving back? Looking past the outright racism of the troll in this thread, and the thousands still like him [[yes, they exist) and one of Detroit's top problems remains that there are hundreds of thousands of people who suffered at the hands of violent criminals or with chronic property crime that seem endless.

There's a cloud of danger and lawlessness that hangs over Detroit and suppresses any upward momentum. All the original woodwork, independently-owned restaurants and cultural activities in the city won't convince most people to put themselves and their families at risk, hence our current state of affairs.

I think we can pretty much all agree on the substance of this post. The question then becomes how best to solve the problem, and people's opinions on that depend heavily on what they believe causes the problem. And that's as far as the discussion ever gets before it's completely bogged down in controversy and finger-pointing.

DetroitPole · December-03-10, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by English

Good. Because I was just as infuriated by your posts. Glad I logged off for a while.

Why? I'm not that racist crazy person here, who I don't understand why everyone can't just ignore. All I did was express outrage over the state of the city and the senseless violence daily here which I think, if anything, is a good thing. Don't you think I know the races of all people involved in this and could have turned this into a real shitshow? That is, as if this thread could get any worse.

Except for the great posts by JDD, JStone, Det_ard.

Physically he is doing okay but I worry about how this will affect him mentally. He will undoubtedly suffer from both the physical and mental affects of this for the rest of his life.

**English** · December-03-10, 09:23 PM

DetroitPole, I am very sorry that your friend was shot. I came off as insensitive, and for that, I apologize. I have had friends and relatives shot, several of them killed. I was not making light of the shooting.

However, your friend was also my colleague. I entered this thread shocked and saddened, but left it feeling indicted. I can't help the fact that I'm black or that I grew up in Detroit. I try to live my life as a decent young woman and citizen. And I hate being lumped in with "murderers."