Lagoon temporarily closes in response to gun threat

Matching the description > RRR

Beat me to it. I was going to say, we’re the “suspects” the only two black people in the park?

You know, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. My anecdote from a small-town park in Middle America, which is actually entirely wholesome...

One day I visited Adventureland park in Altoona (real people think of that as Des Moines) Iowa. Throughout the day it gradually dawned on me that the demographics of the park were overwhelmingly *white*. But not totally. There was this one group of black people, one or two families. A single carload (that's important!) in the entire park.

Now here's where the stereotype comes in.

They proceeded to the basketball game (of course), and cleaned it out (naturally).

Pity they were all traveling in one car; I am not sure how they got all that big plush home!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

That's the worst post you've ever made.

What in the actual hell was that?

Rip Ridin' Rockit > whatever that was

I don't doubt that happened, but the conclusion that they won because that is some inherent property of blackness (and not just some guys who happened to be good at basketball) and the implication that therefore other, less flattering stereotypes might hold some water, is wrong and probably the biggest shame in our country and society.

I am 100% sure you meant that to be a wholesome story, Dave, but it missed the mark and definitely resulted in a record scratching sound and contemplative look from.. everyone?

How, uh, did you know how many cars a group of strangers drove to the park?

Yeah, I need to be more careful about that. I don't know if it's the worst thing I've ever posted, but in the context it's pretty tone-deaf and implies a few things that, quite frankly, I wasn't intending. I think you all know that, but I can see that the immediate response was, "Did he really just say that?" Yeah, I did...and it was a poor choice.

The story is true, and I actually found it rather surprising. I'm not sure which I found more surprising...that I was watching a stereotype play out, or that I was in the least integrated environment I had been in for...ever. In hindsight it's a poor choice to even bring it up in this discussion. It's an observation of how stereotype works; that it's usually rooted in some grain of truth. It's worth noting that we have no idea who "fit the description" at Lagoon, and I figure they either hauled in a known troublemaker or people who look like "thugs". Whoever they grabbed, they grabbed based on their experience identifying troublemakers. My story is wholesome, and it carries a useful story, but really shouldn't have been brought up in *this* context. Because while we don't know which stereotype the park might have applied, some in this discussion have a few ideas. And I really didn't want to go that way.

I'd have been better off relaying the story of one of the times when I was the one who "fit the description". It would have been about as useful in this context.

That reply ended up adding nothing to the conversation. Since people are responding to it, and because I believe in owning up to my errors rather than trying to erase them, I'll leave it up. But I'm also admitting straight up that I shouldn't have posted it.

(edit) In response to BrettV's question...at the end of the day I was watching them (did I mention it was a small group?) trying to load the plush into their vehicle. I guess I don't know whether they arrived together or not, but in the parking lot they were loading everything and everybody into a single van, (/edit)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Yeah, bringing that up in a certain context is really not the deepest problem here.

Dave, I was really disappointed to see you use the term "naturally" in describing the family winning the basketball game because it reads like you believe the stereotype is accurate, fair and without harm.

One thing’s for sure. The matching description at Lagoon wasn’t “Mormon”.

lol…?