Black Teen Girls Killed (But Do YOU Care?)

[ismnotwasm]

Two teen girls were found dead in Duval County, Florida and now, we wait for answers and the predictable lack of outrage from people who might typically deem a double murder to be cause for such.
According to local ABC affiliate WFST, the bodies of Angelia Mangum, 19, and Tjhisha Ball, 18 were spotted on the side of a road around 1 a.m. yesterday. The bodies were reportedly bound with zip ties and on top of one another.
The few reports about the story have cited the women’s criminal records (neither of which are worth mentioning here). Ball’s sister, Crystal Moore told ABC Action News that the two women were close friends and had been working in the Jacksonville area as exotic dancers.
Heartbreakingly, Ball’s mother Jerlean Moore told ABC "I feel like sometimes that I failed. What could I have done? What could I have taught her better?”
It isn’t unreasonable to expect for a grieving family to wish that their dead loved one hadn’t worked in the sex industry, one where women are often subject to increased abuse and harassment at the hands of clients, employers and law enforcement alike. Thus, there should be no judgment from any of us about Ball’s lament about her daughter’s work. But what I fear will happen here is a general sentiment

Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/news-views/black-teen-girls-killed-but-do-you-care-403#ixzz3DoGvVpPd

[daleanime]

1. K&R....

[NYC_SKP]

2. I wonder what reasons will be used to explain how they caused this themselves...

examples:

They dressed provocatively, evidence of marijuana in their systems, at a club, had been at a club, in a bad part of town, being unescorted, being black, being women.

You know the drill.



Now I've gone back and read it, and sure enough they have a criminal record and worked as exotic dancers, "bad girls".

Someone(s) apparently killed two women and left their bodies on the side of the road for the world to see. We shouldn’t need for them to have been “good girls”—or White girls, or, perhaps good White girls—for this to be cause for national concern. It seems apparent that there is a killer, or killers, on the loose.

Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/news-views/black-teen-girls-killed-but-do-you-care-403#ixzz3DoKvwrGe
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[MrScorpio]

4. Yep, in this country, Black victims are routinely blamed for their own victimization...

Which is basically white supremacy in action.

[Chan790]

6. ...that's when they're not invisible victims.

I never really thought about it until I attended a talk on combating non-explicit forms of racism in journalism. I'm talking about the "lost white girl effect." I'm sure you know what that is but I'm amazed how many people, even very liberal people, have no idea that it exists until you point it out.

Attractive white women go missing (e.g. Laci Peterson, Elizabeth Smart) and it's national news. It's almost impossible to get coverage for a missing person of color. If there's a violent incident where a group of individuals from across the spectrum of race, ethnicity, gender and orientation are killed...the one victim the media hones in on as representative of the tragedy is typically white, female, young, wealthy, straight, cisgendered and attractive. If you're none of those things, you don't matter enough to run above the fold on the front page of the WaPo or for Nancy Grace to go histrionic over your disappearance. It's worse if you're transgendered...you could be in known to be in the presence of an FBI Top-10 Most Wanted and the media still couldn't give a fuck to cover your story.

It may be naivety on my part, but I think every victim matters. Every victim is someone's child, sibling, lover or friend; someone will miss them.

[MrScorpio]

9. Damn skippy nt

[ismnotwasm]

15. Exactly

The heart of the point.

[BrotherIvan]

20. Well said

[Nye Bevan]

23. Have these missing girls received national coverage?

http://www.americasmissingadults.com/

Many more at the link.

[Dont call me Shirley]

32. When sex workers disappear very little mention is paid.

[tjl148]

73. Invisable victims

I don't know about national news coverage but I do know that if a child of any color is missing it makes the news big time here in central Florida.

[1dogleft]

78. most likely the KKK

they are still huge in this country

[DocMac]

3. Yes, I care! nt

[brer cat]

5. I care, ism.

"There is no shame in what those women allegedly did for a living. The shame is the way our society treats the ‘bad girls,’ and that we do not respect their humanity even in death."

My deepest sympathy to their grieving families.

[ismnotwasm]

13. Thank you

That's a lovely response

[LoisB]

42. You said it for me and I add my sympathies for their families and friends.

[nomorenomore08]

56. +3

[tclambert]

7. Black, female, and strippers. Yeah, the police will fall all over themselves on this case

in their rush to file it under "UNSOLVED: victims not important enough to justify investigating further."

[Nye Bevan]

8. Surely a 19 year old female is an adult woman, not a "girl"? (nt)

[ismnotwasm]

14. Interesting observation.

They are dead in either case.

[marym625]

19. That's what you hook onto?

And it all depends on your point of view. From here, they were kids.

[Ken Burch]

28. Hairsplitting point....the cops reaction would be the same-not white, not blonde...

...not important...............................................

[locdlib]

35. I don't suffer fools, so I will call you out for being stupid right now.

Yes, 18 and 19-year-olds are teenagers - hence the word "teen" that is attached to their ages. Brain is not fully developed until around age 25, since you trying to be a smart ass in here. But yeah, you are stupid to say that about two young girls who were murdered.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. K&R

[Agschmid]

11. Kick

Sure haven't heard about this yet.

[Sunlei]

12. If the girls were police officers there would be 3 states & 1,000s police searching for the killer.

[99th_Monkey]

74. true dat :-(

[1dogleft]

79. but there are no black

women police officers now are there

[FrodosPet]

16. Personally, yes, I DO care. But most people? You are right.

I care about these two young women, all the young (and old) women and men of whatever shade whose lives are cut short by monsters.

I care about a lot of people that few others seem to. And it it pretty fucking frustrating that I have to look far and wide to find others who care about these people.

May the perps be caught and punished, and may the families find some small measure of peace and comfort.

[whistler162]

17. Obviously it is no longer the first 48 hours

now it is the first 45 minutes! Police can't solve the case in 45 minutes they are obviously ignoring the crime because of who they perceive the victims to be.

People you do remember life isn't a 1 hour TV show.

[7962]

60. But that doesnt further the narrative, so your point is moot. See, it MUST be about race.

Its ridiculous. Thousands of people are killed every year. They all cant make national news.
Trayvon Martin was national news for months. Why? It wasnt much different than many other murders.
Wheres the national news on this one?http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2014/08/accused_serial_killer_says_livingston_teens_murder_was_vengeance_against_us.html
FOUR dead for "jihad"? And where's CNN or ABC or the rest?

[marym625]

18. Just sad.

[southern_belle]

21. Yes I care - very much!

This is heartbreaking

[Peregrine]

22. No, but then again I wouldn't care if it was two white girls

Thousands die every day by violence. Why are these special that require my attention?

[Nye Bevan]

24. Wow. That's very heartless (nt)

[FrodosPet]

25. My sympathies for your lack of sympathy

I feel what you just said here is horrible.

So is there anything you do care about that's outside of your immediate bubble?

[seabeyond]

27. wow. nasty. go figure. nt

[TeeYiYi]

30. You don't care?...

...or you don't feel that you can do anything about it?

TYY

[nomorenomore08]

58. Can be a fine distinction at times, I suppose. n/t

[Skittles]

41. disgusting

[LeftishBrit]

47. That's a horrible thing to say

They are special because everyone is special.

[nomorenomore08]

57. Of course thousands die every day. But a callous attitude doesn't help anything. n/t

[DeadEyeDyck]

64. I have to agree in sort though my temperament tells me not to...

I believe that most people will forget these two girls names as soon as they move on to another post. In a way, it is survival and probably hard wired into our system. If we carried the weight of every tragedy as a personal loss, few of us could survive a day.

[Ken Burch]

26. I'm sure this will be on "Nancy Grace" right away.......

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................right........away.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................any.....................time.................................now..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................just..................................................................................................................keep..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................wait

[prairierose]

29. I care ism but you're right....

most people wouldn't care even if the corporate media actually covered the story. It is so sad that there is so much violence in this country and that it remains unknown by most.

[AverageJoe90]

31. Sadly, I think we all know that more than a few cops simply don't give two shits about sex workers..

.....and them being African-American probably makes it even worse in their eyes.

Fuck this shit. Enough's enough. It's time to not only legalize and (heavily) regulate prostitution.....but to make permanent, positive changes to our culture, as well, and above all, in fact.

[1monster]

33. I wish I could say that I was shocked by this news, but, sadly, having lived within a

fifty-mile radius of Jacksonville for the past forty years, I'm not.

Hardly a week goes by where I do not hear of at least one murder in or near the city. Sometimes there are two or more on the same day.

Jacksonville must be a very violent city.

I am saddened by the deaths of these two young women -- as I would be by the death of anyone, especially of anyone that young and when the means of death is murder. The color of their skin does not make their deaths any less sad or reprehensible, nor does their occupation.

What I find outrageous and disgusting is that so many people are murdered in and around Jacksonville. I don't understand why and I don't understand why the city isn't doing something to prevent more murders from happening.

[sheshe2]

34. Yes I care ism.

I care very much.

[Uncle Joe]

36. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, ismnotwasm.

[ismnotwasm]

46. You are very welcome

[BlueJazz]

37. Any persons life, taken unfairly, is tragic. So these women were "Bad Girls" ??

I wonder if they ever bribed a politician...tried to steal an election....sent young men/women off to a phony war..
.....approved banks loans on houses that they knew were fraudulent....rigged the stock market...stole money by conning the seniors of our country....tried to mislead the American people about climate change .......(Insert 386 more nasty things here)

Bad Girls ? Yeah...tell me about it.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

66. ^

.

[Mnemosyne]

38. Heinous. nt

[phylny]

39. There was an African American teen missing (now presumed dead, I believe), a year ago

named Alexis Murphy from a few counties east of us and the media was all over it, and reported on it constantly. So some people (including me) do care.

[JI7]

43. i think the OP is about how black victims are often viewed as being guilty of their own deaths

they did something to cause it.

[phylny]

53. I understand. n/t

[pablo_marmol]

40. Great line, this one:

"Who are we to judge? Especially considering how many of us are cogs in corporate wheels that hurt people in ways that a g-string never will."

[ismnotwasm]

45. +1000

[nomorenomore08]

59. +2000

[DesertDiamond]

44. I'm horrified to realize that this is the first I have heard of this...

The discovery of the dead bodies of two women would normally be all over the news. Most definitely this is bigotry against both women of color and women in their line of work.

[whistler162]

51. It happened just over a day before

the outrage piece was published. So unless you live in the area that isn't surprising.

[muriel_volestrangler]

71. Not necessarily; for instance, this report of this crime says 2 bodies were found a week before

This is the second time this week that a pair of bodies were found in Jacksonville. On Monday we reported the bodies of two men were found near a warehouse on the westside near McCoys Creek.

http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/two-bodies-found-behind-westside-warehouse/nhMsQ/

Those 2 men were black, but the non-appearance of both that killing and this one in the media that you and I read doesn't indicate bigotry against women, or women in the sex industry. FWIW, Google News lists 25 articles about the men, and 51 about the women, though that count may or may not be meaningful.

[joshdawg]

48. K & R.

[daredtowork]

49. The Missing White Girl Megaphone

Needs to be on the table.

[cali]

50. I was just thinking about this.

there's a missing white girl from UVA and there's been massive coverage. This? Virtually nothing.

[whistler162]

52. The murders happened two days ago

the outrage piece was written one day later.

http://www.wptv.com/news/state/angelia-mangum-tjhisha-ball-tampa-teens-found-dead-tied-together-on-road-in-jacksonville-county

[oberliner]

81. Virtually nothing? There are 50+ stories on Google News

Coverage in every paper and tv station in the local area where this tragedy happened.

The UVA student is still missing, whereas these two women are, sadly, deceased.

Hopefully Ms. Graham will be found and that story will have a happier ending.

[samsingh]

54. i care very much

[Helen Borg]

55. Poor girls :(

[7962]

61. It was on the news in Jax and other areas nearby. So yes, lots of people heard.

WPTV reported on it. Why the need to make it a national story?

[whistler162]

62. How else is the "reporter" going to

break into the major media?

[ismnotwasm]

68. I think you missed the point

Who does and does not make "national" news" in general?

[7962]

72. Trayvon martin made national news for months, others dont.

That story is similar to others all over the country. Why did it make such a splash? There are thousands of murders every year. Some make national news some dont. I think its just follow the leader; 1 network will pick it up and the others follow suit. But everyone HAS to look for the racial boogeyman in everything.
To me, the choking of Eric Garner in NYC was a much bigger story than Ferguson Mo. We could all SEE what happened to Garner. We still dont know the story of what happened in Ferguson. Yet the garner story faded quickly and the Ferguson story lingered for weeks. Both are cops killing unarmed men. The Garner killing was obvious for all to see.

[ismnotwasm]

75. We are talking about African American females

You still are missing the point.

[7962]

82. I get the point. I just dont really agree that there IS one.

[exboyfil]

63. There is a wikipedia entry for it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_white_woman_syndrome

[7962]

67. Theres also one for "Bush derangement syndrome". You can put anything on Wikipedia

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

65. People "Care" About What Might Occur In Their Own Families

Even if these two girls were white, there would be less concern because moms and dads out there are thinking "I'm so glad my daughter aren't like that. It couldn't happen to them." (criminal behavior and stripping).

With so much murder and mayhem in the news daily, it has to hit at a very personal level for most folks to take notice, I'm afraid. And, of course, that kind of thinking is wrong. It can and does happen to young women everywhere.

[Leontius]

69. Do you care about the other 40 to 50 people who were murdered yesterday?

Haven't seen your thread on those.

[ismnotwasm]

76. Another interesting response

That's what you got out of the article?

[drm604]

70. They're right.

It's the pretty blonde "good girls" that get months of national or even international attention. It's getting better, the Boko Haram kidnappings received a lot of notice for example, but we still have a long way to go.

[99Forever]

77. Strange to conflate being unaware of into not caring.

It's a huge world and bad stuff happens to people of all genders, races, sexual orientations, and belief systems almost nonstop every day.

And before you say it, no, I don't "get the point" of this post. Looks like outrage in search of a topic to me.

[Starcats]

80. Regardless of job

No woman or man for that matter deserves to be murdered. No parent deserves to lose a child and feel they ask that question -- what could I have done differently? The young women worked as exotic dancers -- strippers, I think that means. So what? My question is what could parents have done better to teach their Wall Street banker thieving children about common decency and contributing to the common welfare? I don't want to see anyone murdered, but I fear the fact that these young women were sex workers will be used as a way of the less evolved among us to jeer at the decisions some must make to pay the bills.

[niyad]

83. k and r for continued visibility for this very sad case.