Damascus Incident

[Greenlight]

nobody will. that dump is closed for good. as far as the food being "good", anybody can make a taco or burrito. it ain't fine dining

You got me there! And when there are only three food joints in town, everybody is going to have a line. I do hope someone has the audacity to open a kosher deli in the space once Hey Joe’s shuts down! That would be epic. Who wants some matzo balls?


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[devoidapop]

This is what can happen when you buy your drugs from a taco dealer or vice versa.

[martinb]

Every town has their bad spots, no reason not to visit Damascus because of two idiots. I've been there a few times and have always had pleasant experiences.

[rocketsocks]

You got me there! And when there are only three food joints in town, everybody is going to have a line. I do hope someone has the audacity to open a kosher deli in the space once Hey Joe’s shuts down! That would be epic. Who wants some matzo balls?


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I love this idea, just make sure the insurance doesn’t lapse.

[RuthN]

http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/go-...racial-attack/

[moldy]

The Southern Poverty Law Center SPLC tracks these type of hate incidents on their web page. It is for tracking purposes. When you see this type of event, report it. I did.

[moldy]

I wonder if Hey Joe's Taco shop has a business license?

[Puddlefish]

Two events happened. One guy tried to illegally buy some sort of drug. Two racists committed a hate crime. Can we say that both sides are bad? I guess so... however, they're separate incidents, and one does not mitigate the other, one does not excuse the other.

You're entitled to your own opinions about the relative dangers of marijuana vs. alcohol. You're entitled to your own opinions on why people use opioids. You're entitled to your own opinion on whether vigilante justice is sometimes warranted. You're even entitled to your own opinion on if you think that Jews should be burned in ovens. However, if you don't actually believe that Jews should be burned in ovens, then please, please consider not saying that the victim was in any way shape of form was to blame for the hate speech.

If you believe that both sides are bad, then get involved in addressing each issue separately.

Edit:: Based on the article below posted by Lone Wolf... in the comments the hiker in question claims he wasn't there to buy drugs. So it comes down to one side having video evidence, and one side not having video evidence.

[Lone Wolf]

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/br...50c275f36.html

[Greenlight]

It's gonna be a while until Damascus reputation heals from this one.

I benignly disagree. Damascus just happens to be the place where this happened this time. It happens all over the place. It has probably happened within 50 miles of you in the last month. But it wasn't recorded. And it wasn't in a town with an annual festival built around an activity you love. It happens wherever people's filters are down, like when they're drunk or stoned or tweaking or feel that those within earshot share their demented ideas.

Let's think about this a bit further. What makes Damascus the town that it is, and what makes Trail Days what it is? There is obviously a lot of interplay between the two. Damascus locals have to live there year round, and "put up with" an annual gathering that dumps hot smelly hiker-trash (myself included) in their lap every spring. That's who is opining on this topic. As much (or as little) of a connection we may have with Trail Days, and by extension Damascus, it is the backdrop to their day-to-day lives. Everywhere you go now, from the cities to smaller towns, there is a drug problem. Everywhere you go, there are, one might say people "not of good will."

For myself, I'll admit that there are certain portions of the populace with whom I have a greater affinity than I do for others. But I don't wish any other group outside of that affinity any ill will. I may not agree with their politics or their life choices. But the one thing I will celebrate in common with them is my love for the outdoors. My love for throwing a pack on my back and scooting out for the tree shadows. It is where I feel most like myself. And if you feel the same way, I'll bump your fist. I'll buy you a beer if you'll drink it. And I'll tell anyone who comes to mess with you that they're also gonna have to mess with me. That is the message we should spread next May in Damascus at Trail Days.

[chknfngrs]

Lone Wolf: you said talked to this hiker Craig Johnston. The article states he visited Taco Joes to buy marijuana, and that he knew the Taco Brothers prior to Monday. In the comments of the article, see that a Craig Johnston claims no drugs were involved because he had no money. And seems to have a chip on his shoulder, perhaps justifiably. You know the hiker, is there any shred of credibility to what that guy says?

[Greenlight]

Everywhere you go now is a hotbed of illegal drugs.

[AlamoHiker]

Is anyone, other than me, curious as to how a town with a population of 800, according to Bristol Herald Courier, needs 9 churches?

[Greenlight]

Easy. There are 55,000 people in Washington County.

[GoldenBear]

Is anyone, other than me, curious as to how a town with a population of 800, according to Bristol Herald Courier, needs 9 churches?

Not sure what you mean by "need." In a society where all people are 100% free to set up or attend any house of worship they want -- or not do so -- it may happen that nine groups of such people can decide to do so in a town of 800. Or they may not do so -- the choice, either way, is 100% theirs. Since I choose to attend a congregation that averages fewer then thirty people in attendance each week, the fact that there may be nine such groups in a town of 800 is of no surprise to me. And it is certainly no direct concern for me whether that number is nine, nineteen, 99, one, or zero. I'm surprised that anyone, outside that community, would care one way or another.

[Time Zone]

Lone Wolf: you said talked to this hiker Craig Johnston. The article states he visited Taco Joes to buy marijuana, and that he knew the Taco Brothers prior to Monday. In the comments of the article, see that a Craig Johnston claims no drugs were involved because he had no money. And seems to have a chip on his shoulder, perhaps justifiably. You know the hiker, is there any shred of credibility to what that guy says?

I found it very surprising that the hiker in question was said to have volunteered the information that he was seeking to purchase illegal drugs. Who volunteers information like that to authorities? [no one in their right mind, ha ha]. I just wonder if he really said that, it strikes me as awfully odd, but then again IANAL and I don't partake in illegal drugs, so maybe it's not unusual to those who know the law or know the recreational drug world.

I also found it curious that the restaurant in question was said to be soon shutting down "anyway." If it was explained why, I missed it. Such a story may calm down those ready to pile on, and give the impression that the town was already in an adversarial position with them, and thus counter any negative inferences about the town's atmosphere.

[TJ aka Teej]

...this hypersensitive PC world that we now live in is even worse.
... We have turned into a national of absolute wimps. Especially the snowflake children.

No politics, per the mod's post, please.

This story is horrible. But the public reaction was even worse.

The public reaction is appropriate, and not "worse" than the bigotry.

[Greenlight]

If you aren't caught in the act of misdemeanoring, and if volunteering such information isn't going to lead to a search of your property, a person is as free to talk to the authorities about his proclivities as he is any other citizen or stranger. Especially if it was just weed. But maybe it was meth, who knows? In fact, cops love it when users turn in their dealers. They'll let the user slide and bust the dealer. As to why "Hey Joe's" was on the verge of closing anyway, ... who knows? Maybe you get a more consistent product at the Taco Bell down the road because it isn't made by tweakers?

[FreeGoldRush]

The article said both men were held without bond. There's gotta be more to the story.

[johnacraft]

I also found it curious that the restaurant in question was said to be soon shutting down "anyway." If it was explained why, I missed it.

I haven't seen it explained, but many tourist-oriented businesses in smaller towns like Damascus shut down for the winter. With fall color peaking and winter on the way, the last weekend of October would be a sensible time to close.