Comment number 30 ... Can we all say IGNORANCE ... A lot of what is posted is Ignorance, and the reason why our country is in the shape it is in today. The reason why our struggles as a nation are only getting worse, instead of better. First of all number 30, Puerto Ricans have a huge African (Black) lineage. Huge!!! Before we make such hateful judgements, we really should at least know our facts. Number 30 , travel to San Juan and see how proud Puerto Ricans are of their Spanish, African, and Taino Indian Hertiage

I use to be in a gang(bloods) before I went to college. Im Mixed Afro-American And Puerto Rican. I dont think its true to say someone that commits a crime automatically has no rights.Thats not fair. Example; if there's a family with six starving kids and the oldest child goes and steals food for them to eat because they cant afford, does that automatically strip him of all rights?? No, because half of the crime in america is created b/c it treats it's citizens like shit. we are one of the richest countries on the earth, yet we still have millions of people without homes. If you go to russia, even the poor people have affordable homes b/c thier government takes care of them. Im only 18 with a 3.8 gpa(so im smart enough to figure that out) but even gang members have rights. I joined b/c I was dirt poor, sometimes you have to what you have to do to survive. Gang members dont do crime just for the fun of it(not the real ones) for istance if i was to rob a bank, why do you think I did it? not to be selfish and say I just needed the money, but to also feed my family, and maybe even toss a few bucks to the homeless guy sleeping by the garbage bin. If the education in the U.S wasnt so crappy then there would be a hell of alot less gang members. Everyone isnt a genius. So what do the special ed kids do that cant go to college, or the kids wit attention dis orders?? They just get stuck in the barrios of rundown cities with no hope, so before you point your fingers at gang members. Remember how the us government works. The military is just another gang. They "Rep" thier flags, they die for the colors on the flag the same as gang members do, our military literally bullies other countries, yet where the good guys?? dont think so.

#63, nice argument! Not. The transparency of your ignorance is unbearable.

Sorry, but I can't stand my own people.

Yo soy boricua pa que tu lo sepas, and I agree with the arrests and the guy that said if you commit a crime you have no rights.

Well #62, seem like someone who actually knows Puerto Ricans and is honest enough to speak to the truth finally posted up in here! Kudos!!

Why thank you "S.D."! With a well thought-out rebuttal like that, how can I contest?!!

Wow "stylez", with the exception of point #1 that was the biggest load of BS I've read in a while.

Organized, but pretty much all BS.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I'll answer your questions...

1. Jen was legitimately commenting on the NYPD's blatant and intentional abuse of their given power. Also to offer the ACTUAL arrest numbers.

2. The popular Puerto Rican “holier than thou” attitude stems from their conscious realization that they and their country have been used. Sadly enough, they have no country they can call their own and some choose to live in a foreign land where they subconsciously believe they are ENTITLED to certain rights because of the abuse their homeland has endured. This is simply not so. Everyone carries their own weight here and plays the cards they are dealt. Learn to live with it and make the best of it.

3. People who are associated with gangs, ie The Latin Kings, have NO RIGHTS! Let's stop making it easy for criminals to be criminal! Break the law, lose your rights. Period. Otherwise, where is the deterrent?

4. A lot of Puerto Ricans celebrate the Parade two weeks before and two weeks after the date, and the rest of the year in between. Pride is fine but when you try to sell something SO HARD, it makes people wonder what exactly you're trying to convince them of and WHY you are trying so desperately.

5. Many Puerto Ricans protect Puerto Ricans till the death, but don't do the same for other Latino groups, or other races. They will quickly “hook up” another Puerto Rican (not always legally mind you--sorry), but NOT anyone else. This insincerity and two-facedness only creates distance and disdain from people, not affection at "how proud you are" of your own race. Furthermore, the habit of putting other races down who are NOT Puerto Rican, doesn’t help your cause but hurts it tremendously.

6. Don't try to push some Puerto Rican behavior on "other" races. If it was a Puerto Rican, even if it was bad, take credit.

7. Puerto Ricans, as well as EVERY OTHER RACE have good and bad in them. Simply acknowledging this fact will gain legions of supporters. Contrary to popular propaganda, ALL Puerto Ricans are NOT perfect. Sorry.

8. This term “Nuyoricans” is interesting. A great majority of Nuyoricans will quickly admit that they don't even speak Spanish. How can you proudly broadcast your affiliation to the "rican" part of "Nuyorican" if you don't speak the language of your heritage? Make an effort to learn, grow and evolve.

9. This idea of the RATIO of arrests to overall attendance is just sillyness. So if only a few women get molested at a parade it’s ok, because the RATIO was good.

10. Finally, the fact that this topic creates such conversational fervor, indicates the HUMILITY lacking amongst some Puerto Ricans in projecting a harmonious image not only amongst themselves, but to the world, in this case New York City. No, not all Puerto Ricans are bad. Not all parades are good. This is a thread on one day, one parade.

I don't feel Jen fuels any racial agenda.

she's pointing out the abuse by the NYPD. She's not passive aggressive, she's concerned and so should we when the NYPD let's loose it's crazy policies.

When will the city learn here . If you arrest people for no good reason beyond affiliation, It's going to come off as discriminatory ! The fact that they "Herded" them into a Holding area illustrates the point here . Sadly, Most people don't think about where the money the city uses to settle these stupid cases . (It's tax dollars assholes)

Okay, Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne(nose) is commenting on this, which can only mean one thing: 208 people showed up to the Puerto Rican Day Parade... on bicycles.

I'm no fan of the Puerto Rican Day Parade (funny there have never been any gang rapes at the St. Patrick's Day Parade), but what's even more frightening is that the NYPD has continued to get away with massive round-ups of people as preventive detention. They do it almost every month at Critical Mass, they locked up protesters without cause during the RNC in 2004 and purgered themselves repeatedly at trials. They have no respect for the First Amendment - and yes, even useless animals like the Latin Kings have First Amendment rights.

There were no crip arrests because there are very few crips in New York.

#22 has got it right.

I rarely read Gothamist anymore b/c it's getting so predictable. Jen posts an entry that's sure to inflame everybody, with race-baiting headlines, probably a trick she learned in Yellow Journalism 101 at Columbia. I mean, when you can't even properly put together a coherent sentence or avoid absurd typos, and the only informed commentary you can provide is regarding Paris Hilton, well you can still reel 'em in by reporting how many arrests were made at the PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE ... ooooh! (I can just see the gleam in her eye and the drool dripping out of her mouth as she anticipates all the racist fools who will boost her website's ratings, and the offended parties who will further jack up the number of visitors)

Hell, she probably had a friend post the stupid crap about the Jews because we weren't responding fast enough.

Anyway, SD, FWIW I really enjoy the Puerto Rican Day Parade as a great celebration of Boricua heritage and I'm sure if the Israeli or Pakistani or Armenian Day Parade got the same sort of media coverage you'd hear about their share of knuckleheads too, so pay no attention to the haters who probably don't even know what they are so they have nothing to celebrate.

My real beef isn't with them, though. It's will the editorial conent so obviously designed to encourage them.

/rant over

Honestly, I would be thrilled if we never had another parade here ever again. I know it's good for tourism and the economy, but the chaos, trash, and NOISE is really frustrating. I know it's one of the tradeoffs of living here, but I wish revelers would remember that this city is also many people's home.

Wait... I thought only Southerners were backward racists?

I don't know why people are so whiny about the Puerto Rican Day Parade. I personally delight in seeing millions of people throw mountainous piles of trash everywhere and piss in the street all in the name of cultural unity. Wait, what's a wilding?

Hey, I'm half Puerto Rican and I am ASHAMED of it every time that parade rolls around. Just saying the truth as it applies to me and I will not apologize if that hits a nerve in someone reading my post. And unlike S.D. I have yet to meet many Puerto Ricans with college degrees, Puerto Rican doctors or Puerto Rican professors. I'm almost 40 and lived my whole life in NYC. In fact pretty much every Puerto Rican I know-- including all members of my large extended family-- struggled to get a high school diploma or never graduated-- all are working horrible hours at dead end jobs. With the exception of myself, none went to college. And unfortunately many families in my barrio have no one who went on to college...why is that?

P.S. This site is open to all types of free speech-- whether it sounds stupid or not OR whether you agree with it or not IS NOT the point. Everyone gets a chance to say what they feel. I sincerely believe everyone is commenting based on their experience living in the NYC area. If Jen were to take away GUEST privilege or delete every post someone found offensive, this would not be Gothamist; this would be some sh*tty/sterile/frigid site we would not read everyday.

Tim N.

That's just the point - they are no better at tracking al Queda.