July 4, 2008 - Boxing analyst, Gary ‘Digital’ Williams, has been covering boxing in the DC metro area for over 20 years.  His blog, Boxing Along The Beltway, gives boxing fans, boxers, trainers, and promoters a place to discuss, and even vent about the sport of boxing in the DC metro area.

One of his latest blog posts, titled ‘Boxing Returns To DC August 8^th!’ has less to do about boxing and more about stereotypes as one poster, after finding out the bout will be featured inside DC nightclub, Ibiza, undermined the neighborhood when he asked, “How safe a part of DC is this, though?"

That would be the question that sparked more than 40 posts on the beltway boxing blog.

In response to the question, one poster had this to say:

To which another poster replied,

While the posts mainly favored the club and the neighborhood it's in, the blog takes on a mind of its own when one  poster writes:

... and takes on an added dimension when two anonymous posters had this to say:

“If you're afraid of the hood, keep you azh home. As the saying goes - "if you ain't from the hood, dont' go to the hood."

And i'll add - keep yourself in lily whiteville where the pedophiles, rapists, bomb makers, and meth labs are.”

After being somewhat convinced that the event would be safe, the doubter had this to say:

Several other posts would emerge over several days, a few in defense of the seemingly stereotypical discussion. (You can read them all here.)

Is it really safe anywhere?  From outside the beltway where crimes exist, to inside the beltway where crime  exists -  crime anywhere is crime, right?

It’s understandable that someone unfamiliar with a specific territory might be a bit concerned about the safety of a place they’ve never visited, especially since negative images inundate our TV screens daily by a media who have a field day covering one segment of crime, in one segment of a tri-city area, and one specific demographic of that area, all the while forgetting that all neighborhoods have issues and crime. 

It’s interesting to note, however, how a person can feel safe in one neighborhood that has the same ‘issues’, and not feel safe when another neighborhood has those problems.

We’ve been conditioned to think a certain way, about a certain segment of society, when in fact, in a metropolitan area such as ours we’re all in the same boat and can have our safety compromised at any moment, by anyone, regardless of their race, educational background, or financial status.

Oh, yeah, by the way, the August 8^th boxing matching that I eluded to at the beginning of this article, (you haven’t forgotten about the upcoming match have you?) will feature these area boxers:

Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin (14-1-4, six KO's) takes on Anthony "The Messenger" Thompson of Philadelphia (23-2, 17 KO's)

Oxon Hill, MD's Alexander "The Great" Johnson (5-0, three KO's) battles Brooklyn, NY's Reggie "Concrete" La Crete (4-0-2, three KO's) in a six-round contest.

Beltway Boxers Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly, Mark "TNT" Tucker, and Jaime (pronounced hy-mee) "The Punisher" Palma are also scheduled to appear on the show.