How do you think I should handle this?

Question

We're white, neighbors are black & Puerto Rican. The black woman called us old white trash. We've never done anything against them, but they have "keyed" our cars, thrown rocks at our dogs, .....We only want peace. We gave them a plant & cookies for Xmas.

Answer 1

Photograph them in the act, and report them to the police. That's all you can do. While I respect your attempts to make peace with them, if they're doing things like that, they more than deserve to be brought up on charges. (People that do harm to domesticated animals have absolutely no respect from me.)

Answer 2

I'm sorry you are going through this. You surely cannot allow them to damage your property or hurt your animals--- at the same time, I am sure you don't want to call the police because you fear that will further damage your relationship.
You can continue to treat them with respect and friendship and hope that eventually they will come to regret their treatment of you and you can all become friends. You might try asking them, very humbly, what they have against you--- explain that you would like to be friends with them and wish to know if they have somehow been offended by you, and how can you right things...
Are things okay with your Puerto Rican neighbors? Perhaps if they are friendly with the black ones they could talk to them on your behalf.
Only if all else fails get the police involved. From that point on, things will continue to deteriorate as they will grow even more resentful of you.

Answer 3

Neighbor wars are horrible. If you can move, I say move and just put it behind you. If you cannot, then you have a couple options:

1. See if you can find someone to sit in on a mediation. Find out what their gripe is, air yours and see about some accommodation. Do not get it a "you did this" type argument. Instead speak about your feelings.

2. Keep a close watch for any illegal activity they are doing. Keying cars is illegal. Document it, report it. You had best be completely in the clear on everything yourself. This is not my first choice, but sometimes is necessary.

3. Quietly and subtly in your secret heart of hearts, declare war on them. There are books on getting even. They can be found online. One person can make another person's life a living hell. I do not suggest this. And it is hard to deny guilt in the matter since the warfare seems already in progress. Wear gloves when you do anything.

4. Consider moving again.

Regards and Peace

Answer 4

That's a tough one to give a single answer to but rather requires some exploring. In theory you strive to stick to the acceptable methods of dealing with adverse situations, polite, civil, calm etc.... But when it comes down to it if the issues are provoked to the point that they become burning issues then the survival instinct kicks in and I always hope that when that happens that I have not made a complete and utter disaster of things with my reaction. I am saying that I emotionally express myself, might need to cry, might need to rant, might have to confront and then blow off the steam depending... If it is something sad like cancer or a heart attack ending yet another life then for me personally it is internalizes. I take that to heart and it changes and effects my every thought and action but under the surface and I don't control, it is an instinctual reaction telling me to live my life as true as I can because you can be gone in an instant. Keep smiling back at you....:)

Answer 5

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

Psalms 80:6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Psalms 106:32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:

Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

Try not to feed into what they are doing to you. Perhaps you might need to move if it worsens. It's like pouring gas on a fire already burning. It gets stronger. When you show those neighbors that they are getting to you, they want to do more harm to you. Pray for them.

Answer 6

Maybe the plant and cookies started this (Just kidding). But there has to be more to the story that you just told or than you know. I'm black and I can assure you that black people don't just bother you because you're white. We're probably the least likely racist group of all.

Answer 7

I suggest that you move to a different neighborhood if you can. I don't think it is going to get better. You sound outnumbered. Not that all Black and Hispanic people are bigots, but your neighborhood does sound like a friendly and welcoming place. I don't know what "keyed" a car means?

Answer 8

You need to stop being nice to them. If you can prove they've done those things to you, take their ***** *** to court. That is bs. Don't let them run over you because you are not black or puerto rican like them.

Answer 9

Jesus didn't say we had to put up with criminal behavior. Collect solid evidence and call the police.

The only other option is to move.

Above all, pray for guidance and a solution.

Answer 10

Record all this vandalism maticulously. File a report. Go to court. Win a settlement.