There are liquor stores throughout the city of San Diego and a disproportionate number in the south- eastern section of town. A number of these stores serve as neighborhood markets selling food items, snacks and other products. Now some of these stores have added an old item in a new package and the package itself raises a number of questions. The product is Vodka �distilled and bottled in North America� (80 proof alcohol). The bottle is the thing that makes this particular product different.
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The name on the bottle is �Southeast Red Vodka� the tall frosted glass container carries a map rep- resenting Interstate 5 and Interstate 805 leading to eight communities appearing like states on a map of the United States. The communities from left to right are listed as West Coast, Oceanview Park, Basement Block, Lil Afrikka, Lincoln Park, Emer- ald Hills, O�Farrell Park and Skyline Park, with lines to the south representing Interstate 94 and 163. The map is in red, a well known gang color.
Several stores visited for this story, knew about the product but did not yet have it on hand. Those that did are already sell- ing it at $20.00 a bottle. Just think: every five bottles sold represent $100.00 more gone from the very communities list- ed on the bottle.
Where did the product come from? Research indicates that t is bottled in Lakewood, Col- orado. No information on who is producing the product or how itcametobenamedasitis.We are not identifying the stores contacted for this product in an effort to inform you while not promoting locations for sale.
The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint does not encourage the purchase or use of this product. An internet poll con- ducted by this newspaper pro- duced some interesting and disturbing responses. One per- son asked if they had a La Jol- la or Coronado version, would it cost $100 bucks a bottle. But one passionate respondent said �No. we should not allow liquor stores on every corner or have the hang-out dope spot be our corner liquor store.� Yet anoth- er respondent said �Not the best representation for the Fourth District, but whoever put their business down with this one is about to get paid.� And one re- spondent summed it up when she said, �The sad part is that some people won�t understand why this is sad.�
The community which has been targeted for this product has historically identified with the color red as the symbol of the Bloods while blue is iden- tified with the Crypts.
Question: does this mean that we can expect a �Blue Vodka� or some other alcoholic drink bottled and sold to identify the gang using the color blue? This whole marketing campaign is reminiscent of over 20 years ago when we had �Malt� Li- quor being targeted towards the African American community. Over 25 years ago, the late Dr. Cleo Malone, then head of the Palaver Tree, Inc., an addiction treatment program, spoke out against the sale of drug related items in neighborhood stores right next to sodas, candy and chips. Ministers and members of the community rose up and spoke out.
The difference today is that our tolerance level as a commu- nity has increased. It appears that more people want to know where to buy the Southeast Red Vodka, than those who are op- posed to its sale. At last check before press time, a number of liquor stores were waiting for the distributor to reach them with this new product.
http://sdvoice.info/southeast-red-vodka-whats-in-a-name-p1520-93.htm
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The name on the bottle is �Southeast Red Vodka� the tall frosted glass container carries a map rep- resenting Interstate 5 and Interstate 805 leading to eight communities appearing like states on a map of the United States. The communities from left to right are listed as West Coast, Oceanview Park, Basement Block, Lil Afrikka, Lincoln Park, Emer- ald Hills, O�Farrell Park and Skyline Park, with lines to the south representing Interstate 94 and 163. The map is in red, a well known gang color.
Several stores visited for this story, knew about the product but did not yet have it on hand. Those that did are already sell- ing it at $20.00 a bottle. Just think: every five bottles sold represent $100.00 more gone from the very communities list- ed on the bottle.
Where did the product come from? Research indicates that t is bottled in Lakewood, Col- orado. No information on who is producing the product or how itcametobenamedasitis.We are not identifying the stores contacted for this product in an effort to inform you while not promoting locations for sale.
The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint does not encourage the purchase or use of this product. An internet poll con- ducted by this newspaper pro- duced some interesting and disturbing responses. One per- son asked if they had a La Jol- la or Coronado version, would it cost $100 bucks a bottle. But one passionate respondent said �No. we should not allow liquor stores on every corner or have the hang-out dope spot be our corner liquor store.� Yet anoth- er respondent said �Not the best representation for the Fourth District, but whoever put their business down with this one is about to get paid.� And one re- spondent summed it up when she said, �The sad part is that some people won�t understand why this is sad.�
The community which has been targeted for this product has historically identified with the color red as the symbol of the Bloods while blue is iden- tified with the Crypts.
Question: does this mean that we can expect a �Blue Vodka� or some other alcoholic drink bottled and sold to identify the gang using the color blue? This whole marketing campaign is reminiscent of over 20 years ago when we had �Malt� Li- quor being targeted towards the African American community. Over 25 years ago, the late Dr. Cleo Malone, then head of the Palaver Tree, Inc., an addiction treatment program, spoke out against the sale of drug related items in neighborhood stores right next to sodas, candy and chips. Ministers and members of the community rose up and spoke out.
The difference today is that our tolerance level as a commu- nity has increased. It appears that more people want to know where to buy the Southeast Red Vodka, than those who are op- posed to its sale. At last check before press time, a number of liquor stores were waiting for the distributor to reach them with this new product.
http://sdvoice.info/southeast-red-vodka-whats-in-a-name-p1520-93.htm