A followup on Blue Springs, MO's $273,000 federally funded campaign to eliminate goth culture.
If there is such a thing as a hangout for Goths in Blue Springs, it's the parking lot outside the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in neighboring Independence. Each Friday night, dozens of black-clad youths mill around for hours, though a regional manager for the bookstore described the activity as harmless loitering.
Across the street in the Independence Center mall, the store Hot Topic is perhaps the only one in the area that carries Goth merchandise. The back wall displays several black velvet and lace medieval-era gowns and dresses.
An employee of the store, who said he was not allowed to give his name, said many teens in the area feel stifled by the suburban blandness of Blue Springs and are seeking forms of self-expression.
He said he is angry that police are singling out a group whose members are no more likely to get involved in criminal activity than the cleanest-cut teens.
(via New World Disorder)
