DisGraceland Guards
After reading this I'm taking the money I was going to use to go to Graceland and Donate it to this family.
"What Would Elvis Do?"Is this what "Graceland, EPE" has turned into?
not what these Graceland Guards did.
Here's the Source:
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-st-jud...,7062173.story
Here's the Story: (but this site doesn't even tell half the story of what happened it's in the "fast facts" section. I'm also posting the father of the sick boy's blog)
St. Jude Patient's Family Robbed Outside Graceland on Christmas Day
Natasha Chen
8:15 p.m. CST, December 26, 2011
FAST FACTS:
13-year-old Dustyn Ates was just diagnosed with leukemia.
After getting out of intensive care, he wanted to visit Graceland.
A man stole a purse out of the family car while Dustyn and his brother were in the back seat.
(Memphis, TN 12/26/11) A family whose 13-year-old son is undergoing treatment for leukemia was robbed outside Graceland on Christmas Day.
Dustyn Ates was diagnosed with leukemia on Dec. 15 and flown from his home near Shreveport, LA, to Memphis, to be treated at St. Jude.
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“We thought he had the stomach flu. Had no idea. He was the picture of health. And the next thing you know, it was a whirlwind. We were all just here,” said Shannon MacKenzie, his mother.
Since being released from intensive care, the family decided to leave the hospital and do something in Memphis.
“He said, ‘Mom, I just want to get out. I want to go to Graceland,” she said.
The family pulled up to the gates of Graceland, not knowing it was closed on Christmas Day. MacKenzie got out of the car to talk to the security guard, to see when would be best to come back for a visit.
After a while, MacKenzie’s husband went to check on her, telling their two sons he’d be right back.
Dustyn and his brother, Dakota MacKenzie, were in the back seat of their car, when they saw a strange man approach.
“All of a sudden this person came up from behind our car and leaned up against the door that my brother was sitting right beside. He leaned against the door, and then he popped the door open,” said Dakota.
Dakota described a man in dark blue jeans and a black football jacket with tan sleeves, standing by the propped door for a couple of minutes.
“I stuck in a corner and I just started shaking,” he said.
Dustyn yelled, and the two tried to call their mother, but were too nervous to dial correctly.
Dakota said the man finally “swung [the door] open, grabbed her purse, turned around, looked through the window and just laughed at us.”
The man had taken their mother’s purse, containing a Droid phone, cash, prescription medication, Dustyn’s St. Jude information, credit cards, and EBT card.
After police were called to the scene, someone located the Droid phone at a nearby Citgo gas station. MacKenzie said that a couple of her cards were also used.
“How could some low-life do this? With my son being a St. Jude patient, how can you look that child in his face, on Christmas Day, and take everything from him?” she said.
Memphis police said that Graceland does have surveillance video of the suspect, but that it was not made available yet. Graceland representatives did not wish to comment on this story.
Shannon MacKenzie hopes to see the suspect arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent.
“We will face our fears and get through this, because we’re a strong family, and love keeps us together. And you won’t ever get that. You might have took everything else I had,” she said.
Here's The Father's Blog:
http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/boa...christmas-day/
Thanks for posting. I hate to hear this. It brings a bad name to Elvis and Graceland. I am sure Graceland will make it up to them, I hope. I am glad his son is doing better. I bet if Elvis was alive he would pay the bill at St. Jude, buy them all Christmas gifts and give them a personal tour of Graceland. And maybe shoot the bastard.
Love Elvis...The Greatest
RIP Tommy
You're very welcome,Originally Posted by kingofthewholeworld
You're answer to: "What Would Elvis do?" sound 100% right "King of the whole world". I don't know if you got to the part in the blog where the Father was talking about how they would not let his sick son use a bathroom. He had to pee in a bottle. They took 4 hours to get anything done. It almost sounds like the guards where in on it or they were told to keep bad publicity out.
Last edited by ELVIS_; 01-02-2012 at 06:53 PM. Reason: missed a word
Sickening
If your an Elvis fan, no explanation is necessary....
If your not, no explanation is possible!
This is really sad and heartbreaking but as long as they keep putting redevelopment of the area off more stuff like this will happen. I was told during the holidays by a reliable source that Sillerman's original plan was to request imminent domain but the city wouldn't back it in fear of racial fallout. Oh well, I hate to say I told you so. Graceland better find a new way to protect the visitors if they want to stay in business another 30 years because the city ain't going to do a **** thing.
Check out my new blog about Elvis Presley @ http://elvis21century.blogspot.com/
Bad news..terrible....
I dream a world where man no other man
will scorn. Where LOVE will bless the earth
and peace its paths adorn...
I think it's time the fans make some loud noise. Instead of spending another dime at Graceland, I think a good ole fashion boycott would do the trick. Take money out of their pockets and they will listen and finally do something with that area of the ghetto, I mean town.
Check out my new blog about Elvis Presley @ http://elvis21century.blogspot.com/
I think a boycott would just make people say, see the Elvis' phenomenon is dying out. I am still going to Graceland this August. This wont stop me.
The way the area can be turned around is by rebuilding the area. Some may not know but in Atlanta Georgia there was an area near East Lake Golf Club that was riddled with crime. A guy by the name of Tom Cousins came in and bought all of the run down areas around the club and rebuilt homes to get rid of the crime. He purchased all of the low end housing. All the businesses came back to the area. The area is now one of the safest in Atlanta.
It seems like if they were to do the same thing around Graceland, this would change the area.
Love Elvis...The Greatest
RIP Tommy
That area has been in desperate need of re-development for the past 35 years.
Ghetto I think is more fitting. Travel half a mile either direction of Graceland and there you are, "In The Ghetto" no punn intended.
I just don't feel that same adoration Elvis had for his fans since Lisa sold him. I knew it was all about money but over looked it before.
Hate to hear about this and glad the family was not hurt.
Crime happens all over-someone shot a bullet through a "White House window" in November-THE WHITE HOUSE! Is anyplace in the US safe from crime NO.
Graceland is not immune to worlds ills-and more importantly its not responsible for them. Trying to paint this as somehow the fault of EPE, or Gracelands staff is IMO ludicrous. I wish we could all walk down the streets of our country-sure that something like this can not happen-but it does all over this country and all over the world.
Disneyland and Disneyworld have their share of robberies on their lots, inside the park etc, so do most major tourist attractions....is Mickey Mouse to blame for those?
As far as redevelopement being needed-that-is a city problem and Graceland is a part of the city which provides a major portion of tax income to that city which is immeasurable to them....but the city and citizens of that city should decide how, where and when to proceed with a city problem such as redeveloping city neighborhoods and business areas.....it should not rely on the "wait and see game" it has for over 20 years.
Work in Progress!
You cant feel that same adoration from Elvis for his fans-hes dead and Lisa is her own person.
Lisa should close Graceland-no matter what she does-fans are not happy its not an enviable position to be in...its her father, her adoration was for him...her one and only father-not the king, not the icon-not the legend.
Its all about the money-because thats the way the will read-protect the monetary value of the estate thats what the probate judge saw in the will.....because thats the way the way Elvis wanted it. There is not a word about a right or wrong way to do it-protect the estate and grow the estate.
Sorry but this is a subject that really irks me-instead of thinking Elvis should have planned better, or been clearer in his will about the do's and don'ts someone else is blamed for how things have come about.
I love Elvis but the start of EPE and how it is run-leads directly back to Elvis, his life, death and the will he left.
They did what was recommended by a Probate Judge (whos duty is to make sure the will is legally fulfilled) with what they had left over after his death.
The ball started rolling downhill long before EPE was thought of.
Work in Progress!
Ken, EPE owns all of the land north and south of the Graceland mansion that boarders the boulevard. From Craft RD all the way up to Hickory RD. That is roughly a half mile of of property and enough space to redevelop and to strengthen security around the perimeters.They do not have to wait for the city to decide if they are going to improve the boulevard beyond that or not. It's just that EPE is being cheap as always. They have never cared for the fans and they aren't about to now. All they care about is making that money. Like I said, take away their money and they will take notice of the problems. This is why a side of me wouldn't mind seeing fans stop coming just to wake them up. I have practically given up any hope that a redevelopment will ever happen in my lifetime, and I am only 40.
Last edited by vivaelvis; 01-03-2012 at 09:24 PM.
Check out my new blog about Elvis Presley @ http://elvis21century.blogspot.com/
Sorry but Lisa falls more under the spirit Priscilla and if Mickey Mouse (Disneyland) or Elvis Presley (Graceland), can't take all the money they make from tourist and protect at least a mile surrounding the area, they shouldn't be in business.
I know Lisa has nothing to do with how Elvis was and that's the sad part. I don't see adoration for her dad. They put together a TV show called "Elvis by the Presleys" the only Presley was Lisa. They had Priscilla's family there telling all these "stories" I'm not sure I believe anyway.
Protection of any areas outside of private property lines (at Graceland, Disneyland, 6 Flags, your home, my home etc....)-is a city, county or state matter, pure and simple.
The White House example is proof enough of how no place is free from some form of crime in this world-no matter how high profile, no matter how much planning and measures are taken. The White House example is not a single isolated crime-more and more people somehow manage to make some form of law violaton at the most protected house in the world-a house that has unlimited funds for protection, Army, Marines, CIA, Secret Service....yet still..... these things happen.
I agree everything should be done that is possible to keep people safe around places like Graceland-but that is mainly a government concern.
Inside Graceland that is another matter-in todays world that is just the way of life unfortunately.
But Graceland, Lisa, Walt Disney did not create the criminals.
Private citizens and business can actually be sued for things done outside of their lines of property, even in cases of robbery, assault etc where someone is in need of help-many times the person being helped is the one who sues the helper...there have even been cases of the criminal suing those who try to help and the victims..... ridiculous I admit-but true on every point.
Work in Progress!
And my friend EPE has not been in charge of the "many many plans" that were proposed since Sillerman took control ....lets remember it was his supposed expertise and business savvy that was going to bring about huge changes for the better-EPE truely had little sayso after his 85% purchase, it was his "vision" or as we found out "ever changing visions" that EPE was forced to accept.Ken, EPE owns all of the land north and south of the Graceland mansion that boarders the boulevard. From Craft RD all the way up to Hickory RD. That is roughly a half mile of of property and enough space to redevelop and to strengthen security around the perimeters.They do not have to wait for the city to decide if they are going to improve the boulevard beyond that or not. It's just that EPE is being cheap as always. They have never cared for the fans and they aren't about to now. All they care about is making that money. Like I said, take away their money and they will take notice of the problems. This is why a side of me wouldn't mind seeing fans stop coming just to wake them up. I have practically given up any hope that a redevelopment will ever happen in my lifetime, and I am only 40.
Now today- EPE is no more in charge of the larger picture with Apollo in and Sillermam out.
But that all aside-the city of Memphis is the primary entity for crime protection, and redevelopement of its own city-they have waited 20 years and could have acted long ago....yet as I said they played the wait and see game-citizens of Memphis allowed them to do so-and now many want to find a villian other than themselves other than the city government....so lets blame EPE, Graceland, and Lisa......the people who provide more tax support and revenue for the city than any other business.....talking about biting the hand that helps provide major resources???
Sure boycott-slow down the money, hurt the city, hurt the citizens, put people out of work (during this recession) and give Apollo more reason to put on hold any plans (which I do not think will take much excuse for them to do) and Lisa will still live as Elvis wanted her to by the will he left behind which paved the way for EPE, Sillerman, Apollo etc..... but others honest folks who sell Elvis things in Memphis, guides, restaurants, city tourism will suffer. I do not think that is smart, not fair.
Graceland did not rob these people-but they are painted the criminal??? It never ceases to amaze me.
Work in Progress!
The city also knows that Graceland just can't pick up and move away. I have never liked the idea of boycotts. You are right KPM it only hurts the little people around the city.
I think as I have said before, the city has to rebuild the area, get out the hoodlums and EPE needs to push it along. The rebuilding of a city has worked before in other places and it can work in Memphis too.
Love Elvis...The Greatest
RIP Tommy
you have a nice woman stepping out of her car to ask a question
2 kids in the car, one looks deathly ill
the man (her husband and father of the kids) steps out to see what's taking so long
A suspicious man standing next to the car
Reaches in, grabs the purse and laughs at the kids while he's doing it
the woman starts yelling
the Robber gets in the get-away car, his partner driving, peels out down the down the street,
THE GUARDS ARE DOING NOTHING THE WHOLE TIME. Even when she starts screaming
The Guards tell the police the Suspect not Suspects, got away on a Bicycle.
During the 4 hours the sick kid had to use the bathroom, they wouldn't let him.
Asking how many jobs it would cost Memphis? Next time Sillerman, Apollo whoever owns the Elvis business orders a $5000.00 bottle of wine when they go out to eat and we just think nothing can be done to improve this type of situation and how it's going to hurt them if one of their Golden Gooses' isn't laying as many eggs because of employment? that's the very mentally that got everyone unemployed.
It would have been better if They ... I'm not even going to suggest what should have been done because that's only another way for them to lie publicly and pretend they care. I'd rather see their cheap true colors at all times.
That's thinking about the "little people". The working man, that drives 10 hours a day both ways to see his son in the hospital is the "working man" and That little family should have been treated with respect. The family did not have a beef with the cops. It was with how "Graceland" representatives was treating them. That's not the Graceland I used to visit. Taking the backseat and accepting it as, "That's Just the way it is" only makes the problem stay. These are very $$ "influential" $$ people. They know how to make things happen. Obviously, they own Elvis. I don't want to read about an excuse from them, I just want to read about solutions.
Last edited by ELVIS_; 01-05-2012 at 12:09 AM.
You have your opinion-you obviously want EPE-Graceland and anyone affiliated with the operation to be the villains.......not the criminals, not the city of Memphis for its state of affairs and how they have allowed the city to deteriorate for the last 20 years while the tax revenue for tourism that the estate brings to the city is a small fortune which should lower the overall tax burden on average citizens compared to cities of similar size which do not have the cash cow the estate has become.
I admit if all is true that is posted-the guards should be questioned as to the how and why of their actions......
but once again if you try to help and end up being sued for actions taken (which is the way it is in todays world) you did nothing but make yourself a target.........that should not be the way it is-but IT IS!!! If you try to help you should be commended-but in todays society you take a 50/50 chance of ending up in a lawsuit by someone-fact.
I am not condoning nor excusing crime-I am stating how the world works today. If the citizens of Memphis would not accept the cities situation and take action by way of voting, community involvement and getting involved beyond saying "thats the way it is" the city would have cleaned up its problems (or made more effort) for the last 20 years.
Instead the villification of EPE, Lisa or Graceland is what people focus their anger on-Lisa did not hold up these people, she did not break any law, yet some see any bad news from Memphis somehow.....is her fault or the fault of her company.
WHY?
I have heard many many complaints here about why the music of Elvis is not handled better in re-releases and promotions-and Lisa has no ownership in it....thats Sony/BMG....Lisa was not left her fathers catalogue of music nor even artist royaltees from 85% of his music.
I have heard complaints about why the movies are not put out with more extras, more unreleased footage, etc.....especially EOT and TTWII...Lisa/EPE has no ownership in it-thats each individual studio.
Going back to the year Sillerman bought his 85% I have heard incessantily from some here about the city of Memphis needing huge investments in the area around Graceland so Memphis in turn will invest in Memphis-thats bull!
Memphis should proceed with things that are needed to make it a safer cleaner city regardless of what any private business is doing-thats their job and obligation to the citizens........but thats not what has happened and the citizens have a modem of responsibility.
EPE and Lisa do many charitable things and make donations to charitable causes (as did Elvis) but this type story is the one some want to stress?
No company is a saint, no person is a saint-but this type "blame game" is ridiculous IMO
My views on why EPE has become as it is... are well known-they have done with what was left to them-no control of the music, no control of the movies, and all that was left was the image and likeness...... the will spelled out what Elvis wanted without any preconditions of how to do this- simply to protect the estates monetary value for Lisa......that is not my opinion-that is what was in the will-that was what had to be done.
Elvis must have made his views on what was important to him to his lawyer and he signed the will-what was important to him was financial freedom for his daughter-with no mention of how...no mention of things forbidden to accomplish this. The options were limited-the probate judge saw this and EPE became what it is.
Sorry I am not going to boycott-nor try to somehow attack EPE for crime in Memphis.
Why not picket city hall???
Why not petition the city to make the city safer???
Why not inmasse attend the regular town meetings in the city???
Why not stop trying to somehow tie all that is bad, all that is wrong with life in Memphis to EPE/Lisa???
Sorry but with all due respect-thats the way I see it.
Last edited by KPM; 01-05-2012 at 12:57 PM.
Work in Progress!
KPM, It's cool, guess we just have different opinions on the matter. I see your point and understand where you're coming from.
Hope you have a good weekend
Bro in Elvis
Re: Family Robbed at Graceland Christmas Day
Sounds like you feel the same way I do about all of this. Easy to point fingers; but will anyone do anything or just complain? Best to look to "city fathers" elected officials . If they don't do their job, get someone that will.The Presley's have never been responsible for keeping Memphis neighborhoods in repair. That's the citys job ,they get plenty to do their job. Make them do it !!
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