How Can I Get Away From "The Gangs"?

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

The real question to ask is, *who* benefits from the War On Drugs?

The employed law enforcement officers.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

How can you tell everything about an internet poster, from several internet posts? Answer: you cant. I took 2 years of Tae Kwon Do, and that was 5 or 6 years ago.

I can tell a lot about you from what you say in your posts. And with just two years of tae kwon do training 6 years ago you are definately a beginner. I was right.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

The employed law enforcement officers.

especially those who have incentives to harass people via search-and-seizure laws.

it's a great little racket, in some states they can take your car and everything you've got if they a little bit of weed on you, then you have to prove you purchased those things using legally-acquired income. that's called the burden of evidence on the wrong person.

oh, and don't forget the alcohol industry, the big boys have no intention of having to compete with a safer recreational drug.

[nidex]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

The employed law enforcement officers.

And don't forget the multi million dollar prison system. More prisoners, more funding!

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Caldus

When is it legal to buy drugs? lol.

Medicine is drugs. Over the counter medicine is an example of an openly legal drug. "Illegal drugs" are all Schedule I drugs in any circumstances (i.e. heroin), and any of the Schedule II, III, IV or V drugs outside of circumstances as proscribed by law. Even cocaine can be legally purchased and used under certain circumstances, for example as an analgesic with people who have large surfaces of their skin torn off (I had a high school history teacher who received cocaine for that after a motorcycle accident).

Originally Posted by chitownperson

"The Departed" is actually a direct remake of the Hong Kong movie "Infernal Affairs".

Yes, and I've seen all of the movies in the "infernal Affairs" series, but they did adapt it to America and bring in some Boston-specific storylines. It's based on the Hong Kong film, but it does have some notable differences.

[Just1Fan]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

I actually called 911 multiple times, and the police did respond. And, I got involved with the weekly CAPS meeting. When boystown started having problems out on the sidewalks (which were being caused mostly by teenagers harrassing/robbing etc), I went to that big CAPS meeting where 1000 people showed up who were wanting the police to do something about the very obvious change in safety levels on the sidewalks in the boystown vicinity. That meeting turned into a political rally for people who want to defend the "street thug" behaviour (The political people at the meeting were mostly people who had some sort of connection to the Center on Halsted - which many people claim is institution that started to attract the violent youth to the neighborhood in the first place). These COH employees basically tried to claim that if you wanted to protect yourself from being robbed by anyone, that you were a racist and a "classist", and other B.S. which isnt true at all. Most of the kids were not in gangs per se, but were what I call "Lil Wayne wanna be's". They acted like they were gang members though, which is bad enough. However, I did see from time to time, kids who were all dressed the same, and in a way that indicated that they may have some gang affiliiation.

Also - most of these kids did not live in boystown. Many of them were initially attracted to the freebies offered by the COH. They would come in during the day and then just stick around and cause trouble all night...making noise, fighting passers-by, loitering in large packs on the sidewalks and in the stoops in front of apartment buildings on Halsted. Basicly, the "trouble zone" was from the Belmont El stop (where I lived, close to Belmont and Sheffield), east on belmont down to halsted, and then north from there, up halsted to around Grace street. You COULD NOT walk this strip of lakeview at night without being harrassed or robbed or beaten. And even if they didnt target you, there was still a feeling hair sticking up on the back of your neck. I am trained martial artist, and I might be able to take on 2 people, but I cant take on 5 or 6 or more.

For everyone who suffered [the way you did], I apologize. Also, I think I speak for all the other victims, when I commend you for calling the police. Hats off to the CPD, for responding to your call. This is the kind of action that is needed to save lives, and make this world a better place. I love it when stories like this end the right way, because it breaths hope into the community, and proves that justice really works.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

I can tell a lot about you from what you say in your posts. And with just two years of tae kwon do training 6 years ago you are definately a beginner. I was right.

Who cares? I was, and still am, proficient enough to defend myself in a fight. It doesnt invalidate my claim that I can take on two people, its not that hard once you develop some street sense. The point I am trying to make, is that I cant take on 6 people at once, 20 people at once...and neither can you.

And I can tell a lot about you from your posts as well...hmmmm...verrrry interesting...Im not going to tell you what I think though.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by Just1Fan

For everyone who suffered [the way you did], I apologize. Also, I think I speak for all the other victims, when I commend you for calling the police. Hats off to the CPD, for responding to your call. This is the kind of action that is needed to save lives, and make this world a better place. I love it when stories like this end the right way, because it breaths hope into the community, and proves that justice really works.

Man, **** five oh.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

That's a pretty melodramatic assessment of the issue. I think the general situation we have is an only-one-of-its-kind-in-Chicago center which is pulling people from many parts of Chicago, and geographic/turf rivalries are coming with these folks.

I don't think it's all that bad, but, there's really no reason why the residents in the area should be punished for their tolerance. It's not like the residents of the south or west sides opened one of these, even though the need is clearly City-wide.

This is probably the best description of the issue that I have seen so far.

The concept behind COH, was to create a community services center that caters to the gay community, like a one stop shop, and also has a gay youth services program. It was a good idea on paper.

But what most people didnt realize was, that the COH was going to start advertising city-wide. You can see the ads on the south and west sides from time to time, saying something like "Are you a gay teen? Not accepted by your parents? Then come to Halsted!" Again, it was a great idea on paper, but what happened was it started to attract a lot of teens and young adults who have a lot of problems, to come into the neighborhood. The people it was/is attracting, are people with a lot of personal problems and dramas...and they are bringing this drama into what has been for the past 15 years, a generally safe nightlife/entertainment area. These are kids who are gay, and are not accepted on the south side, and do not have any real connection to the mainstream gay community in boystown...they dont have any connection to, or respect for, the gay culture there. And then they tell their friends about the Center, they show up, and the turf battles started. The word about the facility seemed to have spread, and people from all over the city, who arent even teenagers and arent even gay, started to go there. From there, the problems grew all summer long, and started to go away when the cold weather hit (although some of the hard core problem kids still hang around the area at night and cause problems).

I admit, it is a type of NIMBYism...just like I wouldnt want a mental health halfway house next door to me. The Center was a good idea on paper, but I think it was located in the wrong area...putting a facility to help troubled youth (many of whom belong in juvenile hall) in a nightlife district was not well thought out.

Of course, none of this explains some of the problems other areas were seeing....like for example the mob actions on Michigan Ave and the Gold Coast, etc.