Racial tension in Chicago? (Cicero, Bloomington: high crime, luxury, taxes)

[justalicious6989]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

You didn't have something hanging out of your nose or something? Or a funny t-shirt on?

Staring isn't always racism. I had an African-American guy yell at me once for staring at him, and he honestly just looked like someone I went to high school with and I was just trying to tell if this was the case. I explained that to him, and he apologized.

I'm not trying to downplay racism--which I know is very real and horrible, but Lakeview doesn't strike me as a hotbed for racists.

o beleave me it does exist, especially in the suburbs im telling you from personal experience being in oak lawn/hometown/evergreen/burbank people complaining everyday how they want to get out soon and fast before the nieghboorhood is ruint its a shame i guess thats how many of us were raised.
its prob. not as spoken on a higher level thats why many dont see or think it exists.

[Humboldt1]

People in areas like Lakeview don't have to deal with ghetto blacks on a daily basis and are in la la land where the only blacks are affluent and educated.

I used to be like this, thinking the mugging I experienced while a college student in St Louis was an isolated event. Now, I don't believe it is a race thing. I believe it is an inferior culture of entitlement, blaming others for your problems and not accepting responsibility for ones actions.

Most of those lakeview people are far more racist than I could ever be as I live around poor blacks and speak with them and occasionally hang out with them.

I have many reasons to be racist as I have been mugged, nearly killed, ripped off by and sued black people for stealing from me. Yes, I maybe jaded and cautious but I still keep giving black people a chance. Most would not do this. I believe there are good poor black people and will keep on believing this regardless of what happens to me in the future though I am not going to be as vulnerable as I was.

[Chicagoland60426]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

People in areas like Lakeview don't have to deal with ghetto blacks on a daily basis and are in la la land where the only blacks are affluent and educated.

I used to be like this, thinking the mugging I experienced while a college student in St Louis was an isolated event. Now, I don't believe it is a race thing. I believe it is an inferior culture of entitlement, blaming others for your problems and not accepting responsibility for ones actions.

Most of those lakeview people are far more racist than I could ever be as I live around poor blacks and speak with them and occasionally hang out with them.

I have many reasons to be racist as I have been mugged, nearly killed, ripped off by and sued black people for stealing from me. Yes, I maybe jaded and cautious but I still keep giving black people a chance. Most would not do this. I believe there are good poor black people and will keep on believing this regardless of what happens to me in the future though I am not going to be as vulnerable as I was.

I do agree with you that people in Lincoln Park and Lakeview live in la la land and don't have to deal with the crime on a daily basis. You coming from Humboldt Park, I know you know a thing or two about the crime thats going on in certain areas. Lincoln Park and Lakeview is so far removed from other areas of the city that it almost seem like another city or borough.

Chicago is a diverse city just like NYC and LA, but every major city have segregated parts to an extent. NYC and LA is very diverse, but the question is it socially diverse ? You can have a racially diverse city, but many times people socialize with their own race and don't interact with people of a different race. Honolulu/Hawaii is very diverse racially and socially, considering that Hawaii have the highest percentage of biracial/multiracial people in the country.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

People in areas like Lakeview don't have to deal with ghetto blacks on a daily basis and are in la la land where the only blacks are affluent and educated...

...Most of those lakeview people are far more racist than I could ever be as I live around poor blacks and speak with them and occasionally hang out with them...

Ever heard of the Hotel Chateau and the Gill Park co-op?

If you live in the northern portion of E. Lake View chances are you have dealt with "ghetto" Blacks as well as "ghetto" Caucasians and a few "ghetto" Hispanics on a daily basis. Because they live in those two buildings as well as in Uptown.

Go hang out on the corner of Sheridan and Broadway by Gill Park sometime late at night. You would swear you are somewhere on the west side half of time.

I now defer the remainder of my time on this subject to Lookout Boy.

[Banx]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Go hang out on the corner of Sheridan and Broadway by Gill Park sometime late at night. You would swear you are somewhere on the west side half of time.

haha i remember some old druggy guy who I asked to buy me liquor at one of those liquor stores up there and he snatched the 40 bottles as soon as he bought em and ran across the street into the crackhead motel named "Hotel Chateau". Without thinking, I ran in there in a drunkin rage and demanded he be brought down to the lobby, screaming at the front desk lady. Then after taking a second to observe my surroundings in the motel, I decided against it. Everyone in there was obviously at one point addicted to crack or meth and looked like zombies, even the staff, it was like the twilight zone. Needless to say, I just ended up awkwardly stepping out. That area really isn't too bad though, it's just like literally one random block that's ghetto... u have the gay boystown area to the south and the wealthier folks to the north.

[HRTplz]

I think we're at the point where we need to move from talking about whose racist and whose not, to talking about the fact that there are social problems that are definitely distributed along racial lines, and start fixing them.

The effect of these problems on a whole is much more damaging than a handful of bigots.

[tb4000]

Originally Posted by hugoshi

I think we're at the point where we need to move from talking about whose racist and whose not, to talking about the fact that there are social problems that are definitely distributed along racial lines, and start fixing them.

The effect of these problems on a whole is much more damaging than a handful of bigots.

It is difficult to take suggestions regarding improving it overall seriously when everyone feels the need to say so in such a condescending manner, that's the prob.

[missmeli0501]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

People in areas like Lakeview don't have to deal with ghetto blacks on a daily basis and are in la la land where the only blacks are affluent and educated.

So, what? Education and wealth generally brings down crime overall in a community, which allows development. I'm wiling to bet that most of these "ghetto" neighborhoods are full of isolated crime and well-meaning families that aren't violent at all...but I'm not willing to risk being caught in sketchy situation just to live in a neighborhood that will make a statement. These neighborhoods don't have the amenities that I'm looking for. It has nothing to do with race, unless you make the argument that the most developed neighborhoods are generally white. I don't think this really makes me a racist. I'm very open with the fact that I live in Lakeview because I like the activity, and I feel generally safe walking around at night. If this were a middle class black or hispanic neighborhood, I would feel the same way. The truth is that segregation is more of an economic issue than a racial issue these days. (IMO) Now, I have no doubt that minorities are economically disadvantaged BECAUSE of race divisions of the past, but that's beside the point.

I'm from Cleveland, and Cleveland Heights in particular is an interesting look at racial diversity. Each street is about equally divided between blacks and whites, but the key is that they are mostly on an equal level, economically. People who have money generally don't need to shoot people to get status/power/whatever. Therefore, crime increases in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and makes them less desirable.

Sorry if that's not clear.

[Humboldt1]

Missmelli,

You are one of those people in Lakeview that lives in la la land.

You would not live in an area like Humboldt Park even with amenities. That amenities argument is crap.

Yes, there are lots of good families but much more crime and many more bad people than in areas like lakeview. You have a much higher chance of being involved in crime in poorer neighborhoods such as humboldt park. I doubt you would live in areas like englewood or austin even with amenities (granted poor black areas are lacking amenities aside from liquor and corner groceries and gas stations and fast food).

I have family in Cleveland, Akron, and Canton. I believe Cleveland Heights is relatively affluent and perhaps in la la land of its own though this may be changing with the overall decline of Cleveland.

[missmeli0501]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

Missmelli,
I doubt you would live in areas like englewood or austin even with amenities (granted poor black areas are lacking amenities aside from liquor and corner groceries and gas stations and fast food).

That's what I just said. I'd be more than happy to live in those diverse neighborhoods if they were safer and had more to do. Amenities bring down crime. That's my point. Build, and people will follow.