Racial tension in Chicago? (gardens, money, community)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Move22

Wow, this thread has me a bit on edge now. There is a possiblity I may be moving to Chicago from Boston (which we consider Boston the most racist and racially segregated city in the United States)
I had high hopes for Chicago and felt it was more modernized and diverse.
After reading all these post, I am a little nervous and scared. Is Chicago really that bad? Nothing can be worse than Boston. I am a single female, mid 30's w/ my Masters.
Is this move something I should reconsider ??

If you're supposedly reconsidering a 1,000-mile relocation based on an internet forum thread, I doubt you were terribly committed to the enterprise in the first place.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

I think you need to come to Chicago and spend some time on the west and south sides with the police officers who patrol our most dangerous areas. These are the most racist people you will ever meet due to all the ugliness they have seen. I think it will really open your eyes from the somewhat myopic liberal views you seem to espouse.

And I think you need to spend some time with my mother-in-law who teaches elementary school in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. Her classes tend to be 90% black or more, and she gets to see the challenges these kids face on a daily basis. Some kids are abused. Others have parents in prison. Others don't even have beds to sleep in. It kills her to see that even by fourth grade, many of her students don't even have a chance. Yet every now and then a child will rise up out of these circumstances to become a really remarkable student. There are still success stories, and these kids had to overcome a great deal. And in fourth grade, the gangs haven't really recruited these kids yet. It's an interesting age to observe. You get to see the kids figuring out who they are, and you see them making the choices that will affect the rest of their lives.

My mother-in-law is a Republican, sure. She is a deeply religious Catholic. But she is not a racist. She sees firsthand the challenges that face poor black youth. She used to teach at an upper class private school where white kids had everything handed to them, and believes that many of her current students are far brighter. It kills her to see the wasted potential in her students. There's a culture that is dragging them down, and they fall victim to it at a young age.

[mas23]

So based what ive read

Liberals = naive(dumb, gullible)
Conservatives = Common sense.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

And I think you need to spend some time with my mother-in-law who teaches elementary school in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. Her classes tend to be 90% black or more, and she gets to see the challenges these kids face on a daily basis. Some kids are abused. Others have parents in prison. Others don't even have beds to sleep in. It kills her to see that even by fourth grade, many of her students don't even have a chance. Yet every now and then a child will rise up out of these circumstances to become a really remarkable student. There are still success stories, and these kids had to overcome a great deal. And in fourth grade, the gangs haven't really recruited these kids yet. It's an interesting age to observe. You get to see the kids figuring out who they are, and you see them making the choices that will affect the rest of their lives.

*clap, clap, clap*

frankly - people that have faced little adversity in their lives (of the level described above) generally don't have anything productive to say regarding solving these problems, as they have no experience with them first hand.

the usual response in Chicago has been "gentrify them out," but the problem with that is a new round of gentrifiers always shows up to the new areas, upset that "those people" occupy a neighborhood/area that they feel is too good for them & that they don't deserve.

[linicx]

What about poor white kids, and poor Latino kids in the same situation? I suppose it is possible that only black kids face these adversities, but I find it illogical that while some care feel deeply. and almost any group can help, no one lifts a finger. It says little about a country that will rally after 9/11. but won't rally when our future is being destroyed one child at a time.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by linicx

What about poor white kids, and poor Latino kids in the same situation? I suppose it is possible that only black kids face these adversities, but I find it illogical that while some care feel deeply. and almost any group can help, no one lifts a finger. It says little about a country that will rally after 9/11. but won't rally when our future is being destroyed one child at a time.

well, in Chicago you don't (there are certainly a few exceptions) have concentrated poverty in latino and white neighborhoods anywhere near the extreme as you do on the west and south sides in some of the black neighborhoods.

the history of redlining and segregation/the legacy of slavery and the mass exodus which brought black folks here has created a fairly unique set of cirucmstances/perfect storm.

I always look at it as an incorrectly set broken bone doesn't heal well, ever - time simply does not heal all wounds. in some cases, neglect has just made bad conditions worse.

that said, I believe a rising tide lifts all ships- addressing poverty is always good for society.

[linicx]

I suspect it has heen ignored by society as much as illegal aliens were ignored in Chicago 50 years ago. The question is.... what does society have to do as unit to stop it? We already know that redlining is illegal and lenders do it. We already know slumlords don't improve property. We already know not all adults are Suzi Homemaker, and we already know that utilities are unreasonable and Section 8 and no Child Left Behind does not work very well are there are not enough forster homes. . .

Education and jobs are only one part of the answer. The problem is as out of proportion as the solution.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by linicx

I suspect it has heen ignored by society as much as illegal aliens were ignored in Chicago 50 years ago. The question is.... what does society have to do as unit to stop it? We already know that redlining is illegal and lenders do it. We already know slumlords don't improve property. We already know not all adults are Suzi Homemaker, and we already know that utilities are unreasonable and Section 8 and no Child Left Behind does not work very well are there are not enough forster homes. . .

Education and jobs are only one part of the answer. The problem is as out of proportion as the solution.

I don't know if we can really stop it, all we can do is try to mitigate it.

For example - distributing birth control in chicago public middle & high schools may offend some people's moral sensibilities, but the alternative is teen mothers with children that are doomed before they're even born.

Our entire economic model is unsustainable, frankly. We need to get back to more locally produced food and goods of all kinds, we can't continue on a path where the top 10% of the country owns 50% of the wealth, and jobs either being super-white-collar or service economy.

[linicx]

I agree. Another part of the problem is the under-employed or jobless who can't get medical care unless they have children or are 65 years of age. Community gardens were tried a few years ago and failed. The Victory Garden of the 40s won't fly because some one will tear it up as soon as it is planted. People need education, seeds, water and tools to grow a successful garden to feed a neighborhood. It is not an impossible task but there must be cooperation. You sould not need an armed guard 24/7 to protect potatoes and tomatoes during the growing season. .

[pagliacci]

The colored folks are destroying the city with crime.