Atlanta's diversity is cause for envy (White: legal, yard, racist)

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by Stars&StripesForever

White Flight is occurring in the suburbs.

Inner Suburbs--> Outer Suburbs, for the most part. A few may move "intown".

It's actually quite a bit more than "a few" that are moving intown.

The City is at its alltime high in population now. Over 120,000 people have moved in over the last decade.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

I live in south Cobb. Whites are roughly 50% of Mableton, and a higher percentage of Smyrna.

I live in West Cobb. In my subdivision...on my cul de sac...there are 5 homes. There are two white families (including mine), two black families, and one family of Indian (Asian) heritage.

I don't give a rat's ass what race these folks happen to be. The key is that we all share similar values, take care of our homes and families, educate our children, make productive livings, and strive to be good neighbors. I would be fine with 99% black neighbors if they share my values and are close in economic class. I would be less cool with a bunch of poor white rednecks.

This focus on race and "diversity" is totally counter to MLK's dream. What happened to "content of character" and not "color of skin?" Give me neighbors that I can feel comfortable letting my children play with, regardless of race. Give me neighbors who look out for each other, regardless of race.

This fallacy that Cobb is all white and there is no "diversity" is just more blah, blah, blah from the same people who hate everything to do with the suburbs, and because MARTA is not currently serving Cobb, they assume that must mean it's all white racists living out here.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Stars&StripesForever

White Flight is occurring in the suburbs.

Inner Suburbs--> Outer Suburbs, for the most part. A few may move "intown".

You ignore the influx of whites from outside the area. Maybe what you're saying is correct for natives or whites who have been in the area for many years, but I made a choice not to be too far out. Cherokee or Forsyth counties have good schools and some nice homes, but we chose to be closer in and in an area that has seen most of the development it will see.

We're not fleeing anything, except maybe the snowy, cold winters, and the left leaning politics of the northeast.

[Lagwagon113]

Originally Posted by johnatl

It's actually quite a bit more than "a few" that are moving intown.

The City is at its alltime high in population now. Over 120,000 people have moved in over the last decade.

I'm glad that some white flight seems to be ending. How pathetic that we just decided to abandon all of our cities and let them rot. The younger generations got tired of living in generic suburbs far away from the city. Plus race is less of an issue for the younger generations because they never lived in a time when segregation existed and are used to being around different types of people. I'm sort of proud of my generation in that regard.

Sadly I still see people fleeing suburbs for further flung suburbs instead of staying and holding their ground. Nothing good happens when areas get abandoned.

Edit: the only negative I see in moving back to the cities is that now gentrification is the order of the day and level of income is used to drive out the "undesirables". So in that respect we still have a ways to go before we have a truly integrated society. Not everyone can be a college graduate. If they then a degree would mean less and would then be required for traditional blue collar type jobs.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Lagwagon113

How pathetic that we just decided to abandon all of our cities and let them rot. The younger generations got tired of living in generic suburbs far away from the city. Plus race is less of an issue for the younger generations because they never lived in a time when segregation existed and are used to being around different types of people. I'm sort of proud of my generation in that regard.

Oh, don't be too quick to condemn. There are a whole lot of us who've stayed with our cities through thick and thin. We've worked very hard over many years to ensure they stayed strong and viable. That's what gives you young people an opportunity come in from the suburbs.

[Lagwagon113]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Oh, don't be too quick to condemn. There are a whole lot of us who've stayed with our cities through thick and thin. We've worked very hard over many years to ensure they stayed strong and viable. That's what gives you young people an opportunity come in from the suburbs.

Arjay that's good to hear and those efforts are appreciated. I've seen pictures of NYC from the 70s and 80s and some parts looked like a bomb riddled WW2 city. After white flight started reversing those areas started getting revitalized. I know Atlanta was never that bad but it was no walk in the park either.

[arjay57]

You're right, Lagwagon. Some parts of NYC were really hit hard. The trials and tribulations of the South Bronx became legendary.

Atlanta has had its up and downs but most of the neighborhoods where white flight took place actually hung in there fairly well. There were problems but I never thought of it as a wholesale disaster. (Well, with a few exceptions). Many parts of the city remained stable.

[Stars&StripesForever]

Originally Posted by johnatl

It's actually quite a bit more than "a few" that are moving intown.

The City is at its alltime high in population now. Over 120,000 people have moved in over the last decade.

I'd argue that most who are moving intown are not from Atlanta's suburbs, but are merely transplants to the region.

[Bullbear]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Oh, I'm not so sure about that. I'm not suggesting that racial and social stereotypes are dead, but these days I think the situation has a great deal to do with how people actually behave. One of my brother-in-laws lives in area that has become amazingly diverse. 15 years ago it was all white but now there are lots of Hispanics, Asians, Muslims and blacks. He was greatly relieved when the redneck white couple next door finally moved out. He'd been feuding with them for years for making too much racket, not keeping their place up and letting their kids run wild. A very nice family from Mexico moved in and my BIL is quite happy.

Ah yes, diversity. Code word for anything non-white or of non-traditional american culture.

Diversity worship is nothing less than cheering the demise of the white/protestant culture on which this country was built.

Anyone who is NOT a straight white american male can represent diversity. And if diversity is good, then non-diversity is bad. Straight white dudes are the ONLY people who are NOT diverse, thus we are non-diverse and "bad". But of course we are supposed to cheer "diversity" otherwise we are racist, bigoted blah blah blah.

Meanwhile, anything and everything that is non-white (see above) is free to be celebrated as representing diversity and thus a "good" thing. Amazing. I think its time straight white dudes got off their arses and started clamoring for special treatment due to the inherent prejudice of society at large against them.

[Stars&StripesForever]

Originally Posted by Bullbear

Ah yes, diversity. Code word for anything non-white or of non-traditional american culture.

Diversity worship is nothing less than cheering the demise of the white/protestant culture on which this country was built.

Anyone who is NOT a straight white american male can represent diversity. And if diversity is good, then non-diversity is bad. Straight white dudes are the ONLY people who are NOT diverse, thus we are non-diverse and "bad". But of course we are supposed to cheer "diversity" otherwise we are racist, bigoted blah blah blah.

Meanwhile, anything and everything that is non-white (see above) is free to be celebrated as representing diversity and thus a "good" thing. Amazing. I think its time straight white dudes got off their arses and started clamoring for special treatment due to the inherent prejudice of society at large against them.

Bullbear, excellent response. That was stellar.