Is the violence in Chicago out of control? (Washington, Time: felons, unemployed)

[RingWalk]

Uzra:

The guy wasn't just looking at my girlfriend. He walked over from where he was and started dancing for us doing various breakdancing moves in our face for about 10 minutes. It was so goofy that I would imagine--hope--he was on drugs. Then he kept looking and smiling at us, rapping. When we got off the train he walked to the door and stared at us as we left.

Was I 'scared'? Not really. 'Annoyed?' Yeah.

The problem is, when people invade each other's personal space and **** with each other like this, they are saying something. They are saying that they are stepping on your feet and ****ing with you and they are daring you to say something.

You appear to be a grandstander living out an Eminem fantasy. Don't worry there have been a lot of people who have seized upon the same sappy narrative, from Jim Carroll's "People Who Died" to tipping your 40 for the homies who didn't make it.

[urza216]

I'm a writer. I write about people I've known - I don't tip out forties. I'd give a shameless plug for my book but I'd rather remain anonomyous.

[Atizstr8]

Haha as the OP I honestly have no idea what's going on in this thread. And it's kind of amusing. Haha.

[ofcjim40]

RingWalk, believe me I get what you are saying. It seems like people with bad manners and lack of respect for others have become too common. Then somehow the person that shines the light on others acting inappropriate somehow gets accused of "judging". This all boils down to common sense, street smarts and stripping this ridiculous Politically Correct mire we are stuck in. If I see a pit bull with a foaming mouth showing it's teeth am I going to try to pet it? Will I be told it's just a dog, no reason to change direction, and if I do cross the street I have a bias against all dogs?

[urza216]

Originally Posted by RingWalk

You appear to be a grandstander living out an Eminem fantasy.

I still have no idea what this means. What is an "eninem fantasy" and how am I a granstander? Would you mind elaborating? I'm a product of my environment like everyone else..

I'l admit that I could very much relate to Eminem in the movie 8 Mile. But he's definitely not someone I emulate. Definitely not at all. But was this even what you were suggesting in the first place?

Originally Posted by ofcjim40

RingWalk, believe me I get what you are saying. It seems like people with bad manners and lack of respect for others have become too common. Then somehow the person that shines the light on others acting inappropriate somehow gets accused of "judging". This all boils down to common sense, street smarts and stripping this ridiculous Politically Correct mire we are stuck in. If I see a pit bull with a foaming mouth showing it's teeth am I going to try to pet it? Will I be told it's just a dog, no reason to change direction, and if I do cross the street I have a bias against all dogs?

But making incendiary comments about doo rags is still stupid, pointless, ignorant, inane, senseless, moronic and unnecessary. It's like seeing a pit bull foaming at the mouth and going on City-Data and talking smack about the dog collar the pit bull was wearing. "Was it a dog collar? It looked like a belt to me, haha!" As if the dog collar had to do with anything. Or you should watch out for others with the same kind of dog collar.

Originally Posted by RingWalk

they walk around in groups of 12 with gym shorts or whatever the **** it is tied around their heads

[SmartGXL]

I live on Belmont and have been having the observations as Jim and RingWalk...large groups of a-holes walking around in large packs, trying to purposefully intimidate people, scare people, fight with innocent people...it used to be that I could just simply step outside at night, take a walk thru lakeview and not have to deal with any a-holes, just had to stay observant, most people would either just say hello, or would just stare ahead and act like they didnt see you. BUT NOW, THIS SUMMER, most of the Belmont/Clark area has been overrun with large packs of gangbanger-lookalike/wanna-be's who purposefully walk around and try to 'dominate' the sidewalk and are just LOOKING for ANY excuse to gang up on you and fight you...it has gotten to the point, that when my girlfriend needs to leave for the evening, that I have to WALK HER TO HER CAR...unbelievable! And, unacceptable!

The police presence has been boosted but it is not good enough. This morning, at around 230am or so, a pack of low-life loser a-holes was parked down on Belmont and I could hear one of them yelling: "HEY MAN, CRANK THAT RADIO UP, CRANK THAT BASS UP, SHOW THESE WHITIES WE MEAN BUSINESS...YEAH...GOTTA DO WHAT WE GOTTA DO, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN??" And his friend cranked up his radio so loud that it was shaking the walls in my apartment. I went to call 911 because what he was doing was illegal (disturbing the peace) but my phone battery was dead and couldnt call. Plugged it in, but a half hour later he was gone (someone else may have called the police on him and they stopped by and told him to can it).

If the police cant control it, I am OUT of here, I will move out of Illinois altogether and let this city fail for all I care. This happened 10 years ago in Dallas, there is a neighborhood there called Deep Ellum, it looks like Dallas' version of Wicker park, it was a nightlife-oriented, highly walkable neighborhood, but it was ruined 10 years ago by the same type of thuggery we see now. People LITERALLY stopped going to the bars, and moved out of the neighborhood. All the bars closed and even tho new places did open up, the place is mostly a ghost town now. It never fully recovered and is only now, 11 years later, starting to show some vague signs of coming back. Really sad.

Anywhere these thug types go, THEY RUIN EVERYTHING. I dont know why they cant get it thru their heads that NO ONE LIKES THEM. Maybe on TV that lifestyle is entertaining, but NO ONE in their right mind (other than easily impressionable, low-IQ idiots) wants to be one or be any where near them. It is like they cant see that NO ONE LIKES THEM OR THEIR DESTRUCTIVE LIFESTYLE.

[ofcjim40]

SmartGXL, part of the problem is CPD is understaffed and Rahm is all smoke and mirrors claiming there are more coming. The Cook Co Court system is a joke and slaps people on the wrist. When the Police actually try to take control of a situation racism is cried, "Reverends" march and get media time, etc. That is the bulk of the problem. Even if these thugs get arrested on Disorderly Conduct or Loitering, it's a simple slap on the wrist misdemeanor. They'll be back out on the street in 2 hours after they are processed. The thugs don't fear the system, the Police or law abiding citizens. It's that simple. Nothing will change until society as a whole says "no more". The system must stop enabling this behavior. I predict that if something doesn't change and thugs keep being thugs, there will start to become vigilanteism. And of all things, let's not talk incendiary of their doo rags...

[RingWalk]

Urza: You are a kid or acting like a kid.

OfcJim and SmartGXL:

I saw a few cops on the Belmont platform, thankfully.

As I mentioned in another thread, certain streets downtown became very bad during the 80s under Washington and it wasn't until Daley became mayor that he started flooding said areas with cops and they returned to vibrancy. These were areas that were under duress due to the young kids from the Cabrini projects coming by and messing with people--constantly. The problem was not major crime, but a constant environment of harassment and what we have all been discussing. The posers and grandstanders on this board should take note because that constant stream, such as what we're seeing around Belmont and Clark right now, was more than enough to bring the economy of said areas to its knees.

Daley was elected, flooded the areas with cops, people felt safe, and they were revitalized, and are now among the most expensive areas of the city.

If Emannuel doesn't do the same and the troublemakers get comfortable, for instance, on Belmont and Clark, the beaches, Chicago and State, wherever, you can expect to see a similar exodus of productive citizens and businesses.

At least that is my opinion. As I said, anyone over the age of 30 has enough problems and isn't going to waste their lives in some junked up environment of harassment and ever-lingering crime. They'll just leave to places that are friendly and normal.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by RingWalk

Urza: You are a kid or acting like a kid.

Excuse me? How so?

I guess I'll put this on my tab of statements that I don't even know what you mean because you didn't feel the need to explain yourself. I'm 24 and just said I was a published author.

Read this fallacy carefully: Ad hominem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stop it. Accusing me of acting like a kid doesn't make my argument any less valid or or your statement that I objected to any less ignorant or inane. You and Officer Jim both argue like a bully on a school yard. Taunts are worthless. And they attract attention from our friendly neighborhood moderator sometimes too.

Can you even justify your own words? Or are you only capable of accusing me of acting like a kid?

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by ofcjim40

SmartGXL, part of the problem is CPD is understaffed and Rahm is all smoke and mirrors claiming there are more coming. The Cook Co Court system is a joke and slaps people on the wrist. When the Police actually try to take control of a situation racism is cried, "Reverends" march and get media time, etc. That is the bulk of the problem. Even if these thugs get arrested on Disorderly Conduct or Loitering, it's a simple slap on the wrist misdemeanor. They'll be back out on the street in 2 hours after they are processed. The thugs don't fear the system, the Police or law abiding citizens. It's that simple. Nothing will change until society as a whole says "no more". The system must stop enabling this behavior. I predict that if something doesn't change and thugs keep being thugs, there will start to become vigilanteism. And of all things, let's not talk incendiary of their doo rags...

You are 100% right! Also, I know I mentioned in my post that "if the police do not get it under control", I meant to say "the city", not the police. I know the police are stretched thin and are doing everything they can. I am thankful for the police to be around. It is the city that cannot get things under control.