Anyone else noticed that people with stronger Chicago identities are usually more conservative? (fit in, house)

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

You are not the first to have made this observation.

I don't view Illinois or Chicago as "liberal" as it is Democratic. I think that you will often find people who express otherwise typically conservative views are nonetheless Democratic voters or apolitical. However, I do think that many of the people with aggressive Chicago identities tend to come from a working-class ethnic white background that has shifted towards the Republican Party in recent elections.

The Illinois Republican Party started to fall apart as its once Republican strongholds like the close-in suburbs like Evanston, Wilmette, Oak Park, Riverside, Flossmoor, etc. started shifting away. It became toast when once unthinkable areas like DuPage, Lake, Will, and DeKalb County started shifting away. Most of this shift is due to demographics, migration, and national shifts. You will find that a lot of Chicagoans and Illinoisans that are more politically conservative often end up in states like Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Florida.

I call this "Right Flight." It's very real and it's been happening for awhile, but it seems to have accelerated over the past 10-15 years, which I think is unfortunate. Whether you like conservatives or not, you need that balance, IMO.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by BRU67

I don't think Eddie is agreeing with you. He's being sarcastic I'm pretty sure.

I know he wasn't agreeing with me. I chose not to acknowledge what to me is a view not based in reality. No white ethnic group has had it tougher than black people in Chicago. This is well documented history. They have privilege by virtue of being white. To believe otherwise means you're choosing to ignore the history of black people in Chicago when in many, many ways...black people ARE Chicago. And I am not going to sit by and let anyone minimize our history.



That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by treemoni

I know he wasn't agreeing with me. I chose not to acknowledge what to me is a view not based in reality. No white ethnic group has had it tougher than black people in Chicago. This is well documented history. They have privilege by virtue of being white. To believe otherwise means you're choosing to ignore the history of black people in Chicago when in many, many ways...black people ARE Chicago. And I am not going to sit by and let anyone minimize our history.



That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

That's cool. No one is saying blacks got the red carpet treatment around here. They still don't, including by those well meaning liberals who fashionably decry what's happening in African-American neighborhoods yet refuse to live in those neighborhoods themselves to try to help improve things. This continues to perplex and bother me.

All I'm saying is that whites haven't always had it easy here either. The City's current white residents who are educated and well-compensated professionals do perhaps, but I don't think you can take their situation and put it in blanket fashion over all whites in the history of Chicago. That's just not the way it happened.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

You're probably referring to the Bungalow Belt with its numerous police officers & firefighters that live as far out into the outskirts of the city limits as possible (these folks are still required to live within Chicago, correct?). Essentially the white ethnic blue collar patrol force of Chicago. Da Boooolz, Da Bearzzz. Even the police commissioners live among these folks as well. Heheheheh...

I was at a Ghostface Killah concert in 2005 at Joe's on Weed Street. During the opening acts (NY Puerto Rican rapper named Tru Life) a huge fight broke out with bottles being chucked and all between the rappers & the crowd. One of the police higher ups (commissioner perhaps?) stormed into the place like he was a Gestapo commander or something. Riding extremely high on his high horse.

How exactly should he have stormed in? All apologetic like a typical 30s white male? "Uh...heyyyy folks didn't mean to disturb..." smdh

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

How exactly should he have stormed in? All apologetic like a typical 30s white male? "Uh...heyyyy folks didn't mean to disturb..." smdh

They should have come in led by a social worker who reflected the crowd's diversity, lit some soy candles, and encouraged, but of course not required, a hug circle. Those throwing the bottles were just misunderstood and turning their lives around I'm certain.

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by BRU67

That's cool. No one is saying blacks got the red carpet treatment around here. They still don't, including by those well meaning liberals who fashionably decry what's happening in African-American neighborhoods yet refuse to live in those neighborhoods themselves to try to help improve things. This continues to perplex and bother me.

How would my living in Englewood improve the situation? Do they even WANT white liberals moving to their neighborhood?

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Originally Posted by BRU67

That's cool. No one is saying blacks got the red carpet treatment around here. They still don't, including by those well meaning liberals who fashionably decry what's happening in African-American neighborhoods yet refuse to live in those neighborhoods themselves to try to help improve things.

Although gentrification can improve living conditions for the old residents who can afford to stay, there are better (albeit slower) ways to improve those neighborhoods - immigrants moving in and bringing their skills and work ethic, businesses opening up there to provide jobs, community programs to reduce gang affiliation and encourage kids to stay in school, tearing down or repairing dilapidated buildings and fixing vandalism (the broken-windows effect), cultural attractions to encourage people from richer neighborhoods to come and get their money circulating in the community, and so on.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

How would my living in Englewood improve the situation? Do they even WANT white liberals moving to their neighborhood?

Unlike certain groups, black people typically mind their own business and don't bother people who aren't bothering them. The only time you'd maybe have an issue with black neighbors is if you brought racist behavior to their doorstep. Even then, we know (through hundreds of years of history) the odds are stacked against us even if you're the one who's wrong, and nobody wants unnecessary drama from the police. Also...you, as a white person, would probably be treated better in a black neighborhood (yes, even a "dangerous" one) than black people because many of us have been conditioned to value your life above our own. So the whole notion of you not being accepted is pretty absurd. We don't think like white people. We are not a hateful people. That's why a bunch of black church goers lost their lives in South Carolina. They didn't see color.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

How would my living in Englewood improve the situation? Do they even WANT white liberals moving to their neighborhood?

Yea, I think they'd want to see that, or at least not mind it. I wouldn't assume all in the neighborhood are hostile. Kind of an unfair stereotype of the people of Englewood as a whole. I also think you may be buying a little too much into the anti-gentrification narrative. As I think I said in a recent post, that is usually driven by the white guilt of people who do not live in the community and for twisted reasons think they should remain poor or, sometimes, young renters effectively protesting themselves.

Anyway, progressive say that these neighborhoods are like they are because of realtor redlining, disinvestment by businesses, police abuses, and lack of city services. So if them really believe that, I just wonder why they don't move there in try to help correct that. Buy property, which they can freely do, open businesses, watch the police and report, etc. Presence makes perfect as I like to say.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

Although gentrification can improve living conditions for the old residents who can afford to stay, there are better (albeit slower) ways to improve those neighborhoods - immigrants moving in and bringing their skills and work ethic, businesses opening up there to provide jobs, community programs to reduce gang affiliation and encourage kids to stay in school, tearing down or repairing dilapidated buildings and fixing vandalism (the broken-windows effect), cultural attractions to encourage people from richer neighborhoods to come and get their money circulating in the community, and so on.

So it's okay for immigrants to move to these neighborhoods but not white people who have money. Got it. You should petition to be on the Central Planning Bureau to ensure that happens, LOL! Or one of those rent control boards that some of our esteemed public officials want to set up.

Anyway, all kidding aside (I hope), I agree with your other points. But the usual way that happens is people with good jobs and money to spend create demand that businesses open to serve and spend money on fixing up properties, which can be pretty costly believe it or not. Unless the Central Planning Bureau can do that, and it can't, gentrification is the fastest way to improvement.

There's also debate over whether gentrification even hurts the neighborhood. Actually, property owners tend to do very well, as do good existing businesses. Those individuals get more money to spend.