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I personally think that CT needs to stop with the "I'm black...your white" attitudes and come together.
I don't know if this is just a fairly isolated thing here, but i'm mulatto and I've never really experience that here in Connecticut. My friends and I occasionally poke fun at the idea (both black and white) but I have yet to meet anybody here in Connecticut who legitimately has a problem with race. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they don't exist, I just don't think they are as common as you just made them sound.
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Acutally, Hartford was the 2nd in the US in terms of poverty and it was based on numbers...not square miles. Look it up for yourself, here is what I found:
"With thirty per cent of the population living below the poverty line, Hartford's rate of poverty is second in the United States only to Brownsville, Texas.[19] About 28.2% of families were below the poverty line, including 41.0% of those under age 18 and 23.2% of those age 65 or over."
What Jay was getting at is that EVERY metropolitan area in the world (EVERY) has poverty. What makes Hartford seem so incredibly poor on paper is the fact that while most other cities in America encompass large areas that include their downtowns, ghettos, and large sections of upper-middle and upper class housing; Hartford proper pretty much only includes downtown Hartford and low-income neighborhoods. This situation would definitely skew the figures on paper and make Hartford seem like a completely poverty stricken city. However the truth is that if you take into account the entire Hartford Metropolitan area you will find that by itself it generates more wealth than 16 entire states.
You should know why "the white boy" replied like that or for that matter any boy from the inner city would reply like. Your asking a child to be ashamed where they come from and admitt it out loud, you wouldn't. Children are placed in there environment they didn't choose it. And, society keeps placing the blame of poverty, gangs, inner city on the children. Why because the majority are african -american you can assume they can bare that weight. The inner- city was formed and designed for it's purpose - to keep a certain type, kind of people out of your neighbor hood. And if they could change it and move out to "your" better neighborhood they wouldn't be welcomed and eventually that neighborhood would become the new ghetto.. because upper class would move away,value would go down, and education wouldn't be that great again.
I agree with mostly everyone here, there is some strong points. My issue is there wouldn't be a big gap in upper class & lower class, if the working world was fair. I see people scrambling for jobs here in Bpt.. Me working in Corporate I don't see many people my color not just in this company, but I temped at several before getting in. I know there is a lot of blacks who are qualified; but white people (not all, but most) do not want to work side by side with african-americans, for many reasons. I know plenty of people whom want to send their children to private schools but can't afford it. “Try living without options of schooling for your children.” Many would like to buy or fix up their homes, but can't afford it. IMO upper class tries so hard daily to make sure there is a big gap between them and the inner city. If you’re really concerned move there, you and some people from your community and watch the city clean it up for you.
This has got to be one of the most racist, bigoted, misguided, assuming posts I've seen in a long time.
Wow...
I wonder what my black neighbor two houses down who is stuck and alienated in "whitey suburb world" would say to this. I wonder if he knows that he is too stupid to make it, and doesn't have a chance and that all his white, well off neighbors are forming a plan to escape the neighborhood.
Nevermind the two latino families down the street. Forget it.
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Originally Posted by tryingtomakeitinCT
Hartford has some of the highest property taxes in the state and is one of the most poverty ridden cities in the nation. You would think that, knowing this, the state would do something about that to give people (esp. children) a fighting chance to survive. But CT doesn't. IMO, it's a state that likes to keep it's poor poor and keep the wealthy getting wealthier. Also, most of the "wealthier" people in CT could give two about the poor. So when it would come to raising their property taxes they respond with things like "we worked our butt of to become wealthy" "why should we have to help THEM out", etc etc.
Whoa dude...hold up. I think you have a lot of good points in your post but I also think your premise above is all wrong. You think government is the answer and is who makes people poor or rich. The reality is, government is the problem! It's not up to the state to make you or break you. Our country leaves it up to the individual. I know you're being told something different from Washington, but what you don't realize is THAT is the path to slavery.
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Originally Posted by tryingtomakeitinCT
Imaging growing up not knowing if your going to eat that day. Your first thought isnt "I'm going to go to a good college and be a doctor"...your thought is...how am I going to eat??? And yes, when you see older kids rolling in dough from illegal means while the people who are trying to survive by working a min wage job can't eat...which path would YOU choose????
That's a bit of an extreme example. You make it sound like the streets of Mogadishu where kids wander around starving to death with no hope. I'll tell you what path *I* chose. I chose at the age of 19 to leave "ill means" behind and to turn my life over to a greater source of strength and wisdom (God/Jesus) and make every effort I could to change my ways and live an honest life. And yes, at times it meant working for peanuts - washing dishes, fast food place, lawn care etc So what, I went to sleep at night tired but with a clear conscience. 20 years later things are much better and I have not looked back.
Last edited by JViello; 04-27-2010 at 02:20 PM..
Reason: spelling.
NJ has quite a bit of wealth within its borders, but it also has such eyesores as Newark, Trenton, Camden, all of which are a bit worse than Bridgeport, IMHO....
I've seen you reference NJ's "ghettos" quite a few times. What's the obsession with you & the Garden State's poorer areas?
What Jay was getting at is that EVERY metropolitan area in the world (EVERY) has poverty. What makes Hartford seem so incredibly poor on paper is the fact that while most other cities in America encompass large areas that include their downtowns, ghettos, and large sections of upper-middle and upper class housing; Hartford proper pretty much only includes downtown Hartford and low-income neighborhoods. This situation would definitely skew the figures on paper and make Hartford seem like a completely poverty stricken city. However the truth is that if you take into account the entire Hartford Metropolitan area you will find that by itself it generates more wealth than 16 entire states.
Thanks for trying to clarify this. I hope they get it. Jay
I grew up in CT in what was referred to as the "ghetto", it was actually public housing and I am caucasian. Okay breathe...I know that's shocking to hear. Actually there were a lot of white people living there as well as blacks, hispanics, and mixed races. I grew up with people of ALL races so to say that "whites" don't like working with "blacks" is a racist statement. I work with a lot of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, etc....and it's no big deal...people, to me, are people regardless of the color of your skin.
You are missing the bigger picture here. Okay now I understand and agree there is a LOT of race issues all over the country (racial profiling for example) and I do NOT agree with that. It disgusts me that people are so ignorant in this day and age but that is another topic. The issue you seem to be missing is not based on race, it is based on MONEY. As for jobs in CT...it's often said it's not WHAT you know but WHO you know. The upper middle class have more connections, more 'WEALTHIER" connections. So instead of someone coming from a poverty environment graduating college and busting their butt for a decent paying job...the kids of the wealthier households already have connections lined up through their family where they can graduate and get a higher paying job. You say that upper middle class makes sure there is a gap between them and the inner city and that most people you know cannot afford to send their kids to private school or buy or fix up their own home. Well count me in! I can barely afford to survive nevermind even THINK of having a child in the situation I'm in. I cant afford my own house, I cant afford a condo, I can BARELY afford an apt in this state. CT is a state of HAVE AND HAVE NOTS.
I agree the upper middle class makes sure there is a gap...but it is a gap between the rich and poor. Hartford has some of the highest property taxes in the state and is one of the most poverty ridden cities in the nation. You would think that, knowing this, the state would do something about that to give people (esp. children) a fighting chance to survive. But CT doesn't. IMO, it's a state that likes to keep it's poor poor and keep the wealthy getting wealthier. Also, most of the "wealthier" people in CT could give two about the poor. So when it would come to raising their property taxes they respond with things like "we worked our butt of to become wealthy" "why should we have to help THEM out", etc etc. Now I agree that some wealthier people did work their butt of and may have had poorer upbringings, however that is few and far between and those are usually the one's who try to help the inner city. However, most people do not understand that when you are poor, living in a "ghetto", with parents (or a parent/grandparent) who can barely survive...you don't learn certain things which put you at a disadvantage. For instance...you don't learn about how to save, how to apply to a college...what you do learn is how to SURVIVE and thats it. Survive to live another day and when your exposed to that lifestyle it's hard to get out. Imaging growing up not knowing if your going to eat that day. Your first thought isnt "I'm going to go to a good college and be a doctor"...your thought is...how am I going to eat??? And yes, when you see older kids rolling in dough from illegal means while the people who are trying to survive by working a min wage job can't eat...which path would YOU choose????
I personally think that CT needs to stop with the "I'm black...your white" attitudes and come together. Specifically the poverty stricken and the "poorer" people need to come together and DEMAND change! Demand that property taxes in poverty stricken neighboorhoods come down, demand that there is affordable housing, demand that children don't go to bed hungry, demand that there are neighboorhood programs for children to learn a better way of life. However, that will never happen if we don't unite...regardless of race.
[SIZE=1]I totally agree with you!! And, I hope I don't come off as a racist, because I’m not. I don't like racist people and don't like people being treated wrong, black, white, yellow, etc... I guess where you say rich and poor, I see black and white. Although there are some rich blacks when you live in the ghetto you see more blacks and Hispanics. When you move to the rich area's you see majority white's. Rich don't change the laws, people do!! I never lived in the projects; but everyone around me did and when I was young my town was mixed, but as soon as more blacks came here for the job opportunities, the whites moved away and so did the business. The very few jobs here was taken by whites living outside of the city! My observation.
My remark about whites don't like working with blacks is not racist, it's an observation. I see white's in blacks working together at the lower level because they don't have a choice. But, if you go higher up in management like to the president and CEO level, where they have a choice who sits around that table daily. I still to this day with have working with 4 large company's I've worked for haven't seen an African American at all. And, as we go down the pole where there is an African American there 9 out of 10 is a women. Again my observation. I know all white people are not prejudice, I have white friends whom I love just as much as my black friends. But, I do see a difference in my everyday world and it urks the hell out of me.
We discuss this at dinner and my white friends agree it's wrong and they see it as well. But, I wish the rest of the world thinks like you, we'll be in a better place .
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[quote=JViello;13928244]This has got to be one of the most racist, bigoted, misguided, assuming posts I've seen in a long time.
Wow...
I wonder what my black neighbor two houses down who is stuck and alienated in "whitey suburb world" would say to this. I wonder if he knows that he is too stupid to make it, and doesn't have a chance and that all his white, well off neighbors are forming a plan to escape the neighborhood.
Nevermind the two latino families down the street. Forget it.
OH MY!! I am not racists at all and sorry that you got that. However I don't understand you. Because the things you mentioned above I spoke nothing about!! I never called anyone stupid in my post, racist is the form of hate and I don't recall me stating I hate anyone. I don't think your neighbor is stuck.. but let's speak to him about his feeling being there. You can’t make an assumption on what he is going through from the outside looking in. Some but not all blacks go through more than what you think, being in a neighborhood surrounded by white's and just because you are not prejudice doesn't mean the neighbor next to you don't say or do mean things. I'm not talking out my behind.. I lived it. I took my kids out what they call an urban city and move to an Caucasian neighborhood for the purpose of a free, but better education. Where the neighbors smiled in my face and then asked my landlord, how could you bring them here. My son was called a the N word numerous times by parents, he was the only black in his classroom and his teacher failed him because he didn't participate in the classroom, where he past every test and did every homework. I had to move because my kids that never had a mean bone in their body's was becoming angry!! So please lets not act like there is no issue's out there!! And don't act like in most neighborhoods they don't plot.
But, that’s not what I was saying to begin with!! I just brought up a few issues I thought was the cause of the separation and for this grown person to ask a child a question that the child was not capable of changing AT HIS AGE, I thought was ignorant. THAT'S ALL!! DON'T ADD TO MY WORDS!!
Intelom...Again You have some great points! I believe it was in the new haven register or one of the local new haven paper such as the advocate. Again it was about 5 years ago so!
...I agree new haven (downtown) is better than it has been in 10-20 years ( my family agrees also) ..but The outer rings and scummy areas have been getting worse because New haven Dose not know how to deal with it. Also the people in this area, love bragging how Ghetto there area is, and how dangerous. Being a substitute teacher in The area, i hear it every day. I asked once" wouldn't it be nice to have a nice area where you can be proud of, and not have to worry about violence" and the kids go, "typical white boy answer, we like the hood" I had no answer for that!
those kids are the ones who either grow up with prison records or end up in college trying to help that same neighborhood. I don't think you can actually rehabilitate those neighborhoods. Those people are there for a reason, no matter how many social programs and school breakfast programs you provide, you only breed more dependence.
I don't know if this is just a fairly isolated thing here, but i'm mulatto and I've never really experience that here in Connecticut. My friends and I occasionally poke fun at the idea (both black and white) but I have yet to meet anybody here in Connecticut who legitimately has a problem with race. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they don't exist, I just don't think they are as common as you just made them sound.
What Jay was getting at is that EVERY metropolitan area in the world (EVERY) has poverty. What makes Hartford seem so incredibly poor on paper is the fact that while most other cities in America encompass large areas that include their downtowns, ghettos, and large sections of upper-middle and upper class housing; Hartford proper pretty much only includes downtown Hartford and low-income neighborhoods. This situation would definitely skew the figures on paper and make Hartford seem like a completely poverty stricken city. However the truth is that if you take into account the entire Hartford Metropolitan area you will find that by itself it generates more wealth than 16 entire states.
See, Hartford has a middle class and an upper class area, they're just small and more near the borders than most other cities. Got to the Southern Part of Hartford before entering Berlin or Wethersfield, you have I believe some nice houses over there, sure it might be a block long, but it's there. Then you have Governor's rowe and the west end, where most Doctors and Lawyers and politicians live at. Then there's the Southwest Part of Hartford where the houses are just as nice, the problem is that everybody focuses on the Ghetto areas. the other areas are places that nothing ever happens in. NOTHING AT ALL, no crime or anything. I can't speak about the Northend having nice middle or upper-class, because there are none, I've been there plenty of times. talking needing an improvement asap.
Don't get me started how people bemoan the good ol' days when NYC was a "real" city and not "Disneyland." Um yeah, remember when Times Square was full of hookers and NYC had the highest murder rate in the country? Man those were the days.
I think is a most simplistic view. People are saying they preferred a place with more character than the gentrified middle American tourist trap Time Square has become. Doesn't mean they liked the hookers or crime it might mean they found it more tolerable than middle aged folks with fanny packs.
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Children are placed in there environment they didn't choose it. And, society keeps placing the blame of poverty, gangs, inner city on the children. Why because the majority are african -american you can assume they can bare that weight. The inner- city was formed and designed for it's purpose - to keep a certain type, kind of people out of your neighbor hood. And if they could change it and move out to "your" better neighborhood they wouldn't be welcomed and eventually that neighborhood would become the new ghetto.. because upper class would move away,value would go down, and education wouldn't be that great again. 
