Why is Fort Myers such a ghetto?

[Samiamnh]

Originally Posted by justNancy

Instead of "why is Fort Myers such a ghetto?" maybe the topic should be "why are there so many racists living in SWFL?"

So sick of people who play the race card .....it's getting so old and nobody pays attention any more.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by Samiamnh

So sick of people who play the race card .....it's getting so old and nobody pays attention any more.

I'm the one "playing the race card?" I am 100% Caucasian. The OP specifically mentions "gold toothed ebonics people with dreadlocks walking around" which was what I responded to, but you obviously don't think there was anything racist about that remark. If a person wants to say "the crime rate is bad in Fort Myers" and discuss the quality of the people, law enforcement, neighborhoods, etc., that's fine with me. I just don't see why the first thing mentioned was the "ebonics people."

By the way, although there are definitely a lot of bad areas, there are also many beautiful communities in Fort Myers. Just like most other cities, it has its problems. I think it's a riot when someone calls Fort Myers a ghetto. Is it my favorite city? No, but I'd sure like to live in the "ghetto" of Palmetto Point! I think there's currently a $14 million home for sale. Must be such a slum. Oh, and don't forget about the ghetto of Gulf Harbour. It's really heartbreaking that impoverished people have to settle for $6 million homes. The people who have to live in those $3 million houses must really be thugs!

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by rikoshaprl

Even in Fort Myers, if you are not buying drugs or illegal guns there is very little chance of being murdered. Then if you stay out of the ghetto your chances are reduced even further. Every city (except maybe Cape Coral) has places that are high crime and should be avoided.

I agree. I'm not saying good people don't get murdered. Obviously we know just by watching the news that many innocent bystanders, including children, are killed my maniacs.

However, there were 24 homicides in Fort Myers last year and, according to Chief Baker, nearly all of them were tied to the drug or gun trade. He also said that the reason there have been few arrests is that people are terrified of coming forward with information.

[Samiamnh]

Originally Posted by justNancy

I'm the one "playing the race card?" I am 100% Caucasian. The OP specifically mentions "gold toothed ebonics people with dreadlocks walking around" which was what I responded to, but you obviously don't think there was anything racist about that remark. If a person wants to say "the crime rate is bad in Fort Myers" and discuss the quality of the people, law enforcement, neighborhoods, etc., that's fine with me. I just don't see why the first thing mentioned was the "ebonics people."

By the way, although there are definitely a lot of bad areas, there are also many beautiful communities in Fort Myers. Just like most other cities, it has its problems. I think it's a riot when someone calls Fort Myers a ghetto. Is it my favorite city? No, but I'd sure like to live in the "ghetto" of Palmetto Point! I think there's currently a $14 million home for sale. Must be such a slum. Oh, and don't forget about the ghetto of Gulf Harbour. It's really heartbreaking that impoverished people have to settle for $6 million homes. The people who have to live in those $3 million houses must really be thugs!

You don't have to be black to play the race card."Gold toothed ebonics people with dreadlocks" may sound offensive to you but it is what it is.If you were walking in a dark area and a couple of black kids with hoodies and baggie pants were following you,would that make you nervous? And would that make YOU a racist ?
Ft Myers is 31% black while Cape Coral is only 3.7% black.The crime statistics are quite different....but I'm SURE it has nothing to do with the racial ballance.Just sayin'.
When I served in the Air Force,I had friends of all races and we talked frankly about the issue as guys will while hanging out at the beer garden.One of my black friends said something very profound one time.We were looking around the room and noticed that all the white guys were sitting together,as were the blacks and Hispanics and someone cracked a joke about it.
He said "It's not that we don't like y'all,but ,things that are cool with us are not cool with you."
Made me reailze that people just like to hang out with others that share their own culture and experience....doesn't make us all racists.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

It said unincorporated Lee County, so not Lee County, no. I take that to mean Estero, Lehigh...Not that there are a lot of murders in Estero.

I suspect I could Google and found out specifically more info but I'm at work and don't have the time.

Most murders take place amongst the drug and criminal faction. However, there are a lot of home invasions, robberies at shopping parking lots. Those are what should worry the average, law-abiding person.

I agree. Most murders are drug or gang related. It's true, as you wrote, that sometimes criminals will leave their turf and travel to an otherwise safe neighborhood where home entry is vulnerable. I have a friend whose husband was shot many years ago while stopping by a convenient store. (not in Fort Myers)

A gated community isn't completely protected from crime either, but at least if there's a security guard at the gate checking ID and car registration, it's a good deterrent. Gated entries without guards are pretty useless IMHO. I worked in Fort Myers for many years and felt safe, but I also knew better than to walk around late at night. I'm not sure I'd want to be left alone in a store now, however.

Still, even when I worked in a nice section of North Naples, my manager would not allow me to walk to my car alone after dark. I always told him he was being silly, but he said people shouldn't invite trouble wherever they live or work and someone could have been watching me. (The parking area was behind the shops.)

[prairie360]

Originally Posted by justNancy

I think it's a riot when someone calls Fort Myers a ghetto. Is it my favorite city? No, but I'd sure like to live in the "ghetto" of Palmetto Point! I think there's currently a $14 million home for sale. Must be such a slum. Oh, and don't forget about the ghetto of Gulf Harbour. It's really heartbreaking that impoverished people have to settle for $6 million homes. The people who have to live in those $3 million houses must really be thugs!

Or that ghetto around Miromar Lakes, The Plantation, The Renaissance, Pelican Preserve...