What constitutes a livable city and does Pittsburgh live up to the hype? (Liberty: home, neighborhood)

[Burgexilereturned]

I am new to this site and I actually don't know what a "troll" is, but some readers of my post (and I thank them for reading) called me a "troll" and then the administrator closed the thread. I'm not sure why and probably I've set myself up for a lot of ridicule by not understanding the forum rules or what a "troll" is. I apologize. I'd appreciate any compassionate guidance on this, not self-serving sarcasm.

I guess my main concern as a returned Pittsburgh exile is how the city frequently is cited for its "livability" but upon my return, I found a lot of major problems.

As I stated previously, I am of an ethnic mix which is now technically considered "white". The problem is that many in my family don't look "white". In the Burgh of my youth, this presented problems for my family and some others who resembled us. For example, once when we moved into a new neighborhood, our door was pelted with rocks and a note featuring the n-word was shoved under it. Not a great memory.

Upon my return, I noticed a lot of hostility and seething resentment when I observed African Americans interacting with whites. I thought that there was good reasonfor this. I think that blacks continue to be oppressed and are ghettoized in the Burgh and I feel that the racist undercurrents that I experienced during my youth are still here. From an African American point of view, how "livable" is Pittsburgh? In fact, when I attended sporting events, I saw very few African Americans in attendance, despite the predominance of black athletes in these sports. In short, I think that Pittsburgh has big racial problems.

I was chastized (I think) for being a "troll" because I criticized the abortion facility downtown on Liberty Avenue. Although many will disagree, I see abortions as a big sign of social decay and a thriving facility smack downtown did not impress me as the sign of a "livable" city. How "livable" is Pittsburgh from the view of an unborn child? Even a child nearly at the point of birth can be and are "terminated" at McGhee[?] Women's Hospital, despite the hospital's touchy-feely advertisements. I know this because my neighbor's daughter faced a real dilemma when the hospital tried to force her to participate in a very late-term abortion done on a Pitt student who was scared that her parents would "cut her off" for becoming pregnant. I am raising a question that is legitimate, not "hating women."

I was sorry to read the poster who was happy that the protesters at the abortion facility were vomited and spat upon. I talked to them and observed them frequently. They told me that they had to remain behind yellow lines and there were cameras watching them. If they stepped beyond these lines, they were arrested. They also told me that they permitted no shouting at people entering Planned Parenthood. One of their supporters, a young college woman would shout, so finally they asked her not to join them. The protesters were mainly elders. One of them raised an interesting point to me. He said that under Pennsylvania law, if I drive a car and hit a pregnant woman, I'm charged with a double homicide. If she dodges the car and enters the abortion facility and has the child "terminated" it's okay. That point was thought-provoking to me. I heard Burghers angrily f-bomb them on the sidewalk as they passed. Spitting and vomiting on white-haired elders for peacefully exercising their constitutional rights and f-bombing them is another sign of social decay, not livability. Again, I'm not "hating"--if that's what a troll is, again I'm not sure.

Another reader called me "Archie Bunker" for criticizing the pomposity of Shadyside. When we were young we used the word "cake-eaters" for what I think today would be called WASPS. When we pronounced "Shadyside", we'd keep our teeth clenched in a patrician tone. That wasn't nice and we were kids picking up our parents' prejudices. But, when I returned to Shadyside, it was still pompous. It wasn't the place of "down-to-earth" Burgh people, but snobs--oh, can I tell you stories! Is that livable?
As I mentioned, Squirrel Hill was more friendly, but still full of cold, self-absorbed people, just like in the rest of the US in general. Again, I failed to observe many "friendly Burgh people". The Cranberry-Gibsonia-Mars area featured affluent, but guarded people. No "Pittsburghese" spoken here, that's for sure.

The places where I DID find friendly, chatty, Burgh people were the mini-Detroits that surround the city. Yes, there were drugs, much gun play, and blight, but people were actually friendly. I thought that I was caught up in a time warp. This basically is where I encountered the "Good Burgh" of my positive memories, but are these areas "livable"?

Regarding the weather--one reader called my description a "screed". That word isn't in my vocabulary. Excuse my ignorance, but the word doesn't sound good. The reader implied that I was not a native Burgh person because of my evidently false description of the weather. I will reiterate. In my youth, I recall many a Memorial Day where we were shivering. In fact, a couple of years ago, I recall that one was sunny, but it didn't get out of the 50s. My buddy, a great Burgh Guy and a Big Guy, as we drove to a family gathering, roared like Tony the Tiger, "This is grrrrrrrreat!" Memorial Day in the 50s great? Later, his uncle uttered the exact same quote! I remember snow on Easter and of course, in May. Are these temperatures livable? I've encountered many a Labor Day that was chilly as well. Indeed, we always used to joke on the 4th of July that "summer is over". Months of winter with cold temperatures and thick clouds, chilly, rainy autumns and springs, along with brief summers--is that "livable"?

One reader accused me of criticizing gays. I honestly don't know where that came from. It seems like the forum has mean-spirited, angry "elites" who are kind of like "thought police" who call people names like "Archie Bunker" or "patriarch" if they disagree with a viewpoint. That's not right. A forum should be a place to debate with civility and respect, not to "ban" or denigrate those with opposing viewpoints.

Indeed, as I write, I recall the older people protesting at the downtown Planned Parenthood. I now recall them telling me that the vomiting and spitting took place during the Gay Pride festivities and they were very frightened of the upcoming celebration, asking the female protesters to stay home during this time. I have no reason to believe that they were lying to me. If their assertions are true, this too is sad. These abusive gays were asking for tolerance and acceptance, but they saw no problem with violating the rights of those with whom they disagree in a democratic society. The protesters saw their role as speaking for society's most rejected and defenseless persons--their view of the unborn. It seems that for this reason, gays should have been in solidarity with this concept. Before the "censors" nail me, I'm expressing an opinion and recounting an experience, not advocating hatred of gays.

Finally, Pittsburgh received high ratings for its "cultural" attractions, but what good are such attractions if they are so expensive and it's hard to scrape together the money to attend them? Here I'm speaking of concerts, shows, plays, etc. downtown in the cultural district. As far as sports, are Steeler games with drunken, cursing fans and expensive Penguin games, as well as hard-to-get-tickets for Pitt men's hoops games features of a "livable" city or "family-friendly" city? Is the South Side, with its young, rowdy, drunks a "positive development"? Are casinos a "family environment"? I'm raising questions, not "hating" or "trolling".

Perhaps the reader who referred to family ties and the COMPARATIVE advantages of Pittsburgh in relation to other urban areas has the answer to my question. Pittsburgh is certainly no utopia, but maybe family ties, loved ones, and RELATIVE "livability" are the attractions.

I appreciate people reading my ideas and of course, through criticism, I learn to refine them. My views are my honest expression. They are not meant to be "hateful." If I inadvertently violated forum rules, I'd appreciate a civil "heads up". That is how I will learn for the future.

Peace to all!

[guy2073]

You left out religion and flag burning.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Why start a new thread (with your second post) to basically reply to the responses from your first one? Seems like this new thread indeed constitutes attention seeking and troll-ish behavior.

[ditchdigger]

I'm not sure why and probably I've set myself up for a lot of ridicule by
not understanding the forum rules or what a "troll" is. I apologize. I'd
appreciate any compassionate guidance on this, not self-serving sarcasm.

Compassionately: Let me google that for you

[Hopes]

Never saw the first thread. Couldn't get past the first few sentences about abortion in this thread. I just can't comprehend how anyone can think that has anything to do with Pittsburgh being any less livable than other cities. There are abortion clinics in every major city in the country. This isn't going to go any better than whatever previous thread was locked.

[Burgexilereturned]

Thanks for your comment. Somehow, my thread was closed. I wasn't sure why. I am new to the site and figured that I would clarify my questions/comments. It seemed like I wasn't very clear the first time.

[Burgexilereturned]

Yes, this is my point. If every major city has them, and if they are an indication of social decay, is Pittsburgh any different than any other major city?

[Burgexilereturned]

This is an example of unproductive, self-serving and rather cryptic sarcasm.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Burgexilereturned

Yes, this is my point. If every major city has them, and if they are an indication of social decay, is Pittsburgh any different than any other major city?

Not by your rare measure.

[Burgexilereturned]

A reader commented that I was trying to get attention for myself. How is posing a question regarding the concept of livability and providing examples doing this? Aren't the nasty, sarcastic replies a way of self-aggrandizing? I think people don't like my questioning of abortion. How dare I do this? I guess that topic is censored and anybody who questions a city's "family atmosphere" (which draws Pittsburgh praise) because of a prominent downtown abortion clinic is a "troller". I had read that when the AIDS epidemic erupted, Pittsburgh had such a low infection rate that experts began to study the reasons for this. I believe, I could be wrong here, that the abortion rate was low as well. Now, again if I'm correct, the Pittsburgh AIDS rate is high and from what I observed at the downtown Planned Parenthood facility, there must have been a brisk abortion business. Are these things signs of social decay and if all urban areas have them, is Pittsburgh really "Some Place Special"? Again, I see these as legitimate concerns, not trolling--which I still don't understand the meaning of. Would somebody please be nice and kindly explain to me without mocking my ignorance. Sorry for my frustration. I think that I must be raising questions that are not appropriate for this site. I apologize.