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...And here's what Berlin looked like after the war:
What's your point?
Posting images like that without any historical context is basically propaganda 101.
You seem overly invested in the changes taking place that don't benefit a large portion of Native Washingtonians equally.
Historical context? You want to know why it looks that way? Well we can start by the Martin Luther King Riots in the 1960s. My own people burned the stores in their own neighborhood because many of them were white owned, yet, it was our neighborhood we were destroying. Those businesses never came back and the few that remained closed up soon after. Then crack hit the streets bringing a wave of crew and drug turf violence such this country has never seen with DC being the murder Capitol for a decade. I don't know when you moved to DC or what neighborhood you grew up in if you are from here, but this city looks a whole lot better than it did when I was growing up. I can walk down the street and not have to worry about stray gun fire. I can get food that isn't from a carry out.
Do I miss something's about the old DC? Sure. Going to the "show" in the city (GoGo) for those not from DC and partying at places like the Black Hole, Ice Box, etc. etc. Supporting the local clothing entrepreneurs like Madness, City Life, WR1, HOBO, Shooters etc. etc. The real culture of DC is fading away as new residents move in and crack houses are redeveloped, but the alternative is not good for DC. People are burying less people every year. It's becoming a much safer place to live. With investment comes higher prices. That is urban economics 101. Better than getting shot.
Last edited by MDAllstar; 07-25-2013 at 07:29 AM..
In order to prevent people from getting shot (which mostly happens in EOTR SE) we need to implement stricter law enforcement measures to rein in on the hoodrats/criminal elements and ensure safety to the peaceful folks.
Not thrust revitalization in their faces by way of ‘shock and awe’ – it will not go down well in the SE, I can guarantee you that.
In order to prevent people from getting shot (which mostly happens in EOTR SE) we need to implement stricter law enforcement measures to rein in on the hoodrats/criminal elements and ensure safety to the peaceful folks.
Not thrust revitalization in their faces by way of ‘shock and awe’ – it will not go down well in the SE, I can guarantee you that.
You must not have grown up in D.C. based on this notion:
"we need to implement stricter law enforcement measures to rein in on the hoodrats/criminal elements and ensure safety to the peaceful folks"
There is no such thing as this working in the hood. People commit crimes because they came up in an environment that accepts it. Trust me, I know most people who have never lived or been around people in that environment think police or jobs is the answer but it's not and will not work. The only way it will work is to disperse people living in the hood. If you have 1,000 lower income families. I guarantee you separating them across 50 miles will lead to WAY less crime than keeping them together and providing jobs with more police patrols. The police are in on the crime half the time to begin with.
You are trying to put a band-aid on a gunshot wound. The problem is not jobs, it's not education, it's mentality from growing up that way. The answer is education and jobs, but not for the adults that are set in their ways, the children are the only ones who will benefit from this. How? By living in a mixed income community with low community poverty and low violence. Those children will have a much better chance at leading a successful life by seeing others in their community do well than people living in a community with all low income families stuck in poverty.
Also, this statement:
prevent people from getting shot (which mostly happens in EOTR SE)
This was not always true even 10 years ago. Before the same redevelopment you are seeing happen in Anacostia happened in the D.C. core, people were getting shot and killed all across D.C. It's so funny people showing up here in the last 13 years thinking this is what D.C. always looked like. LOL....you guys have no idea.
The alternatives are schools that train people for appropriately salaried jobs (no just getting a "gubment" job is not what I mean).
You do not have to tell me what DC "used" to look like, as I said before I am a native Washingtonian. However, it bothers me when people are seeing prosperity spring up all around them and they can't take advantage of it.
From the looks of this conversation, I'm sure that people like you and I will be fine. What about the other people. Errbody can't move to Southeast or the new "ward 9". It deeply saddens me the few times I come back home and I see kids milling about who will never get to live in the quickly gentrifying neighborhoods their parents grew up in.
Please keep in mind this is not about the changing demographics of the city; I'm a big fan of diversity. What I am saying is with crappy schools who churn out unskilled works, who the bloody hell will be able to afford to live in DC?
It's a crying shame and I get heated when people who don't know jack sh*t about dc start mouthing off about how bad things were when they don't know that there was (is) alot of good in DC as well.
the children are the only ones who will benefit from this. How? By living in a mixed income community with low community poverty and low violence. Those children will have a much better chance at leading a successful life by seeing others in their community do well than people living in a community with all low income families stuck in poverty.
actually I do agree with this. I also believe the DC gov't needs to do a better job at private sector relationship building. Let all these companies building real estate for instance set aside some internships for talented local students.
People need to lean how to be producers not consumers. That's another part of my frustration (alas, another day).
If people are going to get rich in DC (ex. investors), they need to ENRICH DC. You think you could drop in Shanghai or Rio and just suck out the wealth and not let locals participate?
How about some economic patriotism? And I'm talking about talented locals not cronies...
You mean the tyranny of gang violence, drug trafficking, prostitution, broken families and poor education that chokes entire neighborhoods? Nah, that's already east of the river.
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