urbanSTL

steve wrote:A nice start would be to legalize marijuana (at least).

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

aragx6 wrote:Hopefully our younger generation won't get more conservative as we age as well!

You will.

Alex Ihnen wrote:Well, this is just my observation and intuition, but as one gets more money they tend to like to keep more of it and as they have children they seem to worry more about crime and drugs and be less tolerant of both.

Doug wrote:I am not tolerant of crime but aware of white privilege. Minorities are subject to the rule of law, but decades of exploitation benefiting whites came at the expense of minorities. You do realize that denied wealth though discrimination has multi-generational implications? Today racism still exists within housing, employment, and schooling. Are you aware that in 2006 HUD received the largest number of housing discrimination complaints on record? During his 2008 Philly speech, Obama was correct in neglecting to mention modern racism as whites always suggest that no problem exists. During the 1960's a super-majority of whites polled said that African Americans had the same opportunities as anyone else, neglecting to realize they lived in an apartheid state. In essence whites are not a reliable barometer to gauge racial conflict. Perhaps this oblivious state remains as many whites do not have daily, personal contact with people of color? Maybe whites are narcissistic and only want to see cultural representations of themselves ignoring therefore any trend that undermines their positive self-image?

Maybe as a pejorative "urban pioneer" you see yourself as civilizing FPSE, I hope you don't, however think of yourself from the perspective of an African American resident born in that neighborhood 20-30 years ago before it was as "nice" as it is today. Imagine growing up without basic goods and services or imagine being a father at that time losing your job from GM on Natural Bridge. How would you feel and what would you do with ever-decreasing options? Peter Raven was on KWMU today and championed the McRee Town demolitions. He said that if not for MOBOT the slums would have been far worse and people may not have returned investing in surrounding areas. This kind of arrogant vs. them, those people in the "slums" as our enemies, mentality does not reduce crime and only drives wedges through the social fabric of our City. Instead of MOBOT guarding Rome from the Goths, what if whites didn't leave due to 30 years of exclusive access to HUD and VHA loans that expressly prohibited minorities? What if these people, even today, could get repair loans for their homes? What if block grants didn't end up in affluent suburban areas?

Of course you want to protect your home, wife, and kids, but that doesn't mean some unknown African American City resident doesn't want the same thing. Perhaps they do not have the same amount of time to be as engaged as you? Again socioeconomic status determines the ability of people to fight for change. Those who lived in poor areas for a long time might feel some sense of apathy after seeing the area degrade with ineffective responses or blatant disregard from the police and City Hall. So maybe don't expect some people to move with you as maybe they're simply burnt out. Finally, what do you expect some individual person exactly do to when confronted with gangs and drugs -- assume this guy/gal does not know about the CSB, alderman, or even about neighborhood associations? He calls once and the cops come an hour later after the criminal is long gone. Maybe this is because the caller is black or because crime is expected to be expected in the neighborhood. Will he call again? If he cannot afford to leave the City, as so many whites did, since his neighborhood is not desirable then isn't he simply captured in the neighborhood without an equal voice? That could have quite a depressing effect on the person's outlook.

Have you ever been unemployed? I have been for almost a year. If not for UI benefits, my middle class family (and wonderful girlfriend) with resources able to assist me, I might have lost my apartment. Maybe I could end up pointing a gun at you because I need to eat like everyone else? This would be wrong, and I should be punished, but have some empathy. The basic needs and cultural desires of most St. Louisans are similar. We all want personal safety and financial stability. The upper echelons of society tricked middle class Americans into believing they might be lucky enough to advance into their ranks, therefore embrace neoliberalism. They also prodded white America's existing anxiety over minorities by convincing them that minority advancement (or equity) comes at Caucasian expense. Minorities take white jobs when data shows that, with equal experience, the opposite is always true. Yet whites scream reverse racism as if minorities control the means of production which they most certainly do not hold a monopoly over. We need to stop thinking that African Americans are looking for an AFDC check to buy a Cadillac. Many are trying to buy basic household stuff for their kids. If this is jumbled and makes no sense then blame the coffee at Foam. I am sorry for perhaps being somewhat forceful, however I take offense to the notion that the identification of inequity comes with the defense of criminal behavior. That is most certainly untrue. It irks me to no limit when some people move into devastated areas and spout off middle class law and order rhetoric without understanding that these areas reached their depleted state due to chosen divestment and neglect. Decades of, and current, discrimination in jobs, housing, and public/private services explains why things are so bad. If we want to rebuild in an equitable manner then also look at the root causes of crime not simply jailing offenders, viewing the community with antagonism or suspicion, and critics of the current reality as guilty white people giving criminals exceptions to the law.

leeharveyawesome wrote:Politics (usually of the liberal sort) accidentally screwed the black man out of his manhood. That's what happened, pal.

Instead of MOBOT guarding Rome from the Goths, what if whites didn't leave due to 30 years of exclusive access to HUD and VHA loans that expressly prohibited minorities?