Baby Shot on South Side (Chicago: low income, crime rate, house)

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by Wild100s

I have relatives who live in Englewood right now. They haven't killed or been killed. Heck, none of them have been arrested or engaged in any illegal activity at all. I have a cousin, 17, who has darn near at the top of her class in terms of academics. Not pregnant either. In fact, she's never even had a boyfriend. Raised by a single mom, too. All of her friends --male and female -- are good kids. Never been in trouble with the law and do quite well in school as well.

There are lots of people who live in Englewood and other down trodden neighborhoods who are anything but what is portrayed in the press and on forums like this.

Exceptions. Not the rule. Generally the rule is you are either a victim or you are a criminal. Many times both. Not everybody but most people because it is the ingrained culture in Englewood and places like that. Englewood is not much different than prison is. Very hard to stay above board when you are being pushed and pulled in so many ways.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

If i were poor too I'd leave a bad neighborhood and go live in a better neighborhood out in the far suburbs or even leave the state. Especially if i were like not working and had nothing to keep me here. I guess some people might stay because of family or because they are not brave, but I'd at least try.. There are places in Illinois even where you can live cheaper and safer than chicago. Heck you can even rent a mobile home and some of them are nice, and they are not very expensive, maybe $500 a month rent. I'd go out and live by a lake, or Kane County or by Springfield or something.. Heck, I've been to Hannibal, MO for a vacation and the cost of living is low, there are poor people there, and there is crime, but nothing like chicago in a place like Englewood.. of course people get shot everywhere, but I think if you live in a bad place, you can find something better.

I would live in a car before I would have my kids in Englewood

[Warsie]

Yeah I know people who live in Englewood and they aren't gang-bangers....

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by urza216

In other words, approximately 99 percent of adults who were raised in Englewood are either dead, in prison or out of prison. I think this can be shown to be statistically false - and very much so.

It's not that these things don't happen or even that they aren't common. However, the attitude you're displaying about entire neighborhoods is what we're finding objectionable.

I would not say that but I would be willing to bet that over 50% of the residents there fall into at least one of these categories:

1. Have a felony record
2. Have a drug/alcohol/gambling problem
3. Did not finish high school
4. Belong to the Disciples or El Rukns
5. Have been shot or had a family member shot
6. Have been hospitalized due to criminal acts

[C. Maurio]

Does anybody here think the Daleys would have lived in Englewood? No, they wouldn't. And they have 24 hour police details.

[chitownperson]

Originally Posted by lenniel

I don't think there's a lack of outrage, but there's certainly a lack of suprise. Obviously a baby getting gunned down is tragic, but when you read her dad's arrest record/gang affiliation and you hear that her mom (who I'm sure has a lengthy arrest record as well) was shot while 8 months pregnant (and probably affiliated with a gang), it's hard to sympathize with these people for not changing their ways knowing they'd be putting the child in danger.

Also, the fact that no one, including the shooting victims themselves, are willing to talk to police just makes is another "tough day on the southside" story.

Really? because the national media and vocal public sure aren't making nearly as much of a deal out of this in comparison to when kids were shot in a rich white area. That is a lack of outrage. When kids in a rich white area were shot, you have people all over the country crying on their way to work, thinking about these innocent kids. You had it on every network news show in the nation for hours upon hours, days upon days. So in comparison, there is a huge lack of outrage, and it gives the impression that a lot of people feel that its going to happen to a poor black baby anyway, and it doesn't affect our privilaged affluent world, so why should we care?

Yes, there parents are irresponsible, and they put their baby in harms way, but that's not the baby's fault, and that baby is every bit as innocent and deserving of public outrage as all those kids in rich white areas.

I agree that it comes at no surprise, I never said otherwise, but we are talking about how a nation cares less about poor minorities being slaughtered in comparison to their rich white counterparts.

[Runuova]

Originally Posted by C. Maurio

Exceptions. Not the rule. Generally the rule is you are either a victim or you are a criminal. Many times both. Not everybody but most people because it is the ingrained culture in Englewood and places like that. Englewood is not much different than prison is. Very hard to stay above board when you are being pushed and pulled in so many ways.

I live in West Englewood right now and personally challenge all that you say! I hate when people don't live in an area and generalize from an outside perspective.

[nana053]

The baby who was shot had a father who was involved in gangs and who was the target of the shooting. Where he lived doesn't matter as much as the fact that the dad was a gang-banger with an extensive criminal record.

At least it looks like the father and mother are talking to the police.

6-month-old fatally shot | WGN-TV

Sources tell WGN that police have identified who they’re looking for in the murder of Baby Jonylah.

Pleas for the Woodlawn community to break a street code of silence have apparently worked with tips pouring in to police all week.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by C. Maurio

I would not say that but I would be willing to bet that over 50% of the residents there fall into at least one of these categories:

1. Have a felony record
2. Have a drug/alcohol/gambling problem
3. Did not finish high school
4. Belong to the Disciples or El Rukns
5. Have been shot or had a family member shot
6. Have been hospitalized due to criminal acts

And this makes them an indecent person?

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by chitownperson

Really? because the national media and vocal public sure aren't making nearly as much of a deal out of this in comparison to when kids were shot in a rich white area. That is a lack of outrage. When kids in a rich white area were shot, you have people all over the country crying on their way to work, thinking about these innocent kids. You had it on every network news show in the nation for hours upon hours, days upon days. So in comparison, there is a huge lack of outrage, and it gives the impression that a lot of people feel that its going to happen to a poor black baby anyway, and it doesn't affect our privilaged affluent world, so why should we care?

Yes, there parents are irresponsible, and they put their baby in harms way, but that's not the baby's fault, and that baby is every bit as innocent and deserving of public outrage as all those kids in rich white areas.

I agree that it comes at no surprise, I never said otherwise, but we are talking about how a nation cares less about poor minorities being slaughtered in comparison to their rich white counterparts.

The reason that this wasn't as big a national story as it should have been is people are desensitized to violence on the southside of Chicago. It's so common that even when a baby gets caught in the cross fire, sure, people are upset about it, but that goes away pretty quickly because it's only a matter of days or weeks until another child gets killed. That's just reality. Why were the Obamas all up in arms about that Pendleton girl and not making a peep about this baby?

And, if this had happened in a white neighborhood, there would have been a national uproar because usually, those things don't happen in a white neighborhood.

It's not that people care less because it was in a poor black neighborhood, it's that people are like "well, what do you expect when you deal drugs, are involved with gangs, etc"
Unfortunately, the chances of this baby growing up and becoming something better than her parents were slim. It's tragic that she won't get the chance but she certainly was going to have really bad role models.