Baby Shot on South Side (Chicago, Arlington Heights: homes, unemployed, safest area)

[urza216]

It only takes a small minority of those living in a neighorhood to turn it into a living hell. C Maurio is naive for not acknowledging this. The only way he can imagine a neighborhood being that bad is if almost everyone in it was behaving a certain way.

[ChicagoMeO]

Not to be off topic, but do you think the obama's are using the teenager shot (mother named Cleo).... they are being invited to the White House for the easter egg hunt, and the parents seem to be the poster child for no guns.. but i hope they are not being exploited by the White House. I am sorry I cant remember names...

[chitownperson]

Originally Posted by lenniel

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.

What you're describing is that people are not surprised at the fact the baby was killed. That's a whole different thing from caring. People don't care enough about poor black people, kids and babies getting shot up because it doesn't affect their affluent quality of life. Saying "we'll their probably going to get shot anyway cause there are gangbangers close by" is just a way to justify the fact that they just don't care enough. Another example is the fact that you don't have huge portions of the nation pushing for gun control when poor minorities get shot, but when rich white kids get shot, you have the nation banding together to try and change the world... What, people are fine with not caring enough to have the same amount of out rage when minority kids and babies are getting massacred, just because they are not surprised? Disgusting!

Yes, poor black people getting shot up is reality. Another reality is that rich white people don't give **** until rich white kids start getting shot up.

So what if the babies parents were bad role models? Thats horrible for the baby, but it doesn't in anyway lessen the murder of this baby. We have no idea what the future of this baby was going to be if the baby survived. Some rich white kid could come from a rich white family and end up becoming a serial rapist. Who is anyone to lessen someone's future just because they are poor and black?

[TBideon]

race race race race race race race race race race race race race race race

All that stuff you wrote is such crap. Instead of focusing your rage at the gangbangers who shot the kid, or the kid's parents (especially the father) who seem to have gang ties and share some of the responsibility of her death, or the overall culture of these low income neighborhoods, you angrily blame the "white community" (whatever that is) for not caring. Who the hell is fine with minority kids and babies getting massacred? It's a shocking story, and everyone I know, regardless of their race, is heartbroken over it.

Your agenda is so goddamn obvious here.

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by chitownperson

What you're describing is that people are not surprised at the fact the baby was killed. That's a whole different thing from caring. People don't care enough about poor black people, kids and babies getting shot up because it doesn't affect their affluent quality of life. Saying "we'll their probably going to get shot anyway cause there are gangbangers close by" is just a way to justify the fact that they just don't care enough. Another example is the fact that you don't have huge portions of the nation pushing for gun control when poor minorities get shot, but when rich white kids get shot, you have the nation banding together to try and change the world... What, people are fine with not caring enough to have the same amount of out rage when minority kids and babies are getting massacred, just because they are not surprised? Disgusting!

Yes, poor black people getting shot up is reality. Another reality is that rich white people don't give **** until rich white kids start getting shot up.

So what if the babies parents were bad role models? Thats horrible for the baby, but it doesn't in anyway lessen the murder of this baby. We have no idea what the future of this baby was going to be if the baby survived. Some rich white kid could come from a rich white family and end up becoming a serial rapist. Who is anyone to lessen someone's future just because they are poor and black?

It's not that white people don't care, it's that (at least in my circles), white people want the black community to help themselves and get themselves out of this mess. No amount of white rage or white people marching through a southside hood is going to change the fact that the black community has problems it has to deal with itself.
IMHO, it all starts with the culture in the black community saying that it's OK to have babies if you're an unmarried, uneducated, unemployed teen because grandma, great-grandma, auntie, the government etc will help take care of them. Blame goes to the guys to because they want to get some booty, but they won't use birth control and if a girl does get prego, they take no responsibility.
This is the beginning of a cycle of children growing up in fatherless homes with no positive male black role models and that usually leads to bad behavior.
I'd be willing to bet that if you polled all the black inmates in Cook Cnty jail, that a vast majority, 80+%, come from single parent (mom) homes, in which the mother had children as a teen, had multiple kids from multiple men, she didn't finish high school, etc.
I imagine some people are upset at what I'm writing, but it's just my opinion and what I see having worked in those communities.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by lenniel

It's not that white people don't care, it's that (at least in my circles), white people want the black community to help themselves and get themselves out of this mess. No amount of white rage or white people marching through a southside hood is going to change the fact that the black community has problems it has to deal with itself.
IMHO, it all starts with the culture in the black community saying that it's OK to have babies if you're an unmarried, uneducated, unemployed teen because grandma, great-grandma, auntie, the government etc will help take care of them. Blame goes to the guys to because they want to get some booty, but they won't use birth control and if a girl does get prego, they take no responsibility.
This is the beginning of a cycle of children growing up in fatherless homes with no positive male black role models and that usually leads to bad behavior.
I'd be willing to bet that if you polled all the black inmates in Cook Cnty jail, that a vast majority, 80+%, come from single parent (mom) homes, in which the mother had children as a teen, had multiple kids from multiple men, she didn't finish high school, etc.
I imagine some people are upset at what I'm writing, but it's just my opinion and what I see having worked in those communities.

So, only Black people can fix "Black" problems, and consequently only White people can solve "White" problems? So white people are responsible for fixing the meth problems in the rural communities across this country. White people are responsible for solving the problems of illiteracy and extreme poverty in Appalachia? Only Natives can solve the poverty and alcoholism on reservations?

None of these are America's problem - each group is on their own, huh?

[jwuk45]

The violent crime rate in Chicago actually isn't that high. 10.3 per 1000 residents which is about the same as London. London has a much lower murder rate (due in part to people not having guns like they do in the US), 1.5 (actually 1.1 in 2012 but that was less than usual) compared to 16 for Chicago, although if you're not involved in gang activity/don't live in a bad area the rate is only about 4, and if you're a white person the rate is under 1, so lower than London.

In general, violence/murder is spread out pretty evenly among all demographics (age, sex, race, etc. aren't that important) in England, in America it's horribly skewed against poor black and Hispanic people. However, I'm from a town which is about 90% white, 2% black, and it has just as much crime and violence as anywhere. It's the same root cause though: poverty, imbalance of wealth and just a general lack of work put in to help vulnerable members of society.

[jayhopethismeeturstandard]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

So, only Black people can fix "Black" problems, and consequently only White people can solve "White" problems? So white people are responsible for fixing the meth problems in the rural communities across this country. White people are responsible for solving the problems of illiteracy and extreme poverty in Appalachia? Only Natives can solve the poverty and alcoholism on reservations?

None of these are America's problem - each group is on their own, huh?

That's how it goes on the land, every man for himself...

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

These people are 'zombies'. They are spiritually dead men walking. Only the very bottom of the barrel would open fire on a man changing his child's diapers and not care.

Demons in my mind

[cjwhite75]

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.

This is very sad regardless of the parents' gang affiliation. I am extremely sad and sorry for the baby that was gunned down. That is what I am dealing with. An innocent baby was killed violently is alarmingly disturbing.

[Barretttech]

Originally Posted by ChiGuy2.5

Of course, gang related. Perhaps I am disconnected from reality, but why in the world do these people mess around with gangs? Drugs? Money? Why do they not see there is no "value" in gangs anymore?

I agree there is no future in that life but the Bar or death.