January 4, 2011, gunfire rang out near the 4500 block of North Magnolia Avenue around 12:18 p.m.
Once the shooting stopped near the intersection of North Magnolia and West Wilson Avenues, a 23-year-old man was dead and a woman was shot in the hand.
Several witnesses said the shooting started near the Subway sandwich shop at 4556 North Magnolia Avenue. The driver of the van, who was killed, drove the van southbound on Magnolia Avenue before succumbing to his injuries.
 |
| Photo: Google Maps. |
Most of you may already know this, but I used to be a longtime resident of Uptown. I moved to the area in 1993 and fell in love with its diverse community - rich with culture. But, despite efforts to gentrify Uptown and the presence of a brand new Target store, the neighborhood has taken a drastic turn for the worse.
So, what happened? What happened to the neighborhood I once loved so dearly?
I'll give you three hints: Daley, Schiller, and Section-8.
Mayor Daley's boneheaded decision to demolished the projects, also known as CHA housing, has spread an incurable and deadly cancer throughout the city. The same lowlife undesirables who held the residents hostage at housing projects like Cabrini-Green and the Robert Taylor Homes, are now preying on unsuspecting citizens in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, Edgewater, and Rogers Park.
Thanks to poorly managed and criminally wasteful programs like Section 8 - lazy, violent, unproductive, undomesticated monsters have been allowed to move into neighborhoods like Uptown and infect the community with their social ills.
Adding insult to injury, Alderman Schiller sat on the sidelines snacking on Raisinets (or whatever useless aldermen munch on), conveniently looking the other way while derelicts and deviants defaced Uptown with gang graffiti, robbed her constituents blind, and literally terrorized an entire community.
In 2010, there were four gun related homicides in Uptown - driving the murder rate up 400%. I wonder how many people will die in the community I once called home, because of someone else's apathy and poor judgment.
I agree with your points but not with some of the facts. Violence and section-8 riff raff have existed before the projects were torn down. It has increased these issues but not created them on the northside. Ive lived in Evanston(howard st) for 30+ years and none of your reports on northside violence, unfortunatley, do not suprise me. The reality is that the biggest surge in violence from the project demolition occured in 2003 when chicago was the murder capital.
ReplyDeleteYou're right: "Violence and section-8 riff raff have existed before the projects were torn down." But now the numbers are through the roof and a lot of neighborhoods are suffering because of it.
ReplyDeleteI failed to mention south side neighborhoods like Chatham and South Shore, that have also been destroyed by section 8.
THIS POST IS RACIST MAYBE IF WHITE PPL GAVE BLACKS A CHANCE AT JOBS THERE WOULDN'T BE SO MUCH CRIME ON THE STREETS. THEN PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE TO ROB AND STEAL TO SURVIVE!
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous January 5, 2011 3:49 AM,
ReplyDeleteHere's some more "racism" for you:
Do a Google search on "Chicago Reader" = "Senator Jones Weighs In".
When the article is retrieved, read "poor baby" 's comments.
PS Most the robbers and murderers aren't committing crimes to survive. Instead, they are committing crimes via free will. :(
Instead of relying on Whites, get some Blacks together and start your own company. :)
RE: Anonymous at 3:49am
ReplyDeleteI do not recall in my reading of this post the author mentioning anything about the race of the people living in any of these communities. If you have surmised in your reading of the words in the article that "lazy, violent, unproductive, undomesticated monsters" somehow refer to a particular race or creed that is more of a reflection of your own prejudiced thinking.
Anonymous 3:49;
ReplyDeleteOMG! Are you kidding me? There was NOTHING in that article that screamed racism. YOU'RE the one who cried racism, which doesn't surprise me. Let's talk about jobs, shall we? There are about 12,000 people who work for the CTA, about 80% of them are BLACK. The CPS is run by many many(thousands) blacks, The USPS has many many (thousands) of black employees, The Cook County Board and all it's departments, is run by many many(thousands) blacks.The cook county jail is run by many many(thousands) of blacks. The city of Chicago has many many (thousands) blacks working for it. JOBS? That's you excuse for robbing, mugging. stealing, shooting and killing innocent people? Are you fricking kidding me? You screaming that "if white ppl would give blacks a chance at jobs" is just another EXCUSE! See, that's the problem, when the statistics are pointed out, when someone calls it as it is, when whites get tired of their neighborhoods being infested with GHETTO thug criminals and speak up, you cry "RACISM". The difference between blacks & whites is that whites speak up, whites won't tolerate the criminals taking over our neighborhoods and we expect action. Had the tenants who lived in the CHA buildings done the same thing, had they been "proactive" in their communities and not looked the other way, had they not allowed those GHETTO thugs to instill fear in them, maybe, just maybe, things might have been different in the CHA housing. But hey, when everything is given to you for free, why bother to work? when you can get food, cheap or free housing, medical & dental and maybe some cash FREE every month, why bother to work? If the CHA managed their buildings properly and did better back ground checks, and didn't allow 10 people in a 3 bedroom who weren't even qualified to be there, if they and the TENANTS kept the buildings up, if the Black leaders wouldn't have cried segregation and if the politicians had not bent to those cries of segregation, than perhaps they wouldn't have been torn down and we wouldn't be having this discussion. Sadly, that's not the case and now we have to deal with that old adage "wherever you go, there you are". We're the ones who have to deal with the Ghetto thugs who have no respect or morals. We're the ones who have to look over our shoulders and we're the ones who are fearful to even go out in our neighborhoods. Trust me when I say that PISSES me off!
You're children are trampling all over the civil rights movement and as a "boomer", I've seen the greatness of those leaders and the great things that movement did. Now, it's like a joke to these GHETTO thugs. I call it as I see it and our neighborhoods are suffering because people like you make EXCUSES. to be continued...
...continued...
ReplyDeleteBecause you don't actively participate in society or with you children. You simply cry "racism" to get what you want and expect us whites to keep our mouths shut. Well, that aint happening with me and you can call me what you want. I see GHETTO thugs robbing, stealing mugging, shooting and killing people, what do you expect me to say? I'm sick to tears of the "racism" word being thrown out ALL the time. Get over yourselves and become participating members of society. Get your children in order and teach them manners, respect and love. Stop expecting society to "give it to you". Get an education and EARN your way. Teach your children that. I, for one am sick of it. I'm sick of looking over my shoulder, I'm sick of having my hand in my pocket ready to use my pepper spray, I'm sick of wanting to get home after an event because the GHETTO thugs are out there on the hunt and I don't want to become a victim, which, by the way, some of my friends have become. GHETTO THUGS are changing the dynamics of neighborhoods and it's not for the better. I don't consider that racism, I consider it calling it as I see it. Don't like it? I don't care. I'm So PISSED off at what is happening to my city it's pathetic. I participate..DO YOU??? "Chances" indeed. I'd say you have had decades of chances and here we are in the 21st century living in fear because of GHETTO THUGS! NICE!
Rudy,
I read that article and that comment by "poor baby"..spot on for sure!
Rudy,
ReplyDeleteYou should copy that comment by "poor baby" and post it here. It is sooo on the money! Thanks for referring that article and comment;)
Also look into what effect pulling funding for programs like cease fire had on violence.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right on with this article Timothy. Way to call it!
ReplyDelete@Towanda...I just want you to know I am not disagreeing with one thing you have said and I am black. For the record, I prefer NOT to be called AFRICAN-AMERICAN, because there are those that are TRULY from Africa. I can trace my roots back FIVE generations and no one in my family from those 5 generations are from Africa. That is why I do prefer to be called BLACK, which to me means "without color" and I am proud of it. Yes, I am mixed with all three races (black, white, latino) but there is no "self-hatred" as you say, just a preference as I too agree with "society" and believe in the "one drop rule." But, I digress....this is not the point.
ReplyDeleteThe point is: I have seen your comments and you consistently ask what is wrong with the ENTIRE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RACE. I have to ask you to please NOT generalize ALL OF US. I do not think all white people can't dance or that you are all potential serial killers or your kids are "Columbine Killer Kids." Unfortunately, some things really are "man-made" whether the races like or agree about them or not. And everything is not what it SEEMS unless you live in OUR world. A few points you made really need to be "explained," for lack of a better word. They are:
- "The difference between blacks & whites is that whites speak up, whites won't tolerate the criminals taking over our neighborhoods and we expect action."
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. My mothers lives in Uptown and I KNOW that if it wasn't for the white people calling the police, her neighborhood would MOST DEFINITELY be another Englewood (Though they are quite close to it..*sigh*) So, I THANK GOD FOR THE WHITE PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE DAY. HOWEVER, one important factor you need to realize. These "ghetto thugs" are less likely IF EVER to retaliate or come after you. Unfortunately, society or who damn ever has given a "white life" more value than a "black life." Killing you would get their thug asses put damn near under the jail or the death penalty reinstated and the cops would shut the world down trying to find out who did it. Killing us would be "another black on black crime." So PLEASE understand, it is not that we do not WANT to call the police. It is that the thugs KNOW US and would not hesitate one second to hurt us or our family or worse. I have literally witnessed my elderly aunt calling the police in her neighborhood and when the dumb ass cops came looking for the criminals, they shined the damn squad light on her house and knocked on her frigging door!!! The next day, her car had all the air let out of her tires. All of us was scared out of our mind for days. Thankfully, nothing more ever came of it. Now, whenever we need to call the police, we have one of our relatives do it from a pay phone out of town. NO JOKE!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Towanda...
ReplyDeleteI just want you to know I am not disagreeing with one thing you have said and I am black. For the record, I prefer NOT to be called AFRICAN-AMERICAN, because there are those that are TRULY from Africa. I can trace my roots back FIVE generations and no one in my family from those 5 generations are from Africa. That is why I do prefer to be called BLACK, which to me means "without color" and I am proud of it. Yes, I am mixed with all three races (black, white, latino) but there is no "self-hatred" as you say, just a preference as I too agree with "society" and believe in the "one drop rule." But, I digress....this is not the point.
The point is: I have seen your comments and you consistently ask what is wrong with the ENTIRE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RACE. I have to ask you to please NOT generalize ALL OF US. I do not think "all white people can't dance" or that you are all potential serial killers or your kids are "Columbine Killer Kids." Unfortunately, some things really are "man-made" whether the races like or agree about them or not. And everything is not what it SEEMS unless you live in OUR world. A few points you made really need to be "explained," for lack of a better word. They are:
- "The difference between blacks & whites is that whites speak up, whites won't tolerate the criminals taking over our neighborhoods and we expect action.".....
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. My mothers lives in Uptown and I KNOW that if it wasn't for the white people calling the police, her neighborhood would MOST DEFINITELY be another Englewood (Though they are quite close to it..*sigh*) So, I THANK GOD FOR THE WHITE PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE DAY. HOWEVER, one important factor you need to realize. These "ghetto thugs" are less likely IF EVER to retaliate or come after you. Unfortunately, society or who damn ever has given a "white life" more value than a "black life." Killing you would get their thug asses put damn near under the jail and the death penalty reinstated and the cops would shut the world down trying to find out who did it. Killing us would be "another black on black crime." So PLEASE understand, it is not that we do not WANT to call the police. It is that the thugs KNOW US and would not hesitate one second to hurt us or our family or worse. I have literally witnessed my elderly aunt calling the police in her neighborhood and the dumb ass cops came looking for the criminals, shined the damn squad light on her house and knocked on her frigging door!!! The next day, her car had all the air let out of her tires. All of us was scared out of our mind for days. Thankfully, nothing more ever came of it. Now, whenever we need to call the police, we have one of our relatives do it from a pay phone out of town. NO JOKE!
continued......
ReplyDeleteI will also say that mess with Cabrini Green and them other damn projects is just REE-GOT-DARN-DICULOUS!! I agree with you on that too. They should have been threw their asses outta there. I did not shed one tear when they tore that sin haven down. But, please understand that did not happen overnight. I have girlfriends that have grown up in the projects and they became magnificent contributors to society. Their parents took it as ASSISTANCE not a WAY OF LIFE AND MOVED ON. They bought houses and became progressive members and raised their kids to be the same. At one point and time, the projects were just plain old row houses and high rises. I think Italian and Polish people used to live there. The city let that mess turn into what it was. If they had been aggressively locking the trash asses up and holding them damn landlords accountable instead of letting us "do our own justice by killing each other," those tenements would not have ever gotten that far. They just kept giving their lazy asses MORE and MORE of so-called ASSISTANCE, instead of saying, "No, this is ALL you will get and this is the MAXIMUM amount of time you will get it. After that, you are ON YOUR OWN. So, FIGURE IT OUT." In the Great Depression, were they not only rationed out so much bread, cheese and soup? EXACTLY. Our damn government damn near rewarded and condoned "trifling behavior." So what do you think is going to happen when the GENERATIONAL ghetto life as they know it is taken away from these derelicts and their asses are turned loose in a "regular" neighborhood? I will tell you: PURE CHAOS! And as Timothy stated, Chatham and South Shore, which USED TO BE considered "well-to-do" black family neighborhoods are suffering as well, if not WORSE than the North Side. But, we could go on forever with the "ghetto chicken and devil egg" syndrome. It is not a "poor baby" or "woe is me" story. It is what it is....
I see these sorry motha trash asses every day when I visit my mom and they do not hesitate AT ALL to speak to me or try to engage me in a conversation. So, they KNOW WHO I AM. Never once have I seen them say ANYTHING to a white person. I am not saying it does not happen, but I know the "familiarity level" they try to achieve with me is not the same for you. They even have the nerve enough to try and flirt with me. I just smile and keep going and I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT! I NEVER allow my GROWN kids to walk this neighborhood when they come to visit, especially my daughters. They MUST be in a car going from point to point. I REFUSE to allow these thugs to know or see them AT ALL. And, yes, I have asked my mom to move, but where will she go on my dad's pension and a fixed income? She even told me, "If I run now, I will have to keep on running and I am too old and too tired to do so." Uptown has been her home, and she is right. Why SHOULD she sell the condo she saved for 10 years to buy and after selling a home she owned outright for almost 40 years?
continued (again and last time, I PROMISE) :)......
ReplyDeleteIn summary...yes, it is sad but again this is not a "poor baby" or "woe is me" story. I really just want you to try and understand just a little bit from the perspective of the "good black people"...one that raised 4 good kids who all have the same father, who are ALL IN college, without records, without drug problems, with a man I have been married to since I was 18 years old for almost 30 years (and the oldest is 25....so NO, we did not get married because I was pregnant. Even though I think maybe if some of these kids were FORCED to raise the babies they spawn, maybe they would stop spawning them. But how can you and WHY should you be forced to raise your own dadblasted kids?! Again, I digress...which came first, the "abused egg" or the "abuser chicken?") Now, has it been hard? OH HELL YES!! It has been doubly hard raising them black and biracial...on them AND my marriage. I don't want a cookie, but do not throw US ALL under the bus. The gangs came after my son when he was 12 years old. Yes, TWELVE. Luckily, he was more afraid of his father being disappointed in him than he was of the gang and told us right when it happened. My husband was 'johnny-on-the-spot.' We packed up and MOVED without a moment's hesitation. I had to quit my job of 10 years and our way of life as we knew it was over. But for us, there was NOTHING to be discussed. We buckled down and made it work. In the 10 days (YES, I counted.) it took us to move 15 years of our life on one income, they "confronted and advised" (THREATENED!) my husband THREE times! I truly understand being afraid of being caught ACCIDENTALLY in the middle of this nonsense, but for your 12 year-old FIRST BORN BABY to be SEEKED OUT for no other reason than because he is THERE and WHO HE IS (black) is quite a bit different. Now have YOU EVER experienced or had to go thru ANYTHING like that? I don't think so.
So, sometimes being silent for us is LITERALLY the difference between life or death. So PLEASE do not act like it is EASY to be a good minority in the middle of a bunch of bad minorities who are like "crabs in a barrel" and where even I have to concede the "bad outweighs the good." Towanda, we don't always CHOOSE to live in silence WILLINGLY all the time.....we just choose to ALWAYS TRY and LIVE.