On 7/26/2010 5:05 PM, D. Peter Maus wrote:
On 7/26/10 14:32 , Drifter wrote:
On 7/26/2010 12:31 PM, D. Peter Maus wrote:


Nicely put Peter. In my neck of the world, the Hill District, is the so
called local getto. too many years ago, it was home to the captains of
industry. coal barons, steel magnets, etc. big beautiful homes, churches
looking like they belonged in old europe. and, as always does, the money
was lured out of the city, you can check/ read the history of the
first Johnstown flood. and other places in our mountains of western PA.
the homes left behind were mostly made into many apartment set-ups.
most people living in the city, blue collar, needed to be near their
work. and so it goes. max profit, little over all up keep. in a matter
of a generation, the large beautiful homes and the nice locals were a
slum. and so it now goes in the so called rust belt. BTW, the Hill
is the Hill Street station from the old cop series. "Hill Street Blues"
the main writer was an x cop from the burg.

BTW, on the way home from Indy, a bunch of us stopped to see "The Eye".
Peter, I love it! took a bunch of pix. always enjoy Chicago food too.

Drifter...



The inner city in St Louis was likewise a home for the monied, powerful
and connected. Lafayette Square was a Victorian haven for the wealthy
forces that drove the development and industrialization of St Louis.
Before I left, you could buy a 4 story 8 bedroom Victoran home in
Lafayette Square for $8000. Sometimes less.

Well, the old homes got so much attention by the fans of period
architecture, that some were buying them up at market prices, and
spending $500,000 and more to return them to their native splendor.

By the time I left St Louis, Lafayette Square was a vital, very upscale
community with a vibrant life, and tremendous economic and cultural
holdings. Now on the National Historic Register.

http://www.lafayettesquare.org

When the area fell into disrepair, it fell into the hands of slumlords,
who converted the homes into low rent flats of minimal standards of
maintenance, and exploited those of limited means. Mostly a black
community. Until its rennaisance. Now, it's an integrated community of
significant wealth.

It wasn't as popular, then, as it is today to throw the word 'racist'
around at every opportunity and for every purpose, so though there was a
lot of focus on the racial component, racism itself wasn't a part of the
underpinnings of the area's history or culture.

And that's the point that gets lost by those who can only call names and
throw epithets....it's not a matter so much of race that brings
communities to rust, as it is economics. There will always be those who
have, and always be those who have not. Just as there will always be
someone in every group who will aspire to power and influence...someone
will always hunger to be king.

That's not racial. That's the ambition of the human species.


Glad you enjoyed the Chicago cuisine. But there's so much of it, how the
hell do you walk?


Peter, ya gotta watch out for us biker types. it was a little wet, but
in all a great ride. I always liked Chicago. it's come a long way from
the early 60's. lots of culture, great eateries, nice people. old family
friends, out side of Cicero, the Parkinsons. one of those giant tomato
farms out there. eleven hundred acres plus. got to visit from child
hood. they really turned me on to the city back then. as I said, great
place to spend some time.

back to the subject at hand. back during my youth, Pitt and Carnegie-
Tech, I worked summers at U.S.Steel and Westinghouse. this was before
i realy got out, into the world. and the war. I worked with all types
of people, which is a great way to start out in life. the one thing
I noticed, was who came last. each people will gang up on the new
guys. it could be Polish, German, English, whatever. whoever comes in
to the country last will suffer the most. different people will gang
up on the new guy. now, the black folk may not be new to the country,
but they were new to the North. and back then they were the last.
now it's Latino. and what do ya know, the blacks and the whites are
screaming about the brown people. now, i can get along with anyone,
even the devil himself; but I have trouble with the illegal's. I
hope that doesn't make me racist. I don't believe it does. if you
want to be here, do it right. get your visa, do the classes, become
a citizen. pay your taxes, and learn to get along with your fellow
Americans. I don't think that's too much to ask. but, please folks,
don't plaster an entire race, for the sins of a few.


Drifter...