Hi all and Happy 2024! Wow, those holidays sure went by quickly, as usual. Hope everyone enjoyed the time, even though I feel we all got screwed over by both holidays falling on Mondays. It seemed like we went from having a full two weeks of holiday time to one. I have submitted my official complaint; I'll keep you all posted on where that goes.
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Leaning lefter
Cities in the U.S. are typically dominated by people who are more liberal in terms of their politics. I've always leaned slightly left, although I wouldn't say I'm liberal in all of my beliefs.
On the dating apps, I declare myself "moderate" as to not scare off the fiscally conservative guys. It serves the dual purpose of also enabling me to occasionally ensnare the MAGA idiots who have things like "no libtards" on their profiles. I like to match with them just so I can have the opportunity to tell them what morons they are. Just a side hobby really, but I digress.
Back to the story: I think the main difference is that before moving to a big city, I had opinions on issues, such as homelessness, crime (gun control), immigration, the environment, etc., but that was before living in a city where you actually see these issues playing out on a daily basis.
I lived my entire life living in subdivisions in quiet, upper middleclass suburbs. I raised my own children in much the same environment. Crimes in these towns were DUIs, reckless driving and theft at Target. It was the perfect place to raise kids in a bubble of safety but does it reflect real life and the real world? Hardly.
The homeless
Before moving here, I thought of the homeless population as dangerous, most likely mentally ill, and probably on drugs. Avoid eye contact, don't engage and keep moving has always been my go-to approach to the homeless. Probably sounds awful, but I never even thought of them as people, but more of a potential hazard to avoid.
It turns out that David was a neighborhood favorite and had been around for a decade. Apparently, he was well known for walking through the neighborhood playing his trumpet.
I live in a gayborhood, chockful of tree-hugging liberals. During the Polar Vortex a few years ago, the community lost its collective mind with worry over David's wellbeing (he refused to go to any shelter). It was a source of great debate for days on the neighborhood Facebook page. People en masse brought him blankets, food, and warm clothes.
Sadly, he passed a few years ago, and neighbors organized and gathered on his favorite bench, dedicated in his honor, and had a ceremony to say goodbye. RIP David.
Gwen, another very popular disadvantaged resident, passes out flyers for Streetwise on the main drag. Everyone here knows and loves Gwen. When someone stole her bike a few years ago, which was her only mode of transportation, the neighborhood rallied around her, collected money, and bought her a new one.
Homeless people have names and stories. Once you have made eye contact, you are forced to see them as a human and not a problem.
Yes, it's changed how I view homelessness. Does this mean I've made the official transition to a radical liberal?
Crime in the big city
Friends seriously questioned my sanity when I told them I was moving here. Yes, I knew Chicago, or ChiRaq as it's sometimes called, has had his fair share of crime. but never for a minute did it make me reconsider moving here.
I have always loved the sounds and chaotic energy of cities. I don't live in fear. I am honestly more concerned with getting hit by a car as a pedestrian than anything else in terms of my own personal safety.
When you are walking around in a city, your head is always on a swivel. You walk quickly and with purpose and stay aware of everything and everyone around you. But I would have to be naive or an idiot to not assume at some point I won't be affected by crime.
New Year's Eve, right outside my condo, a man was shot in the head in a road rage incident. The shooter was an off-duty fireman. Neither Laura or I were home at the time, but I was alerted via my Citizen app. The silver lining: Alfie loved playing with the Crime Scene tape.
A former boyfriend was shot at after refusing to surrender his car to a carjacker while sitting in his car in his ex-wife's driveway; four shots tore through his car, barely missing him. I've known plenty of others who have been directly impacted by crime.
Despite fairly strict gun laws in Illinois and the fact that you can't legally purchase a firearm in the city of Chicago, there are lots of guns on the street. Last year Chicago PD removed over 10,000 illegal guns from the streets, and despite that we had just shy of 2,500 shootings in the city last year. I won't even start on the school shootings that happen on a daily basis in this country.
So do I believe there should be stricter gun control in the U.S.? Yes. Does that mean I'm a leftist?
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| One of the funnier Citizen alerts I've ever gotten. |
Immigration
In 1985 Chicago was designated as a sanctuary city. What that means is that as a city, we will not ask about immigration status, disclose that information to federal authorities, or deny city services based on immigration status. What that actually looks like in reality is quite different than you might think.
Chicago currently has 1.7 million immigrants or roughly 18% of the total population. Without immigrants, the city doesn't work. Thanks to the governor of Texas, Twatwaffle Greg Abbott, an additional 20,000 immigrants have been bussed in since late 2022, with no advance notice, into the city, quickly overwhelming the shelter system.
Many are now forced to live outside in tents in front of police stations. The city is scrambling to build giant tent cities to house them, but many of these people are from warm climates and get off these busses in flip flops with no coats.
There's huge need for small clothing as most are coming from South or Central America and they are very small in stature. There's Guatemalan bakery next door, and I can attest, I'm 5'2" and would be considered model height there. Anyway, they urgently need warm coats, boots, gloves, etc. Laura and I both donated a lot of our winter clothes but it's a drop in a bucket.
Regardless of what you think about our nation's immigration policies, when you cross paths with these people, you start seeing the issue from an entirely new perspective. These are not criminals but desperate people trying to find a better life. They are moms and children. They are cold, and it hasn't even gotten cold here yet.
Again, today I walked past a young mom and her two kids, one infant and another toddler. She has separated from the pack and is taking her chances alone on the street in my neighborhood for the past month.
I gave her money again today but also pleaded with her to find a shelter, despite the fact that a language barrier prevents me from really communicating with her. I know someone is working through her church to help find her a spot somewhere.
I get in bed at night this time of year and relish in its warmth. Then I think about that woman and her kids and I feel terrible.
Yes, I think we need to be better and more compassionate towards these immigrants.
I guess I'm woke now.
So to bring this back full circle: Yes. I think I am more liberal now. I also think I am a kinder, more empathetic, open-minded and caring person, and much of that is due to being an urban dweller. Mystery solved.
New Year, new outlook
I hope the new year brings you all good health and happiness. Winter weather means more blogs. How's that for another silver lining? I promise they won't be as heavy as today's post was, but thanks for listening.
Stay woke, folks.
Barb
Missed any blogs? You can catch up with the past blogs with links below:
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