So it's okay for minorities to move out of neighborhoods for fears of safety or for advancement, but let a white person move and it's because the person moving on the block is a shade different. It's not so much about the color of skin, but how much color green is in someone's wallet. I don't care who moves next to me if they have the means to keep their property well kept and know how to be respectful to the block, but let someone, anyone, move next to me who lets their property sink or disrupts the quality of the block, and I'll have a problem with them. I'd take 10 minority families who are an asset to the block over one white family who is nothing but trash.

As for you quoting from sources from the 1920s through 1960s, that's like the republicans trying to blame the country's condition today on Clinton, and that was only 7 years ago.

Marburgkid,

I do understand the point you're trying to make and I agree to a point. There's a lot of white trash out there that cause problems like vandalism, theft, cursing in public in front of kids, drugs, alcoholism, etc... and it's existed in certain sections of the NE for years. Point well taken. However, your statement that "Murders aren't the only problem out there ..." can't be taken lightly because murder is the scariest thing out there. That and other violent crimes like assaults and rape.

I haven't come across anyone (at least in this thread) say anything about whites being better blacks or all blacks are criminals or any other ludicrous statements like that. All cultures and colors commit crimes; however, you can't deny that most of the dangerous and violent crimes occur in black neighborhoods.

It seems as if at least once a month (lately it seems like once a week) you hear about innocent bystanders getting killed in the crossfire of bullets. Kids on their bikes catching a bullet. Men getting ready for work in their own homes getting killed by a stray bullet finding a way into the wrong house. How often do you hear of that happening in white neighborhoods (please hold back on the Columbine statements. That was like 8 years ago and is the very rare exception, but people love to throw that at you when in a debate like this).

The problem is, black thugs will shoot their guns sideways on a street crowded with people to try to hit their targets. If you want to draw a comparison to the white Italian mafia, they would "take someone out" behind closed doors, not in front of children and grandmothers and everyone else. A murder is a murder. It still wrong no matter how it is committed; however, when shots ring out on a public street in the middle of the day, there's a whole lot more people at risk.

Marburgkid, if more people thought like you then neighborhoods probably wouldn't change or at least change as quickly. But don't berate people who "fled" neighborhoods that changed. Sure some people are ignorant, Archie Bunker types. But others are just trying to protect their families and get them in a better situation.

I don't know you're situation (marry, kids, whatever?) but do an honest assessment and think to yourself would you be OK with your 16 year old and 13 year old daughters hanging out at Tarken Playground or Lawncrest Rec or Levick & Algon or Levick & Oxford in the summer of 2007? Are you telling me that it's as safe now as it was in the summer of 1990? My opinion is "No way man".

That's an excellent point, B.

B-Real,
Very well said. Why criticize people for trying to better themselves and families? Agreed about Tarken playground and many of the NE playgrounds/pools. Not safe.

Which begs the question why is Northeast Philadelphia attracting murdering , raping thugs and little else.

__________________
The post-Bush-Rove Republican Party is in the minority because it has driven away women, the young, suburbanites, black Americans, Latino-Americans, Asian-Americans, educated Americans, gay Americans and, increasingly, working-class Americans. Who’s left?

Frank Rich
The new York Times

I guess there's not much left of North Philly..They have to go somewhere..

I wouldn't say that's true.

Maybe if they got JOBS they wouldn't have so much time on their hands...Big Jim is right, how many neighborhoods can they destroy? Soon there will be nothing left of the city.

Because the non-murdering, raping people moved out because they had little kids. They figured this neighborhhod wouldn't see it another 10 years and then what? People don't want to move their children when they are teens.

B-Real brought to light that you can't allow your daughters or any teens at this point in any of these rec centers we all came up in. Now, why did the original folks move out that led to the people with young children to move out? Section 8.

Look at the murder of the 15 year old in Tacony. Scary!