Nightclub Stampede Reopens Chicago's Racial Wounds

Independent (UK) ^ | 2-19-2003 | Andrew Gumbel

[blam]

What did Jesse know and when did he know it?

[bmwcyle]

Oh no, Jesse has no local place to pick up women.

[Brian Mosely]

Local activists said yesterday the city might not have dared enforce the closure order for fear of political and social consequences.

Too bad 21 people had to pay the price of unintended consequences because the city might not have dared to enforce the closure order...

[Ken522]

So like the title to the article says, the club incident "reopened old racial wounds in Chicago." How curious - the ethnicity of all involved was the same, and somehow this is a RACIAL issue???

[Irene Adler]

Yeah, I sort of wonder about that, too.

[blam]

"How curious - the ethnicity of all involved was the same, and somehow this is a RACIAL issue???"

It actually took longer for things to get to this than I thought. All I can guess is that the city council is majority white.

[fnord]

The fundamental problem is that E2, and the Epitome restaurant with which it shares a building, was one of the few places where African Americans could socialise.

wtf? Has this writer never been to Chicago .. or any big city?

[Nagual]

For all the trouble it has caused – 80 police calls over the past two years, mostly for fights and shootings – it has also been a rallying point for black activists such as Mr Jackson, who is close friends with one of its owners, Dwain Kyles.

Jesse, this time do the right thing. Educate the brothers to obey the laws and quit shooting each other. Don't blame the rest of the world for pure stupity.

[Dog Gone]

Of course, if the majority white city council had closed the place down, these same people would be screaming racism about that, too. < sigh >

[abner]

Sounds like a BIG circle.... with no end in sight.

[Pharmboy]

Couldn't agree more...Chi-Town is a very integrated city. Whenver I visit and go out for a beer in middle-class gin mills, I am always impressed at the mix of white and black--more so than Boston, NY or Philly. It seems to me that if you're a middle class AA in Chicago, you can go just about anywhere that a white guy or gal can go for a brew.

[rickmichaels]

You're asking too much.

[PianoMan]

Of course, if the majority white city council had closed the place down, these same people would be screaming racism about that, too.

No matter what happens to inner-city blacks their "leaders" will find a way to blame the white man and stick out their hand. It's so sad.

[blam]

"Of course, if the majority white city council had closed the place down, these same people would be screaming racism about that, too. < sigh >"

Rush said today that Jesse had intervened in the past to keep the place open.

What does Jesse know and when did he know it?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

What the heck is this article talking about? The officials didn't cave to possible pressure to keep the club open, there was pressure from black leaders to keep it open in the form of letters to officials. I hope they kept them. Jackson is even named as one who put pressure on the city to keep the place open.

[Bob J]

The Rev Jesse Jackson, who is based in Chicago, returned to the nightclub yesterday to demand an independent investigation that would look at the city's failings as well as any negligence on the part of the club.

Looks like Jackson's son is going to get another liquor distributorship.

[FITZ]

How curious - the ethnicity of all involved was the same, and somehow this is a RACIAL issue???

Don't worry ---Jesse's on the job looking REAL hard for a white guy to try to blame this on. The stampeders were black, the owners who kept open a condemned building were black, the mace-spraying security guards were black ---but somewhere there has to be a white guy that was remotely connected.

[blam]

"No matter what happens to inner-city blacks their "leaders" will find a way to blame the white man and stick out their hand. It's so sad."

The multimillion dollar lawsuits will be directed at the city, not the owner or managers of the club.

[mabelkitty]

I think Jesse is either a silent partner or getting a kickback. Perhaps he will be sued for everything he has. He lives here, right? You think he isn't going to shake down a profitable enterprise? Ever see Barbershop? Character in there modeled after him.

[Missouri]

>>but somewhere there has to be a white guy that was remotely connected.<<


I was just thinking the same thing when I first seen this on TV.
Then I hear J. Jackson has a connection to this nightclub. This ought to be REAL interesting.