[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I grew up outside East St. Louis and worked at a store in the Collinsville Avenue business district in the mid-1970's. The city was black majority then and most of our customers were black, but whites still lived in the city and shopped there. I drove to work every day without any real concern for my safety. I walked by myself several blocks away to go to a great cafeteria for lunch. I used to talk to the Black Muslim guys on the sidewalks who were selling frozen fish and handing out the "Muhammed Speaks" newspaper.

Here is a recent photo of the Murphy Building, where I once worked. Downtown East St. Louis is now, if I recall correctly, the single most dangerous neighborhood in the country.

Own that, Chris Rock.

[exit82]

Thanks for the picture of the abandoned building.

When I see pictures like this, of commercial or residential buildings in such a forlorn state of ruin, I think that there was a day in the past when creating this structure was someone’s dream.

And they built it to make their dreams come true.

Now their dreams look like nightmares.