Chicago gangs find new turf in rural South

Chicago Tribune ^ | 6/1/04 | Dahleen Glanton

[SoCal Pubbie]

During the Great Migration, U.S. Highway 61 became the gateway of the Mississippi Delta, leading thousands of African-Americans north to industrial cities such as Chicago between the 1920s and 1960s to escape the poverty and racism of the Jim Crow South.

Today it is down Highway 61, a mostly two-lane rural road surrounded by cotton fields, that big-city problems of gangs and drugs have made their way to the Delta, infusing America's most economically distressed towns with social problems that neither law enforcement nor the communities are equipped to handle.

[SoCal Pubbie]

For how long have so many people, even here on Free Republic, smugly condemmed big city areas and turned a blind eye. For how long have they trumpeted the superiority of life in "God's country", wishing the big city folks nothing but ill will? For how long have they done nothing but ignore big city problems of crime and cursed both perps and victims alike?

Well, the chickens are coming home to roost. Gangbanging is coming to a small town near you.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I think we excerpt the Trib, right?

[AppyPappy]

Too late. Already here.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

This is truly depressing.

[Wonder Warthog]

"For how long have so many people, even here on Free Republic, smugly condemmed big city areas and turned a blind eye. For how long have they trumpeted the superiority of life in "God's country", wishing the big city folks nothing but ill will? For how long have they done nothing but ignore big city problems of crime and cursed both perps and victims alike?"

Maybe the reason country folks don't care too much for city types is that for decades the city types have denigrated country folks as uneducated ignoramuses (and in fact, that continues even today---see any network program).

I see you are continuing in that tradition.

Small town and/or country life is STILL far preferable to life in a megacity. The "gangbangers" will find out fairly quickly that country folks SHOOT BACK.

[G.Mason]

You need to get a grip.

Tell your gangbanger buds to come on down. We (Citrus Co. FL) need the target practice.

Meanwhile take your meds.

[MarineDad]

The "gangbangers" will find out fairly quickly that country folks SHOOT BACK.

The cause is noble, the need is great, so let their aim be sure.

Amen.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Well, what you posted is called "cutting off your nose to spite your face".

And no, I do not call residents of rural towns "uneducated ignoramuses". Neither do I share your characterization of small towns as a bunch of gun toting rednecks.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I have no gangbanger friends. I live in one of the most crime free cities in the U.S. Nor do I wish any harm on anyone in this country. You have entirely missed the point. Crime coming to your town does NO ONE any good, whether you shoot back or not.

Letting the problems fester in New York, Chicago, LA etc. is a lot like the citizens of Rome being apathetic toward the provinces until the barbarians were at the gate, except in reverse.

[RedMonqey]

The spread of murderous, drug dealing gangbangers that kill and ruin the lives of countless black citizens into the Deep South yet what does the government focus upon?


Re open the case of the Emit Till slaying over forty years ago. ( the real killers werefound innocent by an all white jury but later had confessed. They died a few years ago)

Yep this PC society sure has its priorities in line

[tacticalogic]

Well, the chickens are coming home to roost. Gangbanging is coming to a small town near you.

How many gangbangers do you think you can find who will think about moving to a rural area as "coming home"?

[SoCal Pubbie]

The chickens I wrote about were the apathy toward others and the inaction toward solving festering problems. It should have been "a stitch in time" but instead it was "out of sight, out of mind".

[tacticalogic]

Letting the problems fester in New York, Chicago, LA etc. is a lot like the citizens of Rome being apathetic toward the provinces until the barbarians were at the gate, except in reverse.

The people in the rural areas have been saying over and over that cramming too many people into too little space is a mistake. They did it anyway, and now it's the country folk's fault for letting it happen?

[tacticalogic]

The chickens I wrote about were the apathy toward others and the inaction toward solving festering problems.

Sure doesn't read that way.

[SoCal Pubbie]

"cramming too many people into too little space"

So in other words, it's society's fault. How very liberal of you!

[SoCal Pubbie]

"Sure doesn't read that way."

I'm sorry your reading skills are not up to par.

[Helms]

Spoke to someone from the Myrtle Beach area who said that it was reminding him of Key West and a transit point up the I95 corridor and with the availability of sea access.

[ampat]

Amen brother. What we really need are the sherriffs to post Wanted Dead or Alive posters, with rewards.

[tacticalogic]

So in other words, it's society's fault. How very liberal of you!

You're either a troll, or you have a reading comprension problem.