gang activity/ guns

not trying to complain, but i just heard a gunshot outside. i've lived in this neighborhood my whole life essentially, so it's not surprising for me to hear them. its also pretty common, so i've heard them more times than i care to imagine.


but i sort of imagine some person, who maybe they were a gang member, maybe they did drugs, but so what, they were still a person, i'm sure there were some commendable qualities about them. but never, do these people get obituaries on the news, or RIP facebook pages. i understand that some may have involved themselves in this type of life, and it may have only been inevitable, but... shit. i don't think these people who (may) get shot should be ignored, chalked up to being criminals involved in activities they shouldn't have been participating in.
its kind of a grey area, i dunno what to think about this.


so pretty much i'm just gonna smoke a bowl, and put up a paper on my wall that will have strikes on them, for every gun shot i hear. and i'm going to hope that people aren't in a world of pain right now, deserved or not. i'm gonna hope no one was hit by a stray bullet too. its just weird to hear this sound and know that potentially someone could have just died.


i hear sirens, ambulance and police. so, i'm assuming someone was hit.
*smokes pot to dull the depressing state of humanity*

 

this is the thing i think about when it comes to gun control. if they take away the guns that people have legally, then the people who have them illegally will have quite the upper hand. (as will the authority)

 

sounds like you need to get out of that neighborhood, chica.

does living in a neighborhood where gang shootings are commonplace make you live in a constant state of anxiety?

I hear gunshots constantly too but its just the rednecks next door having target practice lol

 

i would say yes, it does give me a bit, but since it's pretty much the only life i've ever known, it doesn't really give me much actual anxiety, more so the mental kind where i'm just bothered by it. this is where i live, its never been a choice, this has just always been where i've lived.

i also have a general apathy problem though, i'm rather desensitized to a lot of things.

 

my buddies and I smashed up all the bars that brought all the bullshit around here.. Its amazing what some wire cutters, and busted toilets can bring a stop too.. if I hear about a shooting, its usually on the news. not on my block.. clean up the hood old school mafia style, we dont want you here no more,, bye..

 

dear mr ouija...

dear mr ouija...

dear mr ouija...

 

I live in camden shit thats nuttin new to me

 

That's actually a really good point in some ways; it sort've takes the glamour and allure out of the lifestyle, huh?

But then on the flipside, would you really want gangs to be notified of whom they should be getting revenge for?

Really, these people are probably in the obituaries and facebook pages - loved ones just probably don't mention their thug life in them.

 

good point, but it all honestly i didn't think it ever seemed like a glamorous way to live. i just live here. i'm just thinking about it right now.

and yeah, i suppose you're right about the obituaries.

its not the bars, its the people who live here. this area is terrible.

 

I meant for the impressionable youth or whatnot.

I couldn't picture you as a g =P

 

I was born and raised in Chicago (lived there for close to 30 years), and I also lived in neighborhoods where gun shots were frequently heard. So I know how depressing it can be.

I didn't live in these rough neighborhoods due to choice. I was poor most of my life. And apartments are expensive in the Windy City (unless you rent a place in one of the so-called bad areas).

I did eventually move to the Pacific Northwest (after my financial situation got better). And I no longer hear gun shots on a regular basis. But it's been a huge culture shock for me. The violence might be less conspicuous where I am at now. But violence comes in many forms. Being indifferent to people (because they don't act and think in a way one is comfortable with) is as dangerous as any bullet.

So I often find myself missing Chicago. BTW, I like that you have so much compassion for people that society tends to ignore or judge. I don't think anyone is born bad. People become what they become due to circumstances (IMO). It's not always a choice.

QP

P.S. I often wish I'd remained in my hometown, instead of moving thousands of miles away. Looking back, I could have simply moved to a less violent neighborhood. But now that I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for close to a decade, I've resigned myself to staying here for the rest of my life. My best friend is here. And the city I live in is a beautiful place. So I've decided to stay. But I will always think of Chicago as my true home.

 

If you don't want to get shot, don't be a gangster. Out of all the people affected by gang violence, gangsters deserve your sympathy the least.

 

i was in a gang once. we built forts, played street hockey, came in when the streetlights came on. we only had laser guns (tag) it was a pretty sweet life.


gangsters make choices. they are often offered a very different set of choices, and eith are not exposed to, or choose not to see the "good choice" options they have. if every role model you have is a gangster thug, and the dead are remembered so fondly, would it seem like such a bad life? if you had no exposure to better choices, except, perhaps, to hate on them?
it would be best, upon getting pregnant, for women to move away from these areas to raise their children. and you know, maybe we could, like, start addressing the problem as a nation, but im not holding my breath.

 

haha they call me fondly the "little white girl" and i've got two "raw ass dogs". they're nice enough to me where they'll offer me a hit off their blunts, 40's whatever as i walk by. they wouldn't dream of breaking into our home, they protect it, even. i'm a little weird hippie girl that grew up in the ghetto. they're fond of me, despite our differences.

Chicago IS my home. sometimes moving seems like such a hard thing to do, not that i don't want to move. but leaving someplace permanently that i've always called my home seems odd. and i LOVE new experiences, so i find it confusing.
this place is my home. dangerous or not. i'm glad you understand

a gang fight happened on my block, and this particular time, one of the kids got stabbed. the kid died, and i ended up being the one to hose his blood off the sidewalk. one of the guys participating in the fight apologized to me for having to do that. when he saw that pissed me off, he asked why. i said "i'm just the one who has to clean up everything thats left of him, he has a family, right? go apologize to them"
and you know? i think he did.
so i think they deserve my sympathy as well. his apology didn't do much, but it humanized him for me. it humanized all of them. they all have commendable qualities, aside from their choices.

right? except moving out of these areas isn't easy. once you're down, you're down. its hard to move out. and the way society is just keeps you down, too. gas is more expensive in the poorer neighborhoods, and those who can't afford cars take buses. the bus passes just went up 75% in some cases. its fucked.

and these people sort of make a choice, make money the most efficient (albiet dangerous) way they can, or apply for a minimum wage job and go on welfare.


ugh i can't believe the bullshit people say about welfare. they say they're sucking at obama's teat. are you serious? fuckheads.

 

What? You are not in favor of strict gun control, but are in favor of welfare?

We should go out some time.

 

haha, just using logic for my frame of thinking :sunny:

 

People have no idea. People who have jobs, houses, a good education, etc think that these things are abundant and easily obtainable for everyone

although to be fair, stereotypes often exist for a reason. Welfare queens do exist and people who manipulate the system to their advantage certainly exist. Its the exception though, not the rule.

 

yep, there's definitely a fair few people who take advantage of the system. but when people assume everyone does, it means bad for those in need ):

 

gunshots are not weird for me to hear everyday

especially if the clouds are low


but they are always just at the range people practicing or out in the bush by hunters

 

that sounds kind of nice