By Mary Mitchell, Sun-Times ColumnistThe horrible death of Eric Morse, the 5-year-old boy who was dropped from a CHA building in 1994, became a metaphor for the horrors of urban living.
The ages of the boy's killers, 10 and 11, compounded the tragedy, as did the fact that Eric's half-brother, Derrick Lemon, was in the 14th-floor apartment when his brother was dropped to his death.
Derrick was 8 years old, unable to protect his younger brother from his tormenters even before the killers took him to the apartment at 3833 South Langley in the Clarence Darrow Homes.
Now, 16 years later, what has become of Derrick Lemon could be a metaphor for the horrors of ghetto parenting.
I know some of you will be offended by my word choice. But ghetto parenting is the only phrase that can describe what is going on. Continue Reading
I agree with this this story. I see your kids out causeing mischief at 11pm constantly. They couldn't be more that 10-11 years old. Personally, I wouldn't want my kids in the streets of uptown at that age. But, then again, I am a responsible person.
ReplyDeleteI've also seen little kids nearing the age of 2-4 out with their 16-18year old sister/mothers at the Sunnyside mall in the late evening hours. Why the hell are these kids not asleep?!? I don't understand how you can have such poor judgement, even if you were raised up like this?
It's sad, yet uncontrolable. I sincerely feel bad for these kids with little or no hope.
" Why the hell are these kids not asleep?!? I don't understand how you can have such poor judgement, even if you were raised up like this?"
ReplyDeleteTo better understand this and to provide perspective on what is written in the article, and it isn't always easy for me coming from a relatively privileged background and being white, I think we need to understand the context in which many people in the underclass grow up. When deindustrialization in the us occured, the black working class was disproportionately affected by the loss of jobs in cities. That coupled with the "war on drugs" (i.e. war on poor people) and public schools being primarily funded through property taxes--meaning that poor districts have terrible schools, creates a large group of people in the city (mostly people of color, not properly educated for a role in the legitimate economy, viewed as criminlas by the police) who are considered a "surplus" population, in that society has nothing to offer them other than low quality housing, if that, and maybe for some a minimum wage job that doesn't pay enough to keep food on the table and the lights on.
Most people growing up in those circumstances realize that the deck is stacked against them, that the game is rigged, and therefore many of them don't aspire to move up the ladder and don't make sure that their kids are in bed by 9 to be ready for school the next day. Of course there are some people who do rise out of those circumstances and achieve "success" in our society (this is when people on this blog will talk about how hard they've worked to pay for their condo) but for the majority of people in the underclass the dream is just an illusion.
On a few occassions over the last couple years or so people on this blog have referenced the tv program "The Wire" as a way to understand urban crime. I think taking the time to listen to this interview from one of its creators is worth doing as a follow up to Ms. Mitchell's piece in the Sun Times.
I'm not too skilled at this computer stuff so i guess you can just cut and paste the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qulcqNMHVic
This is an interesting read related to the ideas in Ron's post about the aftermath of the Eric Morse incident and how it affected other kids living in the area: Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the first part of "This American Life" episode about the Harlem Children's Zone project. The theory here is that, in order to break the cycle of poverty (and, frankly, insane, destructive, counter-productive behavior), you need to catch the kids whilst in the womb.
ReplyDelete"Ghetto" kids are at a tremendous societal disadvantage because of how they are raised in the very early years. It really saddens me to see this kind of parenting in Uptown with such regularity.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/364/Going-Big
Whenever I see that Ron Durham has posted a comment, I automatically enter skeptical mode, but I can't argue with what he's written here.
ReplyDeleteStill though, bad parenting is bad parenting, and needs to be addressed, regardless of the myriad sociological factors that led to it.
We do have curfew laws in the city - if there are "unsupervised" minors out at 11 pm they should be picked up and sent to the Audy Home (or whatever it's called now).
ReplyDeleteBut as for "proper" sleeping times in general (not in public) for little kids - chill out, folks, it's SUMMER! No school or day care the next day, time to relax the rules...lots of "middle class" kids are allowed to hang out in the rec room and watch TV till they fall asleep during the summer months, after all.
Ron made a few good points, but I do have some disagreement. The war on drugs was not a war on poor people. There are many employed poor people who work long hours and are good citizens.
ReplyDeleteIt’s time we begin to address this culture of poverty that fosters bad parenting. It’s clear to everyone except Helen & her followers that concentrating low income housing in only certain areas of the city doesn’t work and it never has. Map out all the shootings in Chicago and you will see that the vast majority of them are in areas with high rates of poverty.
There’s nothing wrong with being poor. There’s plenty wrong with ignoring the harmful effects of concentrated poverty in the name of being politically correct. The "ghetto parenting" is exacerbated by the concentrated poverty that's fostered throughout certain sections of the city.
but I can't argue with what he's written here.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of his better screeds; but, I'd like to see him substantiate more of his argument rather than simply dressing up the socialist movement's talking points.
One thing in particular (out of many), is the use of the term "surplus" population.
Not that it holds true in every single circumstance, but when an 18 yr old girl has multiple children, that tends to make it a little harder to put food on the table for everyone.
Ya can't completely blame society, Capitolism or the government when your responsibilities outreach your ability to provide.
Our America is a great read -- one of the two authors ended up being a motivational speaker, the other has quite a lengthy rap sheet with multiple drug convictions.
ReplyDeleteLocal Lassie quoted "But as for "proper" sleeping times in general (not in public) for little kids - chill out, folks, it's SUMMER! No school or day care the next day, time to relax the rules...lots of "middle class" kids are allowed to hang out in the rec room and watch TV till they fall asleep during the summer months, after all."
ReplyDeleteYou're going to tell me because it's summer that 2-4 year olds should be out at 11? I do believe there is "proper" sleeping times for 2-4 year olds.
And as for the 10-12 year olds, just cause it's summer, doesn't mean they should be roaming the streets where gun shots are going off all night and throwing rocks at cars and garages in my back alley. What starts off as simple vandalism just escalates to bigger problems.
Eric - I did NOT say that it's ok for "tweens" and teens to be outdoors doing bad things on summer nights (or any other time). I DID say that many parents, of all socioeconomic strata, tend to be more lenient with their kids' sleeping times when the sun sets at 8:00 instead of 6:00 and there's no school the next day. If the kids are indoors, or outdoors in the company of responsible adults, what's the harm? If they go to bed at midnight that just means they'll wake up later the next morning. If the 'rents are OK with it, what's your problem?
ReplyDeleteCaring for kids is tough enough nowadays without the "parenting police" coming down on every mom/dad who doesn't do it "their" way.
I'm all for giving parents a break. I'm not when it comes to the many children I see unsupervised at 9 or 10 at night in high crime areas with lots of gang activity. It ain't smart.
ReplyDeleteLocal Lassie, however unintentional, you seem to be raising a straw man here. The original issue brought up was the appropriateness of parents keeping their 2-4 years up while they hang out outside late at night - a behavior that I think any reasonable person would call bad parenting.
ReplyDeleteThere you have it!!! Someone Finaly said it. I've been saying it for years and I get called a racist. It's NOT a race issue its a ghetto issue. Parenting is the hardest job in the world with no time off. When a 14 year old has a baby, they learn how to be a parent from their mother who had a baby at 14. Family is NOT a value system in the ghetto it's another paycheck from the government. Our families are THE most important aspect of our lives. In the ghetto this is not the norm. Don't misrepresent me... not all low income families are ghetto parents, but a LARGE group are ghetto parents
ReplyDeleteIt's NOT a race issue its a ghetto issue.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that, honey. Having grown up in the deeply rural South, let me assure you that "ghetto" also includes cornfields, cow pastures, and po' white trash satisfied with NASCAR, Methamphetamine, and deer hunting with Jesus.
EDUCATION is the antidote, whether you're from pasture or city block. I encourage everyone to seek out, lead others toward the Fruit of the "Tree Of Knowledge," forever the bane of emperors, dictators, senators, and popes.
Don't let anyone fool you. KNOWLEDGE - not your race, creed, color or credit score - is THE REAL POWER always within your grasp.
Toucan
/Socialist
I'm not really sure how any of you can agree with Ron Durham.
ReplyDeleteThe deck is not stacked against poor people because of society, it's stacked against them because they have ghetto parents. If poor people had decent parents they would have plenty of opportunities in this society.
Therefore it doesn't logically follow that if you have terrible parents you should just give up and mentally and socially scar your children beyond the ability for achievement.
Perhaps, rather than drum up his socialist liberal victimhood ideology, Ron could spend his time showing poor how life isn't stacked against them. Of course, that doesn't fit with his worldview.
WindyCityEagle said...
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure how any of you can agree with Ron Durham.
The deck is not stacked against poor people because of society, it's stacked against them because they have ghetto parents. If poor people had decent parents they would have plenty of opportunities in this society.
Something tells me you've never experienced the paralyzing debilitation from a rotting tooth for lack of a corporate dental plan.
WindyCityEagle, your latest post is an extreme oversimplification of a very complicated issue. Moreover, I don't see anything socialist in Ron's post above. His solutions to the problem are probably an entirely different bag.
ReplyDeleteTo clarify my earlier comment, i do think that there are many parents raising kids under difficult circumstances who do a great job. The reality is that even when a parent does everything right it is difficult to raise one's child or family out of poverty without quality education that enables a person to earn a living wage. Also, I know several young black men/teenagers in Uptown who constantly get stopped by the police and have contact cards written on them even though they are involved in no criminal or gang activity at all. This is another hurdle many people have to overcome.
ReplyDelete"windycityeagle", people from the underclass, i mean people in real, desperate poverty don't need me to tell them the deck is stacked against them. It's evident without any social commentary from me. I would be wasting my time and insulting their intelligence to be telling poor people that the deck is stacked against them. But writing about it on this blog is different because i think more affluent people (especially white people) do need to hear that the game is rigged against poor people and people of color. And at some point, hopefully we can do something to act in solidarity with those most negatively impacted by this sytem we have. But hey, if you wanna preach to low/no income people how our economic system is a meritocracy and all they have to do is work hard to get by; be my guest and good luck!
Personal responsibility plays a huge role in people overcoming the circumstances they are relegated to. But that means not just low income people putting their "nose to the grindstone" but also more affluent people changing a system from which they have gained much of their privilege.
Something tells me you've never experienced the paralyzing debilitation from a rotting tooth for lack of a corporate dental plan.
ReplyDeleteOh, puh-leeeeze.
You want to demonize "corporations" because you don't take proper care of your teeth?
Project much?
Will there be other article links in this series of "Why things are the way they are"? Because I have a few suggestions.
ReplyDeleteNow ya'll. Why must the rural south always be compared to the ghetto? I don't ever remember being chain-link fenced in (a la Cabrini Green) on my lovely veranda or shot at on my way to my horrible public education. Pithy really.
ReplyDelete