48 hours in Chicago
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When you shake someone's deep sense of self-worth, leaving a scar in their ego, they will persistently try to diminish you through petty arguments & obsessive captious criticism of your actions, just to soothe the wound.
- Nassim Nicholas Taleb
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@jon-nyc it's not just River North...
Read John Kass's column from yesterday. Kass is the Royko of the 21st century.
A friend owns a restaurant in River North. The constant threat of street violence is killing his business. His is a great restaurant, one of my favorites. He’s so particular about the food he serves that he’ll take three days to prepare demi-glace just for the peppers and sausage.
But customers now avoid the area for good reason. They don’t feel safe.
“I’m not a cop, but this ain’t rocket science,” said Ald. Brendan Reilly in a tweet. “Put foot patrols back in River North to get this s–t under control.”
It’s not under control, Ald. Reilly. We all know it’s not under control.
As I write this, Chicago has a new downtown murder to talk about: Jessica Vilaythong, 24, an employee of Chase Bank, at 600 N. Dearborn. She was stabbed in the neck by a random goon in the lobby, and on Friday as I write this news is breaking that she died. Police were questioning a person of interest.
Before the pandemic, I would think nothing of walking from Union Station to Michigan Avenue (about a mile) to go to the symphony. I'd catch the 6:20 train and arrive at 6:40. Plenty of time. After the concert, I'd walk back, leaving Symphony Center at 10PM and walking down Jackson or Adams. When/if we resume concerts, I'll probably take a cab both times.
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I worked downtown for many years - and for a time used to run along the lakefront at night - like starting at 11:30 pm. My health club, perhaps the best in the country, only a couple of blocks from where these attacks are happening. It seems since the Floyd-related burglary spree, there's been less fear of consequences of all crime. If one can rob the finest stores in Chicago and desecrate the heart of the city with impunity with minimal risk to one's life and lifestyle, why not?
I keep thinking of the off repeated expression cited by many, "things can be replaced, but people cannot..." Frankly, replacing criminals bent on destroying a city isn't all that difficult. Rebuilding a city once betrayed and destroyed, not so easy. It may never happen.
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When you shake someone's deep sense of self-worth, leaving a scar in their ego, they will persistently try to diminish you through petty arguments & obsessive captious criticism of your actions, just to soothe the wound.
- Nassim Nicholas Taleb
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@kluurs said in 48 hours in Chicago:
I worked downtown for many years - and for a time used to run along the lakefront at night - like starting at 11:30 pm. My health club, perhaps the best in the country, only a couple of blocks from where these attacks are happening. It seems since the Floyd-related burglary spree, there's been less fear of consequences of all crime. If one can rob the finest stores in Chicago and desecrate the heart of the city with impunity with minimal risk to one's life and lifestyle, why not?
I keep thinking of the off repeated expression cited by many, "things can be replaced, but people cannot..." Frankly, replacing criminals bent on destroying a city isn't all that difficult. Rebuilding a city once betrayed and destroyed, not so easy. It may never happen.
Fear is the beginning of respect.
