Why do things seem out of control to some of us (even early 30s like me)? Too many symptoms, but my top ones are lackadaisacal(sp?) parenting and kids too easily influenced by what they see in the media. The kids play violent video games but fail to separate the game from real life. Songs on the radio and videos on tv like "Girl Fight" glamorizing "swinging them thangs". (Sorry, I couldn't think of anything more current.) Value of life and self are just out of the equation in so many areas of this generation.

I know we had violence when I was a kid because a student in my HS was shot and killed on a rival campus in my sophomore year, but there were probably 2 total murders during my 4 yrs of HS.

Pretty much sums up my previous argument.

No, dwelling on the acts themselves exaggerates their prevalence.

Observe the potential for such incidents, but dwell on the underlying point of raising children well and giving children and young adults healthy and positive outlets. The same stuff that we should be teaching each generation, anyway. This will buffer the negative effects of the Internet and other intrusive media outlets and social influences.

I actually agree with both of these posts.

Exactly. Although I can look forward to my rent going up if we get the bid, because people will be willing to pay more to live in my (almost completely gentrified) neighborhood. I really feel bad for the older couples on my street that have been here forever. Unless they own their houses (and I'm not sure that they do), the likelihood of their rent raises forcing them out of the houses they've lived in for years and years is great, especially considering that many of them are retired and living on fixed incomes.

I really hope it never happens - they're all so sweet. I can't walk down my street without feeling like my arm is going to fall off from all the waving I do because they call out to you.

I worry about the type of turmoil it's going to cause... if we have "neighborhood" fights like this... I don't even want to think about it.

I think the likelihood that we'll get the bid is pretty good. However, the city's having trouble raising the funds necessary. Mayor Daley is promising that the city can raise it, and it probably will if they do get the bid, but there's also a likelihood that the bill will just be tacked on to our (already rising) taxes.

I got the easy end of the deal, I don't own my house.

That's what I worry about here.

Oh and the fact that there will basically be a two week period where I won't be able to get to work. Hopefully they finish the upgrades on the L by the time the Olympics roll around (although they've been working on a few particular spots on the blue line for over a year now), and hopefully they can handle the traffic demands, but I'm just really skeptical.

Absolutely disgusting. It's pretty terrifying that people are capable of that type of behavior (both the actual beating, and the non-action of the videographer).

I know if I watch that video I am going to get sick.

The Olympics could be a wonderful opportunity to increase the standard of living for residents of Chicago, but I don't have faith that it will be handled effectively. Sure the Olympic Village Housing could be mandated to become affordable housing after the Olympics, and there could be a program for a certain amount of jobs associated with the Olympics to be filled with displaced workers. However what's going to happen for these people before 2016?

Yup...we had a bad epidemic as people were driving into MD to buy tons of meds to make meth.


But back to the video, my goodness...what is wrong with people today?

When I was a teen, if you got into a fight you got into a fight, you either kicked ass or got it kicked. Nobody ended up dead because of it.

"Gang" fights and unruly, rioting crowds have always ended up in people getting killed either intentionally or unintentionally. Always.

Apparently there was another pretty brutal beating in Chicago last night. This time in Edgewater, on the north side.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...edgewater.html

The kid is still alive, hopefully not suffering lasting brain injury.

That's how I felt. Some of those people were just watching and then BAM they're hit with a tie? This video made me sick and so sad.


When it comes to the Olympics thing, it could hurt or help. When Detroit held the Superbowl, people were really skeptical of it because Detroit is such a "dangerous" city. Detroit actually showed its' better colors and promoted part of its tourist attractions. It was a positive effect for Detroit, but that also didn't involve building a stadium and housing for athletes. If anything it pushed the city to finish working on buildings and hotels so it didn't look so run down for our visitors. Maybe it could help Chicago.

Ridiculous.

I don't know why. Most of the time stories like this don't garner much attention around here.

Thank you for posting it. This is truly a heartbreaking story. I second what Dr. Phil said about the bystanders running some folks over. I understand bystanders not wanting to get involved, but to just watch out of some macabre fascination is certainly not a good thing to do. smh

Brings to mind the "Yummy" Sandifer story.

Update:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/09/...ex.html?hpt=T1

More at the link.

Another guilty verdict:

Here's the link with more.