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Originally Posted by alphagamzetagam
The worst part is that people associate this type of going on with the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago. Chicago's a really nice place, and I really like it here. Illinois is a nice state - the people in general, even immigrant populations, have that mid-western charm, are friendly, and on the whole, are just good people.
It's too bad that more people won't associate the real Chicago or the real Illinois with the city or state, just the corrupt politicians that have come out of it (and let's face it, there have been more than a few).
Honestly, the reactions that I get when I tell people that I've moved here is "Why would you move there?! You're gonna get murdered!" or "You moving in with all the corrupt politicians?" I don't blame my family members because they all live in a rural area - they said the murder thing when I moved to Erie, PA too. My friends, however, were all surprised that I would want to live in such a "dangerous place". I don't feel like it's dangerous at all - if you have a little bit of street smarts and learn your neighborhood you shouldn't have too many worries. Locked doors, flashlights at night, cell phones always, and being aware of your surroundings go a long way. It's no more dangerous than any other large city.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lillady85
You know, I get the same reactions. People automatically assume I went to some ghetto high school and had problems with gangs and that my neighborhood is falling apart. People are idiots. I don't even bother with the ones who say Chicago is "dangerous place" especially if they're from the 'burbs. Not all of our politicians are corrupt, not all of our neighborhoods are dangerous, and we sure as hell aren't going to be murdered just because we live here.
Ignorant comments like that make me glad I will never live in Podunk, Iowa. Illinois, nor Chicago, is perfect. But there are honest citizens who'd love to give Blago (and Stroger!) a good kick in the butt for what they've done.
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I understand it can be annoying, but these types of generalizations happen no matter where you live. Whether you say you're from Chicago, Boston, Texas, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, wherever, you're going to get snap judgments from people about that city or that area of the country (sort of how you chose to list "Podunk, Iowa"). It's not something everyone has to accept, but it's something we all have to live with, no matter where we live.