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| UN Photo/Mark Garten (used with permission) |
They’re refugee camps.
Who does the city thinks it’s fooling, calling their plan to call 2,000-person settlements “winterized base camps.” They’ve got tents. They’ve got refugees. They’re refugee camps.
Regular readers know that I’m all for immigrants. They’re what makes America great; not taking away women’s reproductive choices, not burning books, not demonizing vulnerable youth.
Immigrants. They’re why we’re not in a demographic death spiral, like Japan. Immigrants. C’mon in guys, make yourselves at home, grab a shovel, start digging, maybe your kid’ll go to Yale. If you want to celebrate your nation-of-origin’s independence day by driving around, waving flags, that doesn’t bother me a bit. Native-born Americans celebrate our country’s birth with cheap explosives that blow off their fingers and scare their pets. I can’t argue that’s any better. We’re a nation of personal freedom. Which is one reason you’re here.
But in this great, free country, words are important. A “base camp” is what Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay set up at the foot of Mount Everest before pushing for the summit. Base camps are where the rebels operate from in the Nicaraguan jungle.
That plural is also important. Not a camp but camps, as in a number of them. Fran Spielman’s story Thursday mentioned one possible site, at 115th and Halsted. Where will the others go?
I know why the city balked at calling them by their proper name. Refugee camps are just not places we expect to find in 2023 America, or in America at any time, for that matter. Looking back over the sweep of history, I see what were at the time called “internment camps” — where American citizens of Japanese descent were imprisoned after being ripped from their West Coast homes during World War II, moved inland under the spurious belief that their racial ancestry trumped their patriotism. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
Maybe we can soften “refugee camps” by branding them. Can we sell naming rights? The Kenneth C. Griffin Outdoor Residential Facility? Goose Island Lager Gulag? Chicago was slow in branding Divvy when it was rolled out 10 years ago, and left millions on the table. Don’t make the same mistake again.
Who does the city thinks it’s fooling, calling their plan to call 2,000-person settlements “winterized base camps.” They’ve got tents. They’ve got refugees. They’re refugee camps.
Regular readers know that I’m all for immigrants. They’re what makes America great; not taking away women’s reproductive choices, not burning books, not demonizing vulnerable youth.
Immigrants. They’re why we’re not in a demographic death spiral, like Japan. Immigrants. C’mon in guys, make yourselves at home, grab a shovel, start digging, maybe your kid’ll go to Yale. If you want to celebrate your nation-of-origin’s independence day by driving around, waving flags, that doesn’t bother me a bit. Native-born Americans celebrate our country’s birth with cheap explosives that blow off their fingers and scare their pets. I can’t argue that’s any better. We’re a nation of personal freedom. Which is one reason you’re here.
But in this great, free country, words are important. A “base camp” is what Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay set up at the foot of Mount Everest before pushing for the summit. Base camps are where the rebels operate from in the Nicaraguan jungle.
That plural is also important. Not a camp but camps, as in a number of them. Fran Spielman’s story Thursday mentioned one possible site, at 115th and Halsted. Where will the others go?
I know why the city balked at calling them by their proper name. Refugee camps are just not places we expect to find in 2023 America, or in America at any time, for that matter. Looking back over the sweep of history, I see what were at the time called “internment camps” — where American citizens of Japanese descent were imprisoned after being ripped from their West Coast homes during World War II, moved inland under the spurious belief that their racial ancestry trumped their patriotism. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
Maybe we can soften “refugee camps” by branding them. Can we sell naming rights? The Kenneth C. Griffin Outdoor Residential Facility? Goose Island Lager Gulag? Chicago was slow in branding Divvy when it was rolled out 10 years ago, and left millions on the table. Don’t make the same mistake again.
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Seeing many refugee families begging at city and suburban off ramps lately. Dystopian, in the heat, the rain, soon in the cold...city is lousy with empty commercial spaces, couldn't those be turned into temporary housing? They have bathrooms, a/c, heating, some have kitchens... it could provide some privacy and dignity...maybe give the owners a tax break to lease their storefronts and offices. What can citizens do for these people besides pass dollars at them through our car windows?
ReplyDeleteA month ago, when my wife and I were enjoying the sun, sand, and surf during a morning stroll at Touhy Beach, we literally stumbled upon the tents erected by the refugees who'd been evicted from that dump of a Super 8 motel on Sheridan Road (I've stayed there), after "staying out too late" while trying to buy their kids a pizza.
DeleteWe saw nobody. They were probably still asleep in their tents. But there was a long row of battered shoes and sandals outside, on the grass. That sight really affected me, and brought home the crisis in a way that no still images ever could.
How do you know if they were refugees?
DeleteGo look up the stories about them, and about their eviction, in the Sun-Times. The story described exactly where they pitched the tents, just south of the parking lot at Touhy Beach. Because of all the publicity and all the ink they got, they were not chased out of the park. If they had been "ordinary" native-born homeless folks...different story. The cops would have booted them pretty quickly. By the time I saw the tents, they had already been there for some time.
Delete115th and Halsted is a long march to the Democratic Convention. With vacancies in buildings in the former financial district and in neighborhoods across the city, how far would the 20+ million dollars go towards making them into living spaces. The creation of public housing in Chicago after World War II caused riots and racial discrimination that scars the city not this day. It's rare that in stories about the arriving migrants are we reminded. that they are shipped here by governors of other states. People who ten attack us.Its disgusting.
ReplyDeleteIt's so ironic that one of Chicago's worst race riots took place nearby...in Fernwood Park, between 98th and 111th streets. It lasted for three days, from the day black veterans and their families moved into a housing project. It took place during what was, up until then, the second- hottest month ever in Chicago...August, 1947. The Chicago Police Department did little to stop the rioting.
DeleteA mob spontaneously organized outside of the housing project on the evening after the families moved in...on August 13, 1947. Anywhere from 500 to 5,000 white rioters gathered to "reclaim" the neighborhood. The violence lasted until August 16th, during which white gangs pulled black people out of automobiles and streetcars and beat them with clubs. Approximately 100 cars were attacked, and at least 35 black people were injured. Police set up barricades in order to isolate the area of violence, which stretched from 95th Street to 130th Street going north/south, and from Michigan Avenue to Vincennes Avenue going east/west.
The Chicago Police Department established units at the projects in the two weeks following the riot. Nearly 700 police officers remained in the area near Fernwood Park Homes to protect black residents from any violence, and the order of police protection was not removed for nearly six months after the riot.
August of 1947 produced 18 days of 90 degrees or higher in Chicago, including four 100-degree days. The high on the day I was born, three days after the rioting ended, was 99 degrees...and that was preceded by back-to-back highs of 98 on Aug. 17-18. It is not accidental that riots and extreme heat often coincide.
Just for the record...on the day I was born, three days after the rioting ended, it was 99 degrees. There were four days of 100-degree temps that month.
None of the empty office buildings have showers or kitchens & probably not even enough toilets.
DeleteIt kind of ironic that in this crisis, you, Neil Steinberg, and your illegal immigrant sympathizers don't offer your home as shelter for these people!! It just goes to show how phony and hypocritical your side is when you argue that we as a society should not object to illegal immigration, but when it creates it huge problem (such as hosing crisis now), you are silent as offering a viable temporary solution for the housing crisis.
ReplyDeleteIts easy to be for a policy or position when it doesn't inconvenience you!
It's kind of ironic that your side proposes cutting border security as part of their government shutdown nonsense and then rails about immigrants.
DeleteOr any one of a number of other issues. Pot, meet kettle.
You must get dozens of fokked-up replies like this one every day, Mr. S.--and you've said you delete nearly all of them...unread. I assume you posted this one as an example of what the assholes fling at you. Just reading this right-wing rant is bad enough, and enough to really piss me off.
DeleteHow do you stand the gaff every day, Mr. S? If I were in your moccasins, I would be spending all of my waking moments like Don Quixote--battling these keyboard warriors, and ripping them new ones, and raising my blood pressure until I keeled over, dead from a stroke or a massive heart attack (Replying to assholes and fascists for 25 years...and refusing to take their shit...is one of the primary reasons I've been warned, suspended, and banned so mucking futch).
You're a better man that I am, Mr. S.
Which is why you're where you are...and I'm where I am.
You read that one right, Grizz. I shrugged and let this one through just to give you a taste. They love the "why don't you put them up?" argument, though I imagine they'd like that argument less if the pro-choicers started using it (why don't you offer your spare bedroom as a nursery to the babies you're forcing to be born). It is tempting to argue, but I try not to because it's a complete waste of time.
DeleteI know it's a waste of time, and yet I do it anyway...pissing away the relatively short time I have left by arguing with people one-half or even one-third my age, as well as geezers like myself.
DeleteI tell myself to step away from the keyboard...but I don't. The adrenalin rush from online conflict is more addictive than any drug I've ever experienced...and I was a tobacco user for 32 years. Oh, wait...there IS one addiction that's even stronger...I've been a Die-Hard Cub Fan for twice that long.
Grizz gets IT.
DeleteI will piss on your grave Grizz. Can't wait to take a large dump too.
Fucking invaders deserve a harsh winter.
Hey, Mr. S, can I tell this jamoke a hearty GFY and GTFO? Or are you going to do that for me? Your house, your rules. Wish EGD had an ignore feature. Too many anonymous assholes stinking up this place lately. Yeah, yeah...I know...the more hits the better...but still...too much riff-raff of late. And like I already said...i don't take online crap from anybody. Never have, never will...
DeleteBe my guest.
Delete20 million would build approximately 300 850 ft² housing units. This would allow for only 1200 residents. This is with no profit for the developer. It's just a math problem. And we're looking to shelter thousands. Maybe tens of thousands of people
ReplyDeleteAs far as being sympathetic to immigrants that have come here applying for asylum which means that they entered the country. Legally try to understand that they entered the country legally.
The church I belong to has been collecting donations both cash and items for these immigrants. They just added it to their program where the parishioners fund a food pantry and make donations to shelters.
This is what good Christian people do and progressive liberal types don't complain that their taxes are being used to help people in crisis. That's what douchebag Republican. I don't want to pay taxes jerk offs do.
Venezuela has the world's largest known reserves of oil.
ReplyDeleteMake them pay.