Why has our Society become so Nasty and Vile - PART ONE
In the beginning there was a
gentle society in this land. Children played in the street, rode bicycles, little girls played with dolls, had sleep overs, boys cut lawns or delivered newspaper routes for movie money. There were block parties in the cities where entire city blocks were roped off in the late afternoons into the evenings, big tables were brought out, hamburgers and hot dogs were roasted out doors, the neighbors wives made salads for everybody, we all knew each others kids, each others parents.
If there was trouble, if children were in danger, everyone knew EVERY house was safe to go to, every parent would help, there was safety everywhere.
Churches were on nearly every block, and the services were full. All of us had extended families and close relationships in neighborhoods churches and our schools. All of which were close by.
I grew older and moved out. My neighborhood was Irish Catholic, Protestant with a smattering of Italians and Jewish. In the southern reaches of my downtown were Polish and blacks were in the far west end.
Suddenly, there was integration of the black community. The Stephen Girard College was a walled in fortress established in the late 1800's, all-white college and the black community began law suits to integrate it. In the 20th century, surrounded now in a total black part of town, they demanded entrance. Lawsuits grew into demonstrations and they grew into violent clashes with police. That manifested itself into the neighborhood residents scaling the walls and clashing with police INSIDE the walls and attacking the white kids inside.
Things got worse. Violent riots broke out in North Philadelphia and the US Army was called in to quell the disturbance. Gunfire, killings, and wholesale destruction by the community ruined much of their own neighborhood. Parts of the Temple University, North Philadelphia and commercial districts are still in some semblance of ruin.
Now, there was social division. There was - the beginning of hate. To be honest, in Philadelphia, a `150 year long history of social upheaval unraveled all at once in the late 1960's. It has not yet put itself back together. There is more.
The three newspapers of the day covered every sexual attack in colorful detail. 90% of them were interracial in nature, the descriptions were always mentioned: " the attacker was a black male, the victim, a white teenage high school coed..etc." This usually fanned the flames of interracial hatred in most of the Philadelphia neighborhoods. That lead to the roving black panther gangs cruising West Philadelphia at 2 in the morning, almost always armed. Hospital nurses on shift work reported they had an easy time getting a ride to work with them in case they were wounded in a subsequent gun battle. " we needs a friend in the ER, ya know," they reported in the Evening Bulletin.
By 1960, the election of the nation's first Catholic president pulled masses of folks who had enjoyed previous kindred spirit camaraderie apart - forever. Catholics abandoned Republican political polls forever, children were instructed by their parish priests that non-Catholic children were persona non grata at their birthday parties and isolated on their on street corners.
Social separation shifted into second gear.
###
If there was trouble, if children were in danger, everyone knew EVERY house was safe to go to, every parent would help, there was safety everywhere.
Churches were on nearly every block, and the services were full. All of us had extended families and close relationships in neighborhoods churches and our schools. All of which were close by.
I grew older and moved out. My neighborhood was Irish Catholic, Protestant with a smattering of Italians and Jewish. In the southern reaches of my downtown were Polish and blacks were in the far west end.
Suddenly, there was integration of the black community. The Stephen Girard College was a walled in fortress established in the late 1800's, all-white college and the black community began law suits to integrate it. In the 20th century, surrounded now in a total black part of town, they demanded entrance. Lawsuits grew into demonstrations and they grew into violent clashes with police. That manifested itself into the neighborhood residents scaling the walls and clashing with police INSIDE the walls and attacking the white kids inside.
Things got worse. Violent riots broke out in North Philadelphia and the US Army was called in to quell the disturbance. Gunfire, killings, and wholesale destruction by the community ruined much of their own neighborhood. Parts of the Temple University, North Philadelphia and commercial districts are still in some semblance of ruin.
Now, there was social division. There was - the beginning of hate. To be honest, in Philadelphia, a `150 year long history of social upheaval unraveled all at once in the late 1960's. It has not yet put itself back together. There is more.
The three newspapers of the day covered every sexual attack in colorful detail. 90% of them were interracial in nature, the descriptions were always mentioned: " the attacker was a black male, the victim, a white teenage high school coed..etc." This usually fanned the flames of interracial hatred in most of the Philadelphia neighborhoods. That lead to the roving black panther gangs cruising West Philadelphia at 2 in the morning, almost always armed. Hospital nurses on shift work reported they had an easy time getting a ride to work with them in case they were wounded in a subsequent gun battle. " we needs a friend in the ER, ya know," they reported in the Evening Bulletin.
By 1960, the election of the nation's first Catholic president pulled masses of folks who had enjoyed previous kindred spirit camaraderie apart - forever. Catholics abandoned Republican political polls forever, children were instructed by their parish priests that non-Catholic children were persona non grata at their birthday parties and isolated on their on street corners.
Social separation shifted into second gear.
###
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