I lived in Ditmas Park for 3 years. Worst neighborhood ever. EVER. Left in a hurry, will never come back, though real estate is dirt cheap and there were good deals. Why will I never come back, you ask? Because I have never, in my 40 years of life spanning several different Countries, experienced so much racial discrimination and pure hatred as I experienced from the Ditmas Park residents that preceded gentrification from people like me. It was simply a matter of walking down the sidewalk, on my way to the co-op or to work, and it would be a chorus of 'yo yo white bitch' from the huddles of men hanging around in front of their buildings under clouds of marijuana. On the street. Where children also live. Yeah. Awesome way to set an example. I also heard 'go back home, you f*#&$ing whitey', and several other equally idiotic comments. And these are the most benign ones. This is from complete strangers on the street. Granted, they were spoken by losers, but still racially based and oh so wrong. In addition, I found this to be the dirtiest, most unkempt, most crime-ridden neighborhood I have lived in. We could hear gunshots from our LR, coming from Ocean Av. And yet, we had moved in actually lured by the great prices and by the idea of diversity. It was important to us. Little did we know we would experience so much ignorant, primitive discrimination. Such ridiculous hatred. So to you dear blogger and to all those residents who are so terrified of improving your quality of life through gentrification: don't worry! Those people you love to hate and blame for bringing clean new Q trains are moving back out of your dirty, smelly, noisy, crime-ridden neighborhood faster than they could move in! Good Riddance Ditmas Park!
What a treat! I love how she tries to claim that all of us black folks are just a group of unemployed druggies. Good riddance to you Marina and why couldn't you have taken Ben with you!
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If this had been written by a black person who was leaving the neighborhood after racist taunts by white residents, you'd be enraged.
ReplyDeleteBut since the roles are reversed, you think it's great.
Your hypocrisy is only equalled by your delusion.
Is that you Ben?
ReplyDeleteOh and did you miss the racist rant against minorities by this former resident?
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not Ben.
ReplyDeleteAnd I must have missed the racist rant. Where does she mention the race of any of the men who yelled at her? (Trick question! She doesn't!) Obviously she's insinuating that the men aren't white -- but they're the ones yelling "yo white bitch" so they're the ones making this a race thing.
Do you think this is ok behavior? Is it ok for these guys to yell "yo white bitch" at a woman on the street? I don't know to what extent these men have suffered from racial bias in their lives. But I hope you'll agree that behavior like this only increases racial tension and perpetuates a hurtful cycle of prejudice and hatred..
and what about the racist comments directed towards minorities made by you, a current resident?
ReplyDelete"I don't know to what extent these men have suffered from racial bias in their lives."
ReplyDeleteIf you are black or brown you have suffered racism every single day. How naive of you to think otherwise.
GENTRIFICATION increases racial tensions in the neighborhood.
As for Josh, I have never made any racist comments towards minorities. It has been discussed before that Jews are NOT members of an underrepresented or discriminated class of people.
They can't be since they run everything.
dude! you make one hundred percent, pure, unadulterated antisemitic comments! who knew that someone advocating for fair treatment of all people is spewing negative remarks directed at a very specific group of people, who, sorry to tell you, are, indeed, considered a minority
ReplyDeletepeople like you should not be allowed to express your ridiculous and radically ignorant views.
Eloise write:
ReplyDelete"It has been discussed before that Jews are NOT members of an underrepresented or discriminated class of people.
They can't be since they run everything."
If only Jews "ran everything" in NY City. When Jews were a significant percentage of public school students, schools like Erasmus Hall High School and James Madison were graduating outstanding students. Now?
The last notable graduate of either school was Senator Chuck Schumer from James Madison. When did he graduate? 1968.
In other words, a long dry spell set in after Jewish students were replaced by blacks and hispanics.
Why do black and hispanic students fail to learn -- at every stage of life?
Eloise said:
ReplyDeleteAs for Josh, I have never made any racist comments towards minorities. It has been discussed before that Jews are NOT members of an underrepresented or discriminated class of people.
So you're saying it's appropriate to make racist comments to groups if they're not minorities?
Wait, you don't have to say it, you practice what you preach.
I'm not saying I agree with everything (or anything) Eloise posts here, but I wanted to say that am a young white girl living in Ditmas Park and all my neighbors (of all colors and creeds) are respectful and kind to me, just as I am to them. I have never had any problems at all with the people who live nearby. Just saying.....
ReplyDelete@Anonymous who has never had any problems, you are lucky if you have never been harassed as a woman living in Ditmas Park. I hope it never happens to you. Still, your experience does not negate that of others. I'm also a young woman and have been called all sorts of names just walking down the street. And I was just visiting. I can't imagine living there. In fact, I'm not sure why I'm even checking out this blog! Mostly I find it funny and I hope it's all a joke, but I ain't coming back to check.
ReplyDeleteThe only person who's acting as a bigot here is you, Eloise.
ReplyDeleteHarassment based on race is wrong, regardless of the race of those involved. This is elementary school shit. Do you honestly think it's okay as long as the person being taunted is white? I have a hard time believing this blog is serious.