threeplusfire | my middle class white guilt

Derek just enlightened me to how bad Austin's crack-cocaine problem truly is, the number of middle-aged tranvestite prostitutes, the presence of evil slum lords and a number of other strange things about that part of town I'm never actually in if I can help it. I do remember Patrick getting us lost over there once, years ago. He's thinking about riding along with the cops every so often from now on, just to keep his reality in check. I mean, once you see a cracked out college girl, seven months pregnant and smoking up while being the communal property of several other crack fiends... I suppose that makes our suburban existence a trifle disconcerting. For god's sake, it's right on the other side of the highway.

I'm just grateful he managed not to get himself shot. I was kind of worried about that.

I have been aware that all sorts of things exist that I don't see, and I have seen some of them. I just don't believe I'm ever going to lose that sense of shock when I do. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad one.

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i used to sit w/ on a park bench every night for 2 months in nyc w/ a pregnant heroin junkie and tried to help her get off the drugs, if not for herself, then for the baby. after a while i couldn't take it anymore and i stopped going to the bech. a week later i went and she was gone. i never saw her again.

don't lose the shock, don't become jaded and distance yourself fro this type of thing. it's hard to be there to watch, but as long as something like this touches you in some way, you are still human.

It would not be good for you to become jaded.

For me, it is necessary to change careers into law or social work to see if I can do something about correcting some of this. That comes not from guilt--I have not caused or contributed to the causing of this problem--but from disgust with those who have.

I hope so. Being jaded might be less painful, but probably not any more healthy.

I'm not sure what to do yet. Other than go back to school.

Austin ghettos aren't THAT bad overall though. It certainly isn't all of east austin. The area around kealing junior high, yeah that is pretty bad. I would definitely see crackheads and prostitutes on the way to school. It's a rough part of town. But other parts of east austin, like the neighborhoods around reagan, LBJ, and johnston high schools aren't really scary ghetto. They are mostly just normal neighborhoods where the people are poor.
You didn't say anything untrue in your post, I just wanted to make sure you didn't have the wrong impression.

No, I understand completely. As someone who lived once upon a time in rather poor parts of Amarillo and Lubbock, I know that being poor doesn't automatically mean crack houses and all those things.

I know, and have known for along time, that east of 35 is nothing like Hyde Park, or North Austin, or hell, even Lamar towards 183. It just never struck me that there were crackhouses in the city I've mostly grown up in. Selective blindness I suppose. God knows, it's probably better than a lot of other places. But I suppose I've lived with an idealized view of Austin for a long time, and it doesn't help that I live way out in the Northwest area.

Livejournal swallowed my words the first time around.
But yes. I think you are right on with this one.

I just don't like to be unaware of anyone's reality; I'm not sure it's a matter of health.

None of us can save the world. I'm just leaning toward working in public service now because I'm using it right now, so I see how it works up close and personal.

I went to Kealing, but years before you did. I remember a girl telling me that she had to blow our principal to avoid expulsion. At the time I didn't believe her.

when T was driving the taxi, he had some crack-head prostitute jump into the back of his car and proposition him. When he told her he was married, she tried to sell him her watch. Eventually, he just gave her 5 bucks.

i wouldnt believe her now

Good god.

Oh lordy. That's so insane, and so sad.

Stranger things have happened. Believe me, I went to school in the oh so nice Round Rock school district, and I have seen some terrible crap go down.

my middle class white guilt

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