my middle class white guilt

[threeplusfire]

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.

Comments

[puella.livejournal.com]

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.

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

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.

[water-damage.livejournal.com]

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.

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

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

[water-damage.livejournal.com]

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.

[puella.livejournal.com]

i wouldnt believe her now

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

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.

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Good god.