@Bear.....I won't play the race deal. I know too many stellar black folks. Anywhere you go, in any area where there is a breakdown in family values, you can find the same problems, regardless of race. Most of that breakdown is now multiple generations deep.....those values no longer exist, nor is there anyone to teach them because nobody ever learned them. I don't know how we fix that.
Ugly as it was, didn't Margaret Sanger promote a program to deal with that? http://www.blackgenocide.org/planned.html
I was born there and we lived on Summit Dr in East. St. Louis. Born at St. Clair hospital. Dad worked at Loomis Engineering where he was getting trained to run a department here in Texas. I remember mom had to watch how the direction of the wind blew in order to hang her laundry because of the coal dust from the smokestacks. We went back in 1969 and the pollution in the Mississippi was incredible. We took a “tourist” steam boat paddle wheel ride up the Mississippi and giant pipes were dumping liquid directly into the river. I remember one was green the color of green paint and we had to go back inside because it choked us so badly. Don’t know if it caused it but mom died of lung cancer almost exactly to the year later. Going back across the river to visit the old neighborhood about fifteen minutes in my parents were going...nope...nope...nope and very glad to get back across the river like pioneers making it back to the fort. I told a black guy with Missouri license plates about ten years ago I was born in ESL while we were filling up with gas at the pumps. He looked at me like I had just said I was from Mars and said...“No you weren’t.” Mom was coal black wavy haired like Harry Belafonte and coal black eyed with blackish features. It’s a Moorish Sicilian thing. My uncle looked like him. My grandparents for the longest time thought she was bi-racial. Probably what kept us alive in East St. Louis. Because even as a 15 year old I could tell we were not welcome. Big time. It’s not about race...my lawyer...doctor are and several bosses have been black.
Driving east to west on RT20 from US65 to Cline Ave. we counted around 110 homes and buildings that could not be lived in due to missing roof, windows, walls or doors, now they have empty spaces where they tore many down, you can still get a good count on new ones.
We run up there pretty regular either to catch flights, jump off point to the wine country, or some event. My wife had several tours she guided that started there so I'd drive her up and catch a couple free hotel nights downtown... As Grif says, it's complicated. I was heading back on 70 and missed my exit. No big deal hit the next one, go around the block and back on, right?? Nope, I ended up traveling several blocks through mostly abandoned buildings with the natives eyeballing me. Never came to a complete stop at any stop sign, the 9 was in my lap, and I was grateful to see the ramp sign.... You quickly know the areas to avoid but makes it tougher when you are not 100% sure how to get somewhere and trusting Google...lol That said, there are a lot of areas if you know how to get there... the Hill for some good eats, Kirkwood has a good Brewery (need to get back there), Chesterfield area has some decent eats...
Thanks Grif. However, being this is a waterfowl site(I realize a minimal on the PAF actually waterfowl hunt) I will repeat, Southern Illinois has no Ducks As far as the Metro East, The Federal Government spent mucho dinero on housing projects. Harlem looks like a resort compared to those housing units. Areas of St Louis are not far behind. With the current city & county administrations they are catching up quickly.
The west bank of the University of Minnesota - Cedar Riverside - east of downtown - has a concentrated Somali population. It has been called "Little Mogadishu" for years. It is the heart of Ilhan Omars district.
When I was a kid, the areas across the river from Cape Girardeau were THE place...Vienna and the like, particularly for Canada Geese. The only place better was the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and I think that was only because they said so. But Cairo needs to slide off into the rivers...that place...I haven't been there in several years now. Used to drive through on my way to Paducah (one route) and never liked driving through there. Lived in Memphis for a few years and would rather drive parts of it than go through Cairo.
Where DO Canada geese go now? I'm no goose hunter so all I know is that they used to stage at Horicon, get snowed out, then move to Swan Lake. They quit going to Swan and then S. Illinois had them. Now where are they? I'm assuming they just spread out all through Missouri and Illinois? There is a golf course lake near my house that will winter 2-3000....and they never used to stay there. I see many flocks as I drive through Central Missouri during duck season. Are these the same geese? Is Horicon still a thing?
