That article will come and go, it's not the first and will not be the last. This article rest on a hot bed of issues, complex in nature because there interconnectedness and history. You can't throw money at these type issues and they take a paradigm shift in thinking for some these issues to change/clear up/resolve/etc. Thinking a certain way(s) is extremely hard to change overnight. As a side note: One of my radical thoughts is of a social movement. "I have a Dream" rebirthed—if you will, in this new technological world.
The article was interesting. The author expressed his fears for himself, son, Philadelphia and the white race. I wonder why he did not ask questions of black journalists or community leaders. If I were a journalist, I would do just that. Due to the nature of facts, they do not favor everyone. Which is why one has to look at everything and put their preconceptions aside. I believe he wants to be one of those folks who "want to get a dialogue/discussion/debate started." It is possible to do so if all the facts are presented clearly and objectively.
I found that article to be oddly written. The writer came across as very naive to me. If this article was written by a young suburbanite I could sort of see where they were coming from (even though I still wouldn't agree with that point of view). But this is a middle aged man who lives in a very integrated neighborhood (Mt. Airy). He makes it seem as if no White people ever talk about the racial dynamic in this city and that is not true at all. It is always discussed and trust me white people in mixed neighborhoods (or neighborhoods near poor black neighborhoods) are not shy about expressing their opinions. The author of the article should stop trying to project his racial hang ups onto all of the white citizens of Philadelphia.
I'm from Philly, and the race factor is somewhat visible. But generally, I try to be nice to everyone!
