As the violence continues here unabated, I've come to the long put-off realization that for safety's sake, it may be time to get serious about leaving. It's not just our town, but almost all of the localities in this half of the state due to our proximity to several big cities and the kick in the ass: the (thankfully) now closed refugee asylum center.
That's when the place really went to hell.
The sad thing is that this used to be one of the safest parts of the country when this area was a German/Polish/Irish blend. Growing up, my grandmothers neighborhood was mostly Polish, and it was not unusual to hear polka music flowing out of open windows on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
The stark difference was that when their ancestors came here they wanted to assimilate and had a burning desire to be American (while staying rooted to the culture of their homeland).
Today that's not the case after the deluge of newcomers, many who refuse to learn the language and instead wall themselves off while wallowing in the very things they supposedly are escaping from. We see so munch hatred of America among these people, which makes you wonder why they didn't decide to settle somewhere else instead.
That's in contrast to the last great wave of immigration from the early part of the 20th century where the people were grateful to reach these shores, and settled in with gusto to become treasured citizens of this amazing country.
But its the extreme violence among the recent bunch that I don't understand. It's almost as if it's built into the very culture that they're raised in. The treatment of women in particular is abhorrent, with an ownership mindset on the part of the men.
The shootings, stabbings and violent robberies which fail to spare even the elderly, has resulted in a mass exodus and brain drain of the best and brightest of the former American majority. This place feels like the Titanic at the early part where the ship is slightly listing, with the wise ones just aware enough to step into the early lifeboats.
I don't want to have to leave the place that I grew up in, but it's getting to dangerous to remain here.
Far Vistas
In conversations with the American remnant, the attitude is that we should "get while the getting good" and let the refugees/asylum seekers have this shooting gallery all to themselves.
Last year I took a hike in the hills on the edge of town (during the daylight, with my head on a swivel) that we used to peacefully hike in when we were kids. I was taking sort of a final grand tour over several weeks of the special places that remain when this was one of the 25 safest towns in the country.
Many of the people I grew up with have long ago given up and abandoned this area, but I was one of those who didn't want to be run out of the place I call home. But now the violence has even caught up to someone like me.
The migrants themselves are beginning to notice it with businesses closing and neighbors moving away. We see the immigrant families moving into some of the last safe American-majority neighborhoods in order to escape the crime, while bringing it with them.
Next thing you know, cars are being broken into, homes invaded, and elderly citizens assaulted by the gang bangers out to get some cash to fuel their addictions.
One by one, the 'For Sale' signs begin sprouting like weeds along the city blocks. The migrants get angry at the departing Americans and accuse them of being racists for fleeing, as they took pride in telling their people that they had settled among them.
But when you see 90-year-olds being beaten into a coma even after they handed their purse over, you know its time to go.
So we'll see what happens. The search for a new home begins now. Anything from NYC to Florida is pretty much out, as that's where (prior to the arrival of Trump) the prior administration had directing them to. I'm thinking somewhere away from the coasts and the pull of the sanctuary cities.
Someone suggested a place to me and in viewing photos of the area, the sky seems to go on forever. I'm even considering several English-speaking foreign countries as part of my search.
But who knows. With someone finally actually taking action to enforce the illegal migration laws already on the books, in a few years things may start looking different around here.
We're already hearing worried whispers amongst those who arrived illegally, and trust me, we have directed ICE and Homeland Security to special "areas of interest" once they make their way here.
There truly is 'No Place like Home' and home is wherever you find it, and with a little bit of luck, it'll be right here.
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I really hate to hear that about your home town. The reality is that violence and disrespect is the norm even in small town mid America. I’m not sure what the answer is.
The issue here is that this place was so good for so long, and then the fall happened in just a few years. The local criminals would rob you and then walk away. The newcomers rob you and then stab or shoot you to death even if you follow their instructions to the letter.
Here the extreme crime is confined to the city itself. Head out to the nearby suburbs and exurbs, and things are quiet as the housing values are out of reach of the bad guys here. They're also out of my reach. :)
The first beheading here shocked the entire area. The level of violence is at a big city level. The answer for me is that I go out almost only during daylight hours, and for the first time in my life, am looking for a way out.
With my home town it was meth. When I left for the service my home town was a typical mid-west town with it's little town problems. By the time I retired and returned there, meth had infested and ruined the place.
Not as bad as what you are dealing with, but we moved. We may move again because urban sprawl is now making its way toward us and the writing is on the wall.