You know what? I’m tired of the complaining.

Today, all of my Baltimore friends are sharing this article that outlines why they are “sad” about living in Baltimore City, specifically–Patterson Park. HEY! That’s where I live! You know what? I have a different outlook. The thing is, I *AM* staying–No Question, despite the high taxes, crime, political machines, shitty mass transit and high poverty rate. These are ills, yes–but I’m TIRED of people focusing on those. For all the bad things that happen, there are about four or five GOOD things happening here. To start: Violent crime in the city has gone down significantly since the 1990s. Patterson Park was a blighted shithole back then, but caring residents who REALLY believed started cleaning it up and it worked. Once it became a viable place to live and raise your children, people started moving there.
We have businesses opening up–Both BIG and SMALL, creating jobs and making the place more awesome than it already was. We have an awesome arts community that continues to do really big things: Creative Alliance, Baltimore Rock Opera Society, The awesome small and big theater scenes, The Burlesque shows, the music scene–small, large–it’s all reasons enough to stay.
One thing we actually have going for us is that people can still afford to live in this city. I have a friend that lives in a studio apartment for 1400$ because it’s in DC. I don’t want that.
We aren’t DC, Philly or NYC, yet
That’s what people want—a City that becomes soooo unafforable, it prices the middle class right out. and right NOW–the middle class is barely scraping by
But–it’s SAFER!
Where do you think all the people who were priced out of NYC/Philly went?
Newark, NJ, Camden, NJ. Crime always exists, it just goes some place else and becomes “someone elses problems” because it’s the result of a larger issue at work in this country.
“What about the CRIME?!?!?!?!?!?” people ask. “It’s a problem and what we should do is LOCK UP ALL THE YOUTHS! No. That’s not it at all. If we buy that–we become no better than George Zimmerman.
How many people pick up the phone and call in support of a bill or referendum?
You can clean up a neighborhood by buying/renting and living here, but there are more things to do, too
Get involved. make your voice heard. be a squeaky wheel. Armchair activism is not doing anything. A bunch of people share it on FB and never look at what worked and what doesn’t, they just go on to complain or say “I told you so!’ without batting an eyelash.
No one calls to voice their concern, they *MIGHT* go to a meeting of their little neighborhood oligarchy association asking for more police and more parking, but never really addressing the core issues that are hurting the city: Blighted neighborhoods, lack of jobs, an overworked and underpaid police department and Politicians who aren’t vested in change–only in the pockets of their contributors.
Do you know HOW many people voted in the last mayoral race? less than 1/3 of registered voters!
People want change, but sharing articles on social media isn’t going to change things. It may start a debate, but it won’t produce real change unless the debaters vote.

Volunteer, campaign, get behind someone with real answers. Stop buying into ideology and pick up the phone, visit a city council session, support a bill or issue that will make positive changes in this city. It takes the same amount of time that sharing an article and engaging in debate does….