Man With Ironic Screen Name Asks "Is Old Irving Park Going to Hell?"

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 14, 2010 6:40PM

Interesting conversation over at Everyblock Chicago from a man with the screen name "Ron Tough." Seems Mr. "Tough" has watched the increase in crime in his home neighborhood of Old Irving Park, is mad as hell and isn't going to take it anymore. In fact, "Ron Tough" is so angry about it he's thinking of taking a stand and moving to the northwest suburbs, like his parents and grandparents before him.

Wait, that's not tough.

The screed reads like a crash course in "Anonymous Thinly Veiled Internet Racism '101.'" Check out some of the juicier quotes:

• "All the criminals need to do is cross Addison or Pulaski or Cicero and steal from us 'rich' people - the kind of people who wear business suits."


• "The crime from the undesirable areas to the east, the west and the south are bleeding in our beloved Old Irving."


• "The have-nots are invading our neighborhood and stealing from the 'haves'."


• "We're the first neighborhood of the 'safe' northwest side..."

Perhaps Mr. "Tough" could benefit of the perspective of someone who grew up on the Northwest side during the post-"white flight" period. Old Irving Park, then and now, has always been a fair mix of blue and white collar families surrounded by neighborhoods that weren't so fortunate to have survived the suburban exodus of the 70's intact. There's always been crime in Old Irving Park against its residents, business suits or no. Leaving for the suburbs would be the easy thing to do, "Ron Tough." We suspect that, as he gets older, "Ron Tough" will become that guy who wonders why his tax dollars should go to support civil services like schools he has no need for, since he's an empty nester.