Couple Takes Licking, Keeps On Ticking

By Shannon in Miscellaneous on Mar 17, 2007 5:03PM

Grant us some liberty with the following generalization. The arc of an average citizen of Chicago typically follows this pattern: Live in the city. Get married, have kids. Move to the 'burbs. Stay there forever. No doubt there are exceptions, but such is the story of many ex-pat Chicagoans. Edward White and Angelique Denwiddie fit the description, moving to Skokie after ten years of living in West Ridge. However, the couple have now declared a war of sorts after an unfortunate incident.

White, who grew up on the North Side, went back to visit his old neighborhood Tuesday with his wife and family. They were hanging out at Emmerson Park, enjoying the 70° weather, when the two parents witnessed a group of youths attacking a 15-year-old girl. Denwiddie called 911, but couldn't stand sitting idly by waiting for the cops to show up. She got into the fray, protecting the girl by backing her up against a wall and telling her to flee. When she yelled at the conglomeration of ruffians, the number of which range from four (according to the girl) to 35 (according to White and Denwiddie), they started beating up on her, punching her in the face and ribs. White distracted the group by calling them "punks" and ended up with over 30 blows to the head, by his count. Only four teenagers were arrested out of the alleged swarm.

Most ex-pats, when faced with a situation like this where city residents act like they're "in a Third World country," thank their lucky stars they moved out into the suburbs where it's safe. Not White and Denwiddie. They've decided to move back to the city in order to educate troubled youths and keep them from a life of crime. We wish them the best of luck; they've got a long, hard road ahead of them, but if it can keep stuff like this from happening, it'll be worth it. They're better people than we.

Image courtesy of Million Dolla Bill.