# Lets shut down the highway, that'll solve all the problems! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 25, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577 "2018-07-25T19:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/21 "2018-07-25T21:16:02Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Dr. King, you say? The OP has some thoughts about him, certainly. They can be found in this thread he started a few days prior to Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2015. > > [Let's pit Martin Luther King! - The BBQ Pit - Straight Dope Message Board](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746440) I keep thinking I’ve hit rock bottom of my opinion of this motherfucker, and then new sinkholes open up. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/22 "2018-07-25T21:20:57Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Independent of whether or not one part of the city is a fetid cesspool or not, I have to feel that these sorts of protests are counterproductive. Rather than make people think “Man, we’re treating the south part of town badly.” while they sit in traffic behind the demonstration, it reinforces negative stereotypes and also hardens hearts against them. I mean, if I had an important event to get to, and this protest snarled traffic everywhere, I’d be pretty turned off to the idea of actually helping them because of their antics. > > TL;DR, it’s essentially a terrorist tactic, and it turns people off to their cause. So your suggestion for a better way to address this? Or are you saying that they should just go back to their cesspools and gratefully accept whatever crumbs come their way regardless of how much tax revenue is actually generated for the city from the South and West sides? I’ve often heard the opinion that this or that protest is inappropriate, its the wrong place, the wrong time, but I never ever hear a suggestion for what would be the right place and the right time. It’s almost as of those that benefit from the status quo want to keep it that way and they’ll always find something to criticize regardless of what way people decide to speak up. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/23 "2018-07-25T21:24:45Z")
> [@bump](#): > > TL;DR, it’s essentially a terrorist tactic, :rolleyes: Don’t be an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/24 "2018-07-25T21:33:59Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > There are no expressways in this part of Chicago. LSD is the only reasonable way to go north/south. Define “reasonable”. The Dan Ryan feeds directly into the Kennedy and that is south to north, and it moves faster than Lake Shore Drive during rush hour because it has no traffic lights. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/25 "2018-07-25T21:38:40Z")
Why didn’t you make a pit topic when they shut down a highway on the South Side a few weeks ago? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/26 "2018-07-25T21:43:13Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > There are no expressways in this part of Chicago. LSD is the only reasonable way to go north/south. If LSD is a parking lot you could try, oh, I don’t know - Sheridan, Clark, Western? There are numerous north-south streets in Chicago that can be used as alternates. Sure, the speed limit is low, but at least they’re moving. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/27 "2018-07-25T21:46:03Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’d be pretty turned off to the idea of actually helping them because of their antics. How, specifically, were you helping them prior to their “antics”? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/28 "2018-07-25T21:47:45Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > No, but writing off two entire sections of the city as a “cesspool” makes you that. Maybe get out of your house once in a while and learn a little bit about your city. Your anger seems to indicate that you care about Chicago, but your ignorance of large parts of the city seems to belie that. > > I live on the South Side of Chicago. My neighborhood is beautiful, it is full of good people, and we all love living here very much. Your attitude is shit and seems born of ignorance of the city you live in. Indeed. Same here, but maybe the Southwest Side is an exception or something. How **dalej42** is ostensibly a Democrat, I’ll never know. He’s more ornery about the left than many Republican voters I know. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/29 "2018-07-25T21:53:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Indeed. Same here, but maybe the Southwest Side is an exception or something. How **dalej42** is ostensibly a Democrat, I’ll never know. He’s more ornery about the left than many Republican voters I know. I reread the story, and noticed that they’re calling for Emanuel’s ouster. Chances that a mean, bitter fucker like Dale is an Emanuel supporter? Real high. Maybe this comes from being a partisan tool after all. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/30 "2018-07-25T22:09:46Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > So are you. > > Disrupting the lives of ordinary working folk for your selfish personal political bullshit is the very definition of narcissism. And you are their King. Even if that’s the case, comparing them to a cesspool is way out of proportion. At the very most, I’d say their actions are kinda douchy. But comparing them to terrorists? Get some fucking perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/31 "2018-07-25T22:23:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Indeed. Same here, but maybe the Southwest Side is an exception or something. How **dalej42** is ostensibly a Democrat, I’ll never know. He’s more ornery about the left than many Republican voters I know. I’m also Southwest side, so that probably makes us double cesspooly. I’ve encountered this attitude all my life from northsiders. To many of them anything south of the loop is either the ghetto or the suburbs. Probably one of the reasons protests like this end up happening. If people got out of their comfort zones and experienced more of the city maybe these attitudes would change. But probably not. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/32 "2018-07-25T22:27:44Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > I’m also Southwest side, so that probably makes us double cesspooly. > > I’ve encountered this attitude all my life from northsiders. To many of them anything south of the loop is either the ghetto or the suburbs. Probably one of the reasons protests like this end up happening. If people got out of their comfort zones and experienced more of the city maybe these attitudes would change. But probably not. Well, that’s the thing. I don’t think this is really a North Side attitude. I mean, some of it is, but **dalej** sounds more like an old-school 23rd Ward socially conservative Democrat to me. That he’s on the North Side is actually baffling to me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/33 "2018-07-25T22:36:25Z")
And I should say, I actually voted for Emanuel the last two elections, but every time **dalej** posts, I feel less likely to do so in 2019, if that attitude is typical of Rahm voters. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/34 "2018-07-25T22:36:46Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I reread the story, and noticed that they’re calling for Emanuel’s ouster. > > Chances that a mean, bitter fucker like Dale is an Emanuel supporter? Real high. Maybe this comes from being a partisan tool after all. I’m not mean or bitter, but I happily voted for Rahm and will vote for him again unless there’s a better alternative. > **[Chicago Mayoral Election 2015](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745361)** > > Let’s discuss the upcoming Chicago Mayoral Election. I hope that Rahm Emanuel is reelected as Mayor of Chicago. I certainly intend to vote for him. There really is only one acceptable challenger: Bob Fioretti. Fioretti is a decent alderman (not... ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/35 "2018-07-25T22:43:06Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, that’s the thing. I don’t think this is really a North Side attitude. I mean, some of it is, but **dalej** sounds more like an old-school 23rd Ward socially conservative Democrat to me. That he’s on the North Side is actually baffling to me. Yeah it’s not a direct north sider correlation for sure, but almost everybody I’ve ever worked with from the north side was impossible to get to come down to this side of town to hang out. Except for maybe the south side irish parade of course haha ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/36 "2018-07-25T22:47:48Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Yeah it’s not a direct north sider correlation for sure, but almost everybody I’ve ever worked with from the north side was impossible to get to come down to this side of town to hang out. Except for maybe the south side irish parade of course haha That part is true. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/37 "2018-07-26T00:05:09Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > It would be better if they tried to accomplish something besides being assholes for the sake of being assholes. What’s your damage, man? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/38 "2018-07-26T00:10:33Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I mean, if I had an important event to get to, and this protest snarled traffic everywhere, I’d be pretty turned off to the idea of actually helping them because of their antics. But you don’t, so all you’re doing is sympathizing with some hypothetical people who may be late to an appointment while ignoring the suffering that caused the protest in the first place. I mean, fuck those immigrant children and their parents, right? Or the people dying at the hands of the police, or whatever else is so wrong that people felt they needed to literally halt a part of our modern society to call attention to it: “FUCK THEM”, right? Someone, but not you, might be late for something. :rolleyes: Talk about a selfish take on the world… ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/39 "2018-07-26T00:17:00Z")
The protestors differ from Dale in many ways. Unlike him, they’re not “being assholes for the sake of being assholes.” [This article goes a little more into their reasoning](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-lake-shore-drive-shutdown-protest-20180723-story.html). > [@](#): > > “Oftentimes, the cries of complaints from poor people aren’t heard,” Livingston said. “We have to go where the cries have to be heard.” > … > Among the group’s demands are the resignations of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Johnson, Livingston said. But the organizers want more than that. They want to see more investment in their communities and better diversity within the ranks of the Chicago Police Department. > > One point of friction is how Emanuel appointed Johnson after disregarding finalists picked from a national search for the city’s top cop. The former superintendent, Garry McCarthy, was fired by the mayor after a public uproar over a video that showed Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times as the teen walked away from officers with a knife. Van Dyke’s first-degree murder trial is slated for Sept. 5. > … > Recent police shootings, including fatal ones, are why the activists say they would like to see resignations from Johnson and Emanuel. > > The groups began planning the march after Chicago police fatally shot Harith Augustus on July 14 in the South Shore neighborhood, Livingston said. The deadly shooting has sparked a series of protests that at times have led to tense interactions with police. > … > The planned march will no doubt snarl traffic and irritate people, but activists say they want that to shine a spotlight on their cause, Livingston said. It also would take place on the first day of the four-day Lollapalooza festival farther south in Grant Park. This tradition of civil disobedience, in which protestors put a halt to business as usual as a way to draw attention to their plight, goes back at least to Gandhi. So does the tradition of politically connected people shitting on the protestors. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577/40 "2018-07-26T00:29:00Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I keep thinking I’ve hit rock bottom of my opinion of this motherfucker, and then new sinkholes open up. Hear, hear. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-shut-down-the-highway-thatll-solve-all-the-problems/818577.md?page=3)