On Sunday, July 15th, St. George’s, the Assyrian Church at the northeast corner of Ashland and Touhy, welcomed a visit from their Patriarch, celebrating his 50th year as shepherd of the apostolic Assyrians. The mood was festive. The church has been cleaning and painting for the past several weeks.
They rolled out the red carpet (literally) and blocked off Touhy between Greenview and Ashland. The choir was in fine form. An American flag was flown and someone sang the Star Spangled Banner. Neighbors gathered to watch the celebration.
But we couldn’t figure out why the barricades said “Ald. Joe Moore.” Is he Assyrian? Is this his place of worship? Most of the speeches throughout the early afternoon were in Aramaic so us neighbors had no idea what was being said. Although one neighbor was fairly sure that they were declaring war on Howard Street.
All of a sudden the language of the speeches changed to English and this is what we heard: thank you Joe Moore and thank you David Fagus.
And then David Fagus gave a little talk. And then they thanked Joe Moore and David Fagus. AGAIN!
Why would these people be prostrating themselves before the local elected officials? It didn’t make sense, til we heard that Ashland is going to be given the name of the Assyrian Patriarch – Mar Dinkha IV.
Ah, now it all made sense.
Assyrians give Joe Moore and David Fagus money and in return they get a street named after their grand poobah.
Nevermind that pretty much NONE of the Assyrians actually live in Rogers Park (thus they can’t legally vote for Joe and Davey-boy).
Never mind that the parishioners regularly illegally park in people’s driveways and alleys on Sundays.
Nevermind that they have been spotted dumping garbage from their cars in the parkways. They’ve got the money and they get a street named after their pope guy.
I thought that mixing it up with churches was the province of evil Republicans. I guess Joe Moore and David Fagus are now Republicans!
66 comments:
But we couldn’t figure out why the barricades said “Ald. Joe Moore.” Is he Assyrian? Is this his place of worship?
Because whenever they close the streets -- for block parties, festivals, or whatever -- the sawhorses with alderman's name come out. This happened in my old neighborhood all the time. The real world is often not as nefarious as you believe it to be, Craig.
Although one neighbor was fairly sure that they were declaring war on Howard Street.
I really hope you're attempting to make a joke here, otherwise you're as intolerant as you are paranoid.
Amy, you don't read too well, do you? This was a reader submitted story.
And thank's for explaining what Joe Moore's personal saw horses are used for. You're a real tool.
Whatever, dude -- you ran the reader submission because you agreed with it.
too funny!!
amy's an idiot because she didn't see "True Story From Real Reader" and then shoots back with "whatever".
hey, Ame . . . why don't you come pick up the trash that the Assyrians left behind and that Fagus and Moore didn't tend to either.
Bigger question: if the Moonie church gives Joe money, will he let them name a street after the Rev? Maybe it could be your street, Amy.
Snarfing my beer at how stupid you are.
You're right -- I missed the "disclaimer" at the top. (Perhaps Craig could learn how to post other people's material in a different font to avoid confusion. I'm not the first commenter on this blog who's made this mistake.) But Craig wouldn't have published this story on his blog if he didn't agree with it.
This reader's story is ignorant and xenophobic. The same could be said of Craig for publishing it without further comment or correction.
Craig, you blog often provides a valuable service to the community. I wouldn't have known about the drive-by on the end of my street last month if you hadn't covered it (the Trib didn't get to it for a couple of days). But your kneejerk reaction of blaming every single bad thing in the neighborhood on Joe Moore makes you look like a nutjob. The people who voted for Moore are not evil, the area business owners who have a good relationship with their alderman are not the moral equivalents of street thugs who beat people for fun, and your readers who call you out on your misplaced rage are not "tools" of Joe Moore.
Get a grip.
Amy is full of garbage. The post was not xenophobic. It reported accurately that church gives Joe money, he gives them a street name.
Amy said....> "The people who voted for Moore are not evil"
No Amy, your'e right, they're not evil. Just blind, dumb and very stupid. You seem to fit that mold.
No that does not look like a City light pole. It looks like something the church put up. That is not a City honorary street sign.
So how much money did the church give? Where is Hugh with his campaign website search?
You're right Bill. That's the Sunday Afternoon ceremonial, made for the t.v. cameras version. The city funded one comes later.
Who did write this article? Maybe they can tell us how much they paid for this honor.
Poor Amy. She probably meant well.
The real story is that these people 'worship in' our Ward, but most 'allegedly' reside elsewhere. I know a number of Assyrians who work in the 49th, who may live here, as well. How many have visited Big Buns on Clark. What a gem, but I digress.
The worshippers 'allegedly' have a reputation for not treating our neighborhood with respect, yet do so for a dignitary. Yet, it seems our Alderman has yet to find a solution for the parking frenzy on days of worship for the disappointed resident, who questions.
It may be parking, not garbage, that is the challenge. Besides, locals know that parking brings out the chairs, lazyboys, borrowed Streets and San barracades, and banned handguns after winter snowstorms. Therefore, this frustration does not surprise me.
What's an Alderman to do? Be creative, shuttle the folks from Gateway Plaza, et. al. or create some sort of parking holiday.
Finally, when all is said and 'don,' rather than name a street for a local hero, our Joe 'allegedly' ends up naming the street in honor of someone who lives thousands of miles away from our our Ward. Frankly, the sign looks fake for ceremonial purposes; its not the standard brown honorary ones.
Joe, if you are out there, maybe you should vindicate yourself without casting dispersions or carrying a grudge on your shoulder. The street sign 'does not' look like the typical honarary signs. Say its not so, Joe, its easy.
One thing, Mr. Fagus, it is good politcal form to get an advanced translation in English, if possible, of what will be said or the jist of it. Otherwise, if someone records it, you can really make the Democratic Party look foolish, since you may look like you are endorsing a position that you may later regret. There are polite ways to handle a situation; leaps of faith can sometimes blow up.
Is the position based upon appointment or do the self ordained politicos name someone in the 49th, the Dyson sucks up the interested party, and then locals vote yes or no?
I was sitting at the booth for the Rogers Park Baptist Church this past Saturday at the Celebrate Clark Street festival. A guy in a red suit, walking his dog, passed the booth, but refused a jar opener the pastor offered to him. "I don't use jars", was the guy's reply.
Another church member laughed at the guy's comment, then told me it was you. He said he met you some time ago. By that time, the guy had gone up the street with his dog. Was it you, Craig?
I hear the salesmen on morse avenue are thinking about giveing money to joey & fagus to rename morse avenue for one of their leaders??
(just kidding, my point is I wonder if joey would do it? - Think about the people who joey takes money from already before answearing)
Great, Craig and some anonymous commenter hate the Assyrians. That matches Craig's sycophant Laura Louzader, who made some ignorant comment about Catholics a couple of weeks ago.
What I want to know is, how does anyone know where the the Assyrians who go to this church live? Did somebody do a study?
I also want to know, why is it bad that people live one place and worship in another place? If living and worshiping in two different neighborhoods is bad, how about living and working in two different neighborhoods? How about that evil Craig, who lives in Rogers Park, but runs a business down in Boystown? If the Assyrians have to live here in order to have a church here, shouldn't Craig move his business up to Rogers Park (or move to Boystown)?
This is a classic example of Craig putting up something vague, but negative, and letting the slime attach to whoever happens by. Now the Assyrians are made to look like bad people. Are they? Craig chose to post it - Craig is responsible for that decision. What exactly did the Assyrians do that's bad? Nothing, but Craig makes them look bad anyway.
And what did the rest of you do about it? You lurk, and feed on the excitement, but don't take any action against Craig when he attacks people baselessly. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
I wonder if the reverse is true? "All that is necessary for the triumph of good is that evil men do nothing?"
Would that it were true.
It would play well in Rogers Park where, it seems evil men are very busy everywhere lately. Gooners, shooters, druggers, snatchers, etc.
I live right in the epicenter of the St. George, St Paul, and Unification churches.
All are very good neighbors.
Sure, parking is a mess on Sunday Morning, but you could say the same in most big church neighborhoods in Chicago.
It's actualy nice to hear the organ from the Anglican Mass, the singing Moonies, and the post-wedding drums, horns, wailing, and dancing from the Assyrians.
Today was quite a show, they really know how to celebrate. God bless 'em and their new honorary street.
I have no problem with the Assyrians, Moonies, Episcopaleans, or the Hari Krishnas. They are all relatively fine neighbors. But the Assyrians (and the Episcopaleans) don't think that parking rules apply to them and the Assyrians have been caught dumping their trash in the parkway. I've seen them do it and told them to stop. Given that they dump their trash and don't even care when busted, it's obvious they don't live here.
Todd Stroger stoogie David Fagus on yesterday's Dog and Pony Show.
On Sunday July 15, 2007 I had the honor of being part of a celebration of Mar Dinkha IV's 50th anniversary of becoming a priest. It was an honor to be a part of this event. I didn't go expecting this to be something truly memorable but it was. As a Roman Catholic, the people of the Assyrian Church of the East are my religious brothers and sisters. This man is a leader of the faith with a long and distinguished history. In his presence I felt the goodness coming from him. It was the same goodness that had so many in the audience smiling and cheering. As I said in my comments on the church stairs, "a man who has served as a priest for 50 years has had a profound impact on the lives of thousands."
It was clear that the people who are members of the church believed this. They were very moved by this man and his presence. This was an event that I will not forget anytime soon. There was real passion for this man of God and I am happy to have been a part of this ceremony. An honorary street naming is a little bit of recognition for a man who has done immeasurable good for the world.
From the Assyrians Website: (with comment)
American writer mocks the Mar Dinkha festival.
Comment From Vee on the Assyrians Website:
What the American writers wrote in that article was an embarrassment to everyone, I agree, no thanks to the gang out in Chicago. I'm an Assyrian and had nothing to do with this street naming, and I get the blame as an Assyrian. Those American writers cant tell the difference of what Assyrian group did what. Its sad that they have to write like this...but its the truth. This Eta has become the laughing stock of everyone due to the acts of some of the church leaders in the Eta. Instead of you coming here and chatting up a storm about who owns what...go ask Mar Dinkha why he even agreed to name a street after himself? What pride must he have to let this happen?
OK-
What bugs the hell out of me as I read that thread from the Assyrians is how they refer to 'those Americans' as an entity outside of themselves. This effectively makes them 'those Foreigners'.
If you didn't come here to be one of 'those Americans', then get the f**k out of the country back to where you came from. Such language bifurcates and leads into 'us and them' which, as history will show you, is a situation in which the minority typically loses.
-C
P.S.
Let me add (before some sort of interracial riot begins) that I'm not against 'those Americans' OR 'those Assyrians'. I'm hoping writers can be more mindful of how they sculpt their arguments.
To Craig: perhaps some due diligence is in order before posting what readers submit, especially when it damns an entire community.
To Ashtar et al: Maybe what this person wrote is untrue and you can disregard it entirely? Maybe there is truth to it and it should be addressed?
So its the next day . . . who has information into how much the assyrian community paid for this honor? Is there any evidence as to possible shenanigans, or was this reader contribution some knee-jerk conspiracy theory?
Hello,
I'm Assyrian, and I attend this church. Apologies if we make mayhem on Sundays, Easter, and Christmas, we certainly don't mean to destroy neighborhoods, we are just church-going people.
I won't get involved with the discussion about the alderman, as I don't live in Rogers Park, but I will ask that if you believe the Church has "bribed" city officials for the honorary street name, that you do so with some proof. There are Polish, Greek, Irish, Italian, Indian, African-American, and other ethnically or religiously defined honorary streets around the very multi-ethnic Chicago.
Rogers Park was historically very heavily Assyrian (although they started out in what is now Andersonville), but like many immigrant communities, began spanning out. That is why their church is in Rogers Park, probably within walking distance for a lot of Assyrians who lived in the area.
not hard to see why the skin heads like to read the broken heart.
Waleeta-
Thanks for your level-headed post. This forum is in dire need of more clear-thinking individuals.
The "clear thinking post" of Waleeta said:
1) Maybe we do destroy your neighborhood, but we don't take responsiblity for it. We are too busy going to church.
2) I don't live in the neighborhood so I have no opinion about your alderman.
3) I don't know if anyone was paid for the honorary street sign. Do you?
4) Assyrians used to live here. Now they mostly live other places.
5) Lots of other ethnic groups have honorary signs too.
But she did say it all very politely. The alderman would like that.
> That is not a City honorary street sign.
yeah, bill's right
that sign does not look like any of the other silly honorary street signs cluttering up our City
The honorary street names are passed by ordinance.
Was Moore so distracted by the race of his life that he dropped the ball on prep for a July 2007 party, so the congregation stuck up their own sign?
All right Rebecca, let's see how this goes.
1. You twisted her words around. It sounds like she was talking about the traffic and parking caused by the church. Truth be told, there are litter bugs in every group, and a few bad apples should not cause an entire group to be condemned. However, any issues with trash and parking should be discussed with the church leaders. The best way to solve a problem is to communicate.
2. She did not say that she did not have an opinion, only that she would refrain from expressing it, since her opinion would not matter to those of us who actually live here. If she did express her opinion and did not live here, you most certainly let her know that her opinion does not count.
3. That's right she doesn't know. It was not her claim that officials were bribed. That was an an allegation made here, anonymously! (Craig?) So, Rebecca, do you have any evidence of bribery, or are you in the business of believing baseless claims?
4. In many neighborhoods in Chicago there are congregations made up of ethnic minorities, who, through gentrification, time, and general sprawl have moved from the immediate locale of the church, but still travel to attend mass. The Assyrians are no different.
5. What is your point? She is right. Other ethnic groups do have honorary signs. Here we have an honorary sign for the patriarch (the Pope is the patriarch of the Catholic Church) of a Christian sect that has been around for around 1800 years. It just so happens that this patriarch has made this church his headquarters since 1980, when he was forced out of Iraq due to security conditions.
This is not a person who flew into town for the ceremony. Chicago is home to the largest concentration of Assyrians outside the Middle East. St. George is the flagship church for the Assyrians in Chicago. Is there really a problem with this honorary sign, which honors the fact that the patriarch of an 1800 year old church has made the church on that corner his pulpit and headquarters for the last 27 years?
Rebecca-
Actually, I said "level-headed post" and "clear-thinking individuals". I suppose you can smash the two together for the same effect.
Waleeta actually said:
1) We _may_ cause mayhem and, if so, I apologize.
2) We go to church.
3) I will not comment on your alderman because 3b) I do not live in Rogers Park.
4) Please provide proof if you accuse us of bribery.
5) Other ethnic groups have streets named for their leaders, I think we have the right, too.
6) Migration of Assyrians, churches, walking distance, etc...
Rebecca, what was your point, anyway?
My friend goes to that church and he can't stand JoMo. He also tells me that Nathan and Zachary DO NOT use the Rogers Park library as pictured in Joe's campaign flyer. He ran the names.
this Mar Dinkha IV dude is STILL ALIVE?
I don't believe that's a City honorary street name
Michael Jordan doesn't have an honorary street
Hey Fagus, Please stop broadcasting that you are a Roman Catholic.
So Fagus is Catholic. Where do you go to church, Hugh? How about you, Craig? These Assyrian people get up and go worship. I bet on those mornings Craig is sitting at home nursing yet another hangover, and at 9 am Hugh is still awake and naked in front of the computer, after a long night of cruising websites we won't mention in any great detail.
But answer the question, you holier-than-thou hypocrites: where do you go to church? Where is it that your sense of propriety sends you for worship services?
1) I'm sure am not going to join a church that's members need to see who has the biggest dick by parading their fancy BMW's and Mercedes Benz' around the block to impress the chicks and fellow countrymen.
2) and the parking hogs who own these over-priced gas-guzzlers are too afraid to park in the Field School Parking Lot. A official lot that they are suppose to use - but are afraid to park because of the gooners.
Any more questions Joe W. Bush?
1) Use of the words "if", "certainly" and the implied "but" basically invalidate the sincerity of the apology. Since she's decided to speak on behalf of her congregation she also didn't say that the congregation would make an effort to be more respectful to adjacent neighbors in the future now that they are aware of the negative impact they are having. In my book that would have been a real apology.
2) You're right - she didn't say she doesn't have an opinion. Just that she wouldn't share it. For the rest see point 4
3) Are you saying that no monies change hands for honorary signs? If no monies change hands, are these signs then gifts from the city? Please note, I have never used or implied the word "bribe".
4) An original point of this post is that this community largely doesn't live in the ward and therefore has less of a vested interest in keeping it litter free and respecting parking rules. Many commenters tried to make the argument that maybe lots of Assyrians do still live in the ward. Then, in her community's defense Waleeta made the point that they, in fact, don't. How does that make her clear-headed?
5) Stating what other groups have gotten to show what you've got is justified doesn't make the practice right or that writer a clear thinker.
My point? I don't really have an issue with Waleeta per se. I think her muddle was essentially well intended. But in your rush to redirect the string and defend you- know-who no matter what you were willing to give the documented negative impact the congregation regularly has on the surrounding neighborhood a pass.
There. Is that clear enough for you?
Date: Monday, 16 July 2007, at 8:59 pm
In Response To: Re: American writer mocks the Mar Dinkha festival
Baklawa said....> A simple example of the vast difference between someone like Mar Bawai and our current patriarch:
When the youth group at Mar Gewargis Church in Ceres held their graduation party last month, they announced that they had named their school after Mar Bawai.
When His Grace got up to speak, he thanked everyone for the gesture and then asked them to change the name to honor one of our many saints. In his always pleasent manner, he made clear that honoring living people in such a way is really "mishkha mkhaya" and unnecessary.
I think his humble spirit is what so many of his admirers like most about him.
George W. Bush says [by way of shutting up critics]: But answer the question, you holier-than-thou hypocrites: where do you go to church? Where is it that your sense of propriety sends you for worship services?
Thanks for that very effective advertisement for the seperation of church and state...
Rebecca-
Your point IS quite clear now: you seem to think I'm defending Joe Moore simply because I don't approve of implying bribery without having cold, hard facts involved.
Remember THIS clear point: if I'm against something Craig has said or done, it doesn't make me pro Joe Moore.
It's funny because, as most people picked up on (not including yourself) the main thrust of the post WAS NOT about litter. It was about potential bribery. As for giving the 'documented negative impact' a pass, piss up a rope. I've seen NO such documentation and, with the track record at this blog as it is, I have to take most 'informational forum posts' as crap. I'll assume these folks are innocent until proven guilty by something other than some half-coherent, anonymous piss and moans.
That being said, I still applaud what Craig does (for the most part) and I do take his harder-hitting 'reports' more seriously (such as zoning, gooning, and shooting coverage).
Ok seriously, how does one piss up a rope?
Bribery? Who said anything about bribery. The writer said "gave money" - not bribery.
Please, get your facts straight. Stop twisting words. The writer didn't said anything about bribery.
SIgned,
One of THOSE AMERICANS!
p.s. David Fagus, can you swear on the bible, no one, no agent, or anyone connected to this church has given you or Joe Moore's campaign a monetary contribution?
This would save us a lot of time cross-checking the church membership list with yours and Joe's D-2's and A-1's.
Hi, I also attended the event and thought I'd clear up a few things...
Assyrians almost entirely lived in Rogers park back in the day. There aren't as many today, but I can say with good certainty that most of the congregation at St Georges lives within 5 miles of the Church. When Mar Dinkha became the Patriarch in 1976, about 90% of the congregation lived in Rogers Park (and he doesn't live thousands of miles away, like someone claimed. He lives in the city).
Today, there is still huge Assyrian population in Rogers park, including my parents and most of my relatives. There are dozens of Assyrian businesses. There are barely any in that specific block, but I don't see why that's am issue. Many own businesses, and before anyone jumps to conspiracy conclusions, ask the Assyrian business owners what they think of Alderman Moore, and trust me, there will be a resounding amount of criticism.
As for Assyrians parking illegally, dumping garbage, etc. I think that's an unfair comment. There's illegal parking and litter from every demographic in Rogers Park, and its totally unfair to make a generalization like that.
As for getting the street name, The man is a big humanitarian and a local hero for thousands of people in the city. Like him or not, like Assyrians or not, the fact is this person means a lot to a lot of people. Street designations aren't given at the local level anyway. They're given at the City level. And there are a lot of Assyrians in the city. More importantly, the Church has been his home for over 30 years. I can't think of a better street to pick.
Assyrians give Joe Moore and David Fagus money and in return they get a street named after their grand poobah.
Doesn't this sentence impute impropriety? That without the money changing hands, this would not have happened? And if we find out that congregation members do give money to Joe Moore, does that mean that this definitely was a quid pro quo situation?
Regardless of the fact that "bribery" is not in that sentence, bribery is defined as "the practice of offering something (usually money) in order to gain an illicit advantage." Isn't that what the sentence implied?
By all means, I would love to see whether money changed hands for this honorary street dedication. Tell me, though, why are you going to check the records for donations to find circumstantial evidence of impropriety (i.e. donations which may have been part of a quid pro quo agreement)if you say this wasn't ever alleged in the first place. Get real. Your headline is "cuz they got the dough."
As far as residents' valid concerns regarding parking and litter, those complaints should be brought to the attention of the police, at the CAPS meetings, and to the alderman's office, respectively. The only way to get these things resolved is to communicate our concerns with the church and those officials in our community who can compel change if the church is unable to get their congregation members to modify their behavior. Tow cars parked illegally. Complain to the alderman about litter from the church. Sooner or later the alderman will get sick of hearing about these problems and will hopefully do something. However, I find it hard to believe that the church, after being notified of these transgressions, would not sternly ask their members to respect the neighborhood as their own.
Rebecca said, "I can choose to emphasize whatever part of this story I wish."
How right you are. Nobody can make these choices for you. And, of all the different parts of the story, you chose to emphasize a part that baselessly accuses Assyrians of being bad people. Says a lot about you.
Craig, now that you explained that you hate churches where fancy cars park (which I didn't ask about), and that you hate churches where... I don't understand what you said about gas guzzlers, and goonings, and "official" parking lots, whatever that is... We know you hate lots of people, and feel superior to lots of people. Thank you for repeating that for us. It's not what I asked, but thank you anyway.
Now, where do you go to church? Is there ANY group of worshipers that meets your standards? Or should ALL churches and ethnic minorities in Rogers Park wait for their turn on the blog as the whipping boys of the day? Other than your inherited gay pornography empire and the bars where you collapse nightly in your own vomit, is there any group of people that meets your high standards for behavior?
go amy go, right teacher, don't let thse vipers turn on you, go dforbid I told you if you don't follow the program they will chew you up. how dare the Assyrians a great immigration story in Chicago, one of the oldest civilizations, thank joe moore and how dare they get a street named, they should be taunted and basically called evil because of their assoication with an alderman. never mind this was a highly sacred day for them. no its ok to be racist to assyrian, the white liberals, not KKK speak so it must be PC.
and rebecca you smell of a racist, bigit and your a bloody snob
How odd! RP's god gooners random stomping hapless victims, gang shootings, neglected and abused children, drug addiction,etc.,etc., and we're worried about the Assyrians parking next to stop signs on Sunday mornings??? Get a grip!
So a church got a part of Ashland to receive an honorary name. I care because...?
I don't see the big deal here.
Why is there no ID on who wrote this "true story from a real-reader"? If Craig did not agree with what the poster had to say, why didn't he block him? He blocks all sorts of other people.
Craig wants a race war. He's starting his own with these church going folks. It's vile.
Did you know that in 1918 nearly 2/3 of the Assyrian Christians in Turkey were massacred at the hands of Muslims and Kurds? It was genocide of a people long before the Jewish Holocaust. In one village alone 200,000 were massacred.
While our country's founders had a keen sense to draw a separation of church and state, it had one probably unintended consequence...that was to make our country one of the most tolerent countries in the world when it comes to religion.
There's a beautiful Jewish Synagogue in the 5000 block of N. Kenmore in Uptown. It can barely keep it's doors open. Most of it's members live outside the area. Do they belong there anymore? Not according to some of your posters Craig. What a shame. Visit their site at http://www.aansc.org/index.html
It seem to recall the Hitler rose to power on half truths, lies and deluding people about race, religion and ethnicity.
All I can say is you make Joe Moore look like a fountain of reason.
I am truly so sad for you Craig.
Perhaps you and Rebecca and a few others should go out and get fitted for your brown shirts now.
Let's not forget about the money the Church donates to the neighborhood every year, the fact that in every mass they say a prayer for the community, or their other community involvements.
Let's not forget about the revenue the congregation brings to the neighborhood businesses.
Let's also not forget that the Church has a longer history in that neighborhood than about 99.9% of the people living there, or that it's older than almost all of the citizens in Rogers Park.
The neighborhood has a rich history, and the Church is a huge part of that rich, historical charm that differentiates it from other neighborhoods.
I assume most of the people complaining have a choice where they could live. It's only an assumption. But I think that the richness and diversity of what institutions like the Church give to Rogers Park pale the annoyances that have been brought up; annoyances that are in almost every neighborhood, save for the strip-mall, cookie-cutter ones. I'd rather have that beautiful Church on that corner versus some condos or a starbucks.
It's important to remember that the good significantly outweigh the bad. Please don't fixate on things and make generalizations about the congregation. Yes, a lot of people will take that as racist, and justifiably so. So when you see Assyrians making self-segregating remarks, its reactionary.
And for the people who are complaining about the parking... I'd like to see a show of hands as to who hasn't received a parking ticket. Or who can prove only the Churchgoers are the ones illegally parking on Sunday, specifically Assyrian Churchgoers. The Church rented a parking lot and is offering shuttle buses - AT THEIR EXPENSE, to accommodate everyone, including the neighborhood.
And ironically enough, there were several illegally parked cars from non-Churchgoers that blocked the event. They had to move their cars during the event, and one person nearly ran over a child.
Apparently my news item to Broken Heart has resulted in quite the hoopla. It was MY news item with obvious opinion.
Craig, being egalitarian, ran it.
Since it's stirred quite the pot, I'd like to address a few points that may have been unclear (or that people are choosing to misinterpret).
1. St. George's has largely been an ok neighbor, no better or worse than other churches around these parts. They cause more parking problems because they have a large congregation - a congregation that largely drives to their place of worship (which would seem to indicate that they don't live round these parts). That said, let's put statistics on the table. We can do this one of two ways: 1) St. George's can tell us, definitely, the percentage of their membership that lives in the 49th ward; or 2) I can sit in front of the church next Sunday and count the number of parishioners while my cohort checks their parked cars for Chicago city stickers, and if they don't have a city sticker and live here, then they are lawbreakers.
Here is what aina.org says "Most Assyrians in Chicago live on the north side of the city http://www.chiweb.com/chicago/maps/citynort.html . The greatest number reside in West Rogers Park. Smaller concentrations live in Edgewater, Andersonville, Budlong Woods, Ravenswood, Hollywood Park, Peterson Park, East Rogers Park, and Albany Park. Many Assyrians have begun to move into the near north and northwest suburbs such as Skokie, Morton Grove, Niles, Des Plaines, Itasca, Schaumburg, and Arlington Heights. A sizeable community also resides in Elgin." AINA.org seems to suggest that there are only a few Assyrians in E RP (and that most might actually be in the 50th ward if they are even still in the city). Yes, some live here but many do not. Ergo, they drive to church. This is not a criticism but an observation. It's not good or bad. It just is.
2. I apologize for seeming to imply that all Assyrians are litterbugs.
That's certainly not the case. Some of the parishioners think it's ok to clean their cars in our parkways and have practically laughed when asked not to do it but a few bad apples shouldn't define the tree. Many of our local children also think the parkway is a big garbage can. In fairness to St. George's, they even have a garbage can in front of their church. That said, the clean up efforts from Sunday's celebration weren't terribly thorough.
3. The celebration was charming UNTIL the church leadership decided to bring politics into it by sucking up to the Alderman and Dem Committee Chair - who was a featured speaker. Was this a religious event or a political event?
If St. Ignatius gets a visit from the Pope, does a little celebration, and has Dick Cheney come to speak and Cardinal George makes a speech thanking President Bush and Cheney, I bet a month's pay that the majority of Hellhole readers would be OUTRAGED. It was St. George's that mixed politics and religion. I was fine with the event until it got political.
4. Honorary street name: Personally, I don't care so much about this
BUT how many folks would like it if Rev. Moon got an honorary street name or
the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Hari Krishna's got one - or any of the other
religious institutions in RP? If St. George's patriarch gets an honorary
street name, why not all the VIPs of the other places of worship around RP?
Let's give St. Paul's an honorary street name - they give meeting space for
12-step programs, took in the lost boys of Sudan, and offer free pet food
for the needy (among other programs). What happened to separation of church
and state? But let's be charitable and allow that religion is a part of
life for many people and not be such sticklers. The bigger question is why
does St. George's Patriarch get an honorary street name in RP? What has St.
George's done for RP that caused the Alderman and his cohort, Mr. Fagus, to
believe that they are more deserving of such recognition than any other
local religious institution? Perhaps they have done great community
outreach in the ward - fed the hungry, clothed the poor, offered education
assistance for the disadvantaged. It may be that St. George's does a lot for
RP and I'm the ignoramus who isn't aware of their great programs and
generosity to the 49th ward. Let's hear from St. George's about their
efforts in the 49th.
5. Political contributions: I find it difficult to believe that the
Alderman and his cohort took time out of their busy schedule which involved
Clark St. festival, fighting a lawsuit, and Fagus' upcoming committee
election, etc. to speak at this event and to give the honorary street name
unless there were something in it for them. Since when does ANY politician
spend time on anything unless they will get something out of it? And why
shouldn't St. George parishioners give to Moore and/or Fagus? It's a free
country. Besides which, we know of lots of businesses in the ward that give
because they feel that they have to - that life will be easier for them if
they make a contribution. Wouldn't some of our religious institutions feel
the same? Was a direct payment made in exchange for an honorary street? Of
course not (at least not that anyone could ever prove). Can St. George's
tell us that no parishioner has contributed to Moore and/or Fagus? Can
Moore and/or Fagus honestly declare that no St. George's parishioner or
social group affiliated with the church has never donated? That said,
itemized contributions are being reviewed and will continue to be reviewed
in the coming months as campaign disclosures are made public. Can it be
proven that some parishioners have given to Moore and/or Fagus? Yes. Does it mean that they paid for the sign? No more so that we can say that a developer who gives to Moore and/or Fagus gets xyz. Do political contributions grease skids? Yes - at a local and national level. This is not news. Is St. George's corrupt as a result? No more so than anyone at any time and place who gives political donations and then obtains some consideration from those same powers. Even if everything is on the up and up; even if there is no ill will, it just doesn't look good.
It was St. George's that made their RELIGIOUS event a political one by
1) heaping praise on specific politicians;
2) inviting a political figure to speak. If you bring politics into something, expect to be attacked on a
political basis. Anyone who objects to the criticism of a non-profit, religious institution mixing with politics is being a hypocrite. You can't swing a dead cat in RP without hearing someone cry about the vast religious
right and their closeness to the Republican party.
P.S. The line about the Assyrians declaring war on Howard Street was a joke.
Actually, I wish they had declared war on Howard Street. And Morse.
And then maybe we wouldn't be hearing so many gunshots around the 'hood.
Signed,
The American Writer
Hey Cee Dub, I do more for no money in this commmunity than at least a dozen tax payer funded city workers or officials.
Your full of shit comments calling me out on what I do has earned you banned status. Go screw yourself pal.
I expected that from a coward like you and Been there. Hey, go lick Joe's boots this morning, you'll feel better.
Sorry folks, back to comment moderation until I can get rid of Joe's kindergarden supporters.
You even have to attack the Church craigie????
Come on, get real, it's a church.
God have mercy on what you call your soul.
I actually have some responses that can shed some light.
1) I didn’t know it’s illegal to park in Chicago without a city sticker, even if they are visiting. That surprises me. I do personally hate it when I see people illegally parked in Rogers Park, and I am totally annoyed by the blatant littering, I must admit.
2) Every single street dedication I’ve been to (not many, but enough), the mayor/alderman/congressman was present to give a brief speech and present the street name. I mean, the city is giving the street sign, it makes sense for a representative of the city to be there. I don’t think “they” invited him. In fact, I doubt they’d want him there if they had a choice. And the whole “political” aspect of the thank you speech was just that… thanks for coming. That’s it. It was ten polite seconds in what amounted to be about an hour of talking. Hardly a political statement.
3) If other Churches feel that they have a representative that has contributed to the town, then by all means, I am totally for them receiving honorary street names. It’s not like they were picked over. And the street names are earned, not bought. There is a pretty tedious application process, and it’s definitely not in the hands of Alderman Moore. Three generations of my family were brought up in Rogers Park, in that Church. Many of the parishioners, even if they no longer live in the area, have similar stories. So statistical analysis, as usual will likely only tell half the story. Keep that in mind.
4) As far as Moore and the dedication, they do get something out of it. Not campaign contributions, as the Church has a strong stance on that, but votes. A lot of people in the neighborhood, including non-members of the congregation, were enjoying the festivities. Assyrians make up a giant chunk of the businesses in Rogers Park (you just need to scroll down Devon or Clark to see). They make up enough of the voting population to make a difference. What is ironic about that is the fact that Assyrians, while usually a high voting demographic, are not easily sold on Alderman Moore, and this will likely not influence them much. You should have seen how my family laughed when we saw the news story on Moore chasing the purse snatcher. My dad was like, “Moore was sitting in a Café in Rogers park? Yeah Right! It must have been planned.”
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