So you wanna come to Camden? Or no? Yes? No? OK, yes you wanna come. So Comeden!…read more
Camden is one of the poorest cities in North America. In parts of town, it seems like more than half of the houses have been abandoned, boarded up, or even destroyed and leveled to the ground. It reminds me of Kosovo or Iraq on the news after the war. Yes, it looks like that, in places.
It's also a city with a lot of heart. You can forget the crime stats, the murder rate and the folklore, when you see the kids playing, or try the food at one of the little corner cafes, and see glitzy shiny comparatively rich Philly across the bridge, across the river.
It hurts me that in the richest country in the world, we should have cities that look like this. And people that have to live like this. And so many deluded, ignorant, brainwashed people in this country that will tell you, with some kind of feigned authority, that it's because they are lazy, or make bad decisions. Being born into Camden isn't a decision. It's reality. And there's often no way out. Cities like this are a blot on the copybook of freedom and democracy. The people that talk all that bull**** about Camden are people that have never been to Camden, have never met the people of Camden, and would rather just tell ghost stories and cautionary tales about it.
It's a wonderful place, and scores 4 for potential, heart, fight, spirit, and life. One day, it will be a 5. Until that day, we should all take a long hard look at ourselves and our society.
