gentrification

I would just like to call attention to Jackson’s post here, and mention that I agree with everything he has to say about this rather sad display:

Maybe the residents of East Nashville are intolerant. Maybe they think that they can celebrate the gentrification of East Nashville and its rising property values without thinking about the people they are displacing. Maybe they can ignore the elderly who have lived in the neighborhood for 50 years and can no longer afford to live there. Maybe they just want to say ‘good riddance’. If this is true then I seriously misjudged my neighbors.

I think that the tomato throwing stunt is disrespectful to the neighborhood. This is disrespectful to the business owners who had their businesses practically stolen from them through eminent domain. This is disrespectful to the residents who depended on these businesses.

Most importantly this is a gross celebration of gentrification. Why not just post a big banner that says ‘The upper middle class are here now, everyone else can get the fuck out’.