What travesty is your city known for?

[Beware the Beast Man]

Is it riots? A crack-smoking mayor? I live in Cleveland, so mine's easy:
1. 10 cent beer night
2. The Cuyahoga river fire.

[swag]

1. Tonya Harding

[democracyindanger]

57. Embarassing, but

I think Mulugeta Seraw was the real travesty.

[swag]

59. Oh, yes

Agreed.

On the bright side, there was Anne Hughes, who organized protestors to vomit red, white, and blue paint into the street when Bush the Elder visited town.

[Tom Kitten]

76. Oh come on!!!

You're talking Portland you can do better than that! I challenge any city to equal this city's sordid past....

The Shanghai Tunnels! Number One on the list of any travesties and tragedies!....now a tourist attraction!

the Willamette River...big river rolling through the center of town, we still dump sewage into it every time it rains (Rain+Oregon=a lot of the time!)

In the 1920s practially all government officials were a member of the KKK !!! Keeping the blacks in their place I guess...like in keep out!

Meanwhile the City Council and Police supported and profited from a a healthy graft business not the least was a busy whorehouse business!

Shit, in the late 80s and early 90s I'd go to Satyricon to see a band but getting through Old Town! There would be dozens of people massed each block offering you chinga (black tar heroin)...Once you actually got into the place you actually felt safe!

[pagerbear]

2. Hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. Disneyland

[Catch22Dem]

4. Tulsa Race Riots - 1921

http://www.montgomerycollege.org/Departments/hpolscrv/VdeLaOliva.html

The first picture will literally KILL your faith in humanity.

[HawkerHurricane]

5. Roger Hedgecock...

Republican mayor dismissed for corruption and given his own radio show.

Also, Pete Wilson, mayor who became govorner who bankrupted California.

[Hawkeye-X]

6. The infamous anti-gay Amendment 2

Thankfully it was removed.

[eyesroll]

7. I live in Paul Hamm's hometown, so we're flying pretty high right now.

Nearby Milwaukee is, sadly, known for its segregation and massive racial tension. (Waukesha's not exactly diverse, but the African American and Hispanic people live scattered throughout the city, rather than clustered in certain neighborhoods.)

[Beware the Beast Man]

37. Didn't Jeffrey Dahmer set up HQ in Milwaukee?

I know he was originally from Ohio :(

[eyesroll]

40. well...yeah...that too

My husband once had a beer with Jeff Dahmer's defense attorney. (Didn't know who he was at the time.) The attorney's son is running for Congress now (as a Republican in a safe D district).

[progressiveBadger]

8. Tent City

and Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

[Semi_subversive]

9. Ahnold is here in our Capitol!

[kcwayne]

10. Indianapolis - Headquarters of the modern KKK

DB Stevenson was the grand wizard back in the 20's, and had a mansion in Indianapolis. He was sent to prison for the murder of a young woman. He threatened the governor that he would release all the dirt on him and all other notables in the community that had backed the Klan if he were convicted. Upon his sentencing, he gave the press a whole lot of paperwork that caused a lot of grief for his supporters in high places.

[GOPisEvil]

11. The biennial output of the Texas Legislature.

:7

[sidestreamer]

12. Gainesville Florida

1) prowling grounds for serial murderer Danny Harold Rolling
2) The only police force that will write a $52 ticket for letting go of your handlebars while riding a bicycle
3) Near Waldo, Florida and Lawtey, Florida - the only two cities registered by the AAA as speed traps.

[Momgonepostal]

13. Modesto, CA

1) Hometown of Laci Peterson and Chandra Levy, so sensational TV mecca
2) headquarters of Gallo wine, who makes Thunderbird and other low brow wines

[bo44]

34. Stockton CA

Cleveland School Massacre, Alex Spanos-the valley's richest freeper and all of his bought and paid for suck asses including the gropenator, bunnypants, and any Stockton based greedy old prikkk rethug elected official.

[bearfan454]

14. Austin Tx

The UT tower shooter, Whitman.

http://tower.jdedman.com/

[LDS Jock]

24. and also the travesty

of ever allowing bush in the governor's mansion.

[bearfan454]

86. That's true

Ann Richards was a great Governor.

[Longhorn]

115. I think I've finally figured out

that there's more than one puppy in the photo! :D

[tridim]

15. My birth city is known for the Hyatt skywalk collapse in the late 70's

That's Kansas City BTW. My adopted city, Denver is unfortunately known for the Columbine incident. :(

[Skittles]

17. I remember that skywalk collapse

such a terrible thing, and quite needless. I believe it was shown to be an error in design, not considering that so many people could be on it jamming to a band.

[Skittles]

16. being in Texas

nt

[Logansquare]

18. Democratic Convention 1968

[WoodrowFan]

19. Washington DC????????????????????????????

too damn many to list! My personal fav is recently the DC garbagemen refused to pick up the trash where I work unless we "tipped" them (ie bribed).

[slutticus]

20. Enron and Halliburton

...and Bob Perry


:(

[PittPoliSci]

21. Homestead Steel Strike.

Pinkerton detectives were brought in to "quell" the disturbance, in reality, they massacred the steel workers fighting for a better life.

[Garage Queen]

22. The Devil's Night Fires

Thankfully, however, those days are now long gone.

[baldguy]

23. A few things come to mind

An assassination




Snow




and perennial losers

[zbdent]

25. Well, since you have Cleveland covered, I'll go with Pittsburgh's

Namely, during its heyday,

Person 1: What time is it?

Person 2: 2 o'clock.

Person 1: AM or PM?

(reference to the smoke and the inability to see due to all the pollution of the steel mills.)

That, or "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh".

[Beware the Beast Man]

36. Also, as an ex-Pittsburgher:

Steelers neglecting to sign Dan Marino.
the Chi-Chi's hepatitis outbreak (technically, that's Beaver County)
and mas importante: the RW douchebag to end all RW douchebags- RICHARD MELLON SCAIFE! :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[zbdent]

41. I also forgot - we actually had Rush Limbaugh in town for a while

or was that his gay alter ego Jeff Christie?

[Beware the Beast Man]

55. Ah, yes!

On KQV, where he made that infamous "take the bone out of your nose" comment to an African-American caller. Fuckup....

[Nay]

26. Being the capital of the Confederacy (Richmond, VA) and

for often being the Murder Capital of the U.S.

[jbane]

43. what part of...

What part of town do you live in? I'm in Northside/Ginter Park near the Diamond.

[Nay]

49. Southside -- Bon Air

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

27. The assassination of JFK, 1963

[asthmaticeog]

28. Aw, jeez, BTBM, you left out SO much choice Cle stuff!

1. Mayor Perk declining an invitation to dinner at the White House because it conflicted with his wife's bowling league night.

2. Mayor Perk's hair catching on fire.

3. Uh, DEFAULT.

4. Michael Stanley.

5. FirstEnergy causing last year's blackout.

6. Michael Stanley.

[Beware the Beast Man]

35. I'm still a Cleveland newbie, of sorts

I also forgot the Browns/Jacksonville bottle-chukking incident of 2001, Michael Stanley, Howard the Duck, Channel 19 News, Michael Stanley, and Michael Stanley!

[asthmaticeog]

50. Ah, Channel 19 ActionNews!

My former boss works there nowadays. I think he and that gig are a perfect fit, and strangely, that's not an insult.

Other awesome Cleveland travesties: the long-unsolved "Torso Murders" case and the Ohio City Bridge War. (Seriously, this is true: before Ohio City became a Cleveland neighborhood, it was a separate city that got into a friggin' WAR with Cleveland over the Columbus Road Bridge! That's considered the origin of the Eastside/Westside animosity that still survives.)

And just for the record, Howard the Duck is not our fault.

[Magrittes Pipe]

80. I am a bit of a Torso Murders nut...

If I move back out to OH, my buddy and I are going to put together a "rock opera" of sorts about the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run.

Frank Sweeney did it, BTW. ;)

[asthmaticeog]

91. My friend Dave

lives across the river from one of Torso's body-dump sites (also right by the Columbus Road Bridge, bringing two shameful Cleveland episodes together in one frighteningly skinny man). If you come back, I can show you the spot if you'd like to meditate there for inspiration.

And Sweeny, Schmeeny; I cling to the wholly unprovable notion that Elliot Ness did it. It would certainly explain why such a law-enforcement legend "couldn't find" the killer. Though his ironic drinking habit may have played a role -- I haven't really thought this through.

[Magrittes Pipe]

104. This is an interesting assessment.

You should write a screenplay. I bet Oliver Stone would direct it.

[johnnie]

99. How are we known for Michael Stanley?

He never really got big outside of the Cleveland area. I did get to hang with him last November or so. Pretty nice guy.
Sam Sheppard
Rock and roll hall of fame (which I have never been to)..that's a travesty

[vetwife]

29. close to the big city..ZELL MILLER !

He beats out Danny Rollins hands down.. I lived in Gainesville during that mess and was a property manager. Zell is helping kill the whole country !

[Red State Rebel]

30. The Dred Scott Decision

[zanana]

31. The Union Leader

It seems like no matter where I go, when people find out I'm from Manchester NH, they say "Oh, that's where that newspaper is published". I hang my head in shame, and with my voice just a whisper, I say "yes".

[VOX]

32. Los Angeles: name your tragedy/travesty. RFK killed, Bel-Air Fire,

Riots in 1965 and 1992, earthquakes galore, the OJ "chase" and trial, the Manson Family murders and trials, the Rodney King beating, Malibu fires, periodic floods, Marilyn Monroe's death, freeway snipers, Richard Ramirez (aka the Night Stalker), the Hillside Strangler...

Those come to mind right away, but I know that I'm leaving out some biggies.

[TroubleMan]

33. I live in West Palm Beach.....need I say more?

nt.

[DU GrovelBot]

38. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

==================
GROVELBOT.EXE v3.0
==================



This week is our third quarter 2004 fund drive. Democratic
Underground is a completely independent website. We depend almost entirely
on donations from our members to cover our costs. Thank you so much for
your support.

[exJW]

39. We killed JFk :-(

I was a three month old baby, and my momma, who as a Jehovah's Witness was not supposed to hold any political opinion, cried.

...and 40 years later to the day, I was featured in a Discovery Channel program on the assasination (Unsolved Histories), and I can prove it cuz my momma bought the DVD, lol.

[Heddi]

42. Courtney Love & The Green River Killer

:evilgrin:

[flamingyouth]

48. You forgot Ted Bundy!

:evilgrin:

[Magrittes Pipe]

81. Of course, Salt Lake City and Gainesville can lay claim to Ted as well.

Don't try to hog ALL the glory, Lisa.

[miss_kitty]

84. but he started here, and based on that

courtney love doesn't count...but i just popped in because in addition to these Seattle travesties, i forgot-Paul Allen's EXP Museum. i LIKE the building, but a really rich guy doesn't need $20 from me, a person on SSA, to came in and look at a bunch of stuff he owns...now THAT's an ongoing travesty....

[Tsiyu]

112. Sorry, Courtney Love *definitely* counts

Anyway, I grew up in Forsyth County, GA, original home of the headquarters of the KKK. Oprah did a show there, remember?

That's also the place where it used to be illegal to eat fried chicken with a fork.

[Tsiyu]

114. Ahem....

SOMEONE has been posting with MY username! Goldilocks.

Seriously, i did the "remain logged on" feature and my daughter came home from work and assumed my identity. She is being crucified as I post. She didn't realize, silly girl.

Anyway, i grew up in Upstate NY and there were no scandals whatsoever there. LOL Any posts made this afternoon are not mine, especially that ponderous one she posted about favorite books. Jeez!! My favorite book is Pat the Bunny.


Jeez....

[Zomby Woof]

94. my vote is for the Westlake shopping complex

An injection of soulless corporate consumerism all in the name of "revitalizing downtown". Should have just razed all the old buildings and put up one more park, with the requisite two dozen latte stands! :-)

[Tom_Foolery]

44. The last public hanging in the USA. n/t

[chemenger]

45. Penn Hills (a suburb of Pittsburgh)

Home of Senator Rick (the dick) Santorum. Just try and top that!!!

[PittPoliSci]

68. thought he lived in Upper St. Clair.

:shrug:

[JVS]

88. He owns a house in Penn Hills (actually the Verona zipcode IIRC)

He likes to act like he's from Penn Hills to gain lower middle class/ working class street cred.

[JVS]

87. Actually only his wife is from Penn Hills. He's a fucking faker

All good Penn Hills politicians are Democrats. Just ask Tony DeLuca!

[dancing kali]

92. Santorum is from Penn Hills?!!!

I spent my entire adolescence there... I was miserable... I escaped the day I graduated (74). I always knew that was an evil place.

[DivinBreuvage]

46. Kent State Shootings.

Last year a black or army-green helicopter flew around all day keeping eyes on the crowd.

On edit: forgot to mention, my city is Kent, Ohio. Didn't want to leave anyone wondering :)

[flamingyouth]

47. Grunge fashion, WTO

Seattle, fallen city of coolness. It's very sad. :(

[swag]

60. Yeah, no more espresso shakes at the Western coffee shop

No more tater breakfasts at the OK hotel.

Still the Crocodile staggers on.

[flamingyouth]

74. I'm heading to your town tomorrow!

Going to a wedding reception on the roof of the Ecotrust Building.

Excellent avatar, BTW.:thumbsup:

[MuseRider]

51. Fred Phelps and his

unmerry band of sickos.

[The Blue Knight]

52. Marion, Ohio----> Home of Warren G. Harding, 29th President of the US

The sad thing is--most people in this town are proud of it too. But then again, this county has never gone to the Dems in any presidential election...ever.

We've got his memorial too, which I guess is the only Presidential monument with the Pres burried in it outside of Washington DC?

[Magrittes Pipe]

82. There are other presidents buried outside D.C.

For instance, James Garfield is interred here:



In Cleveland's Lakeview Cemetery.

[NorthernSpy]

69. you may take some comfort in the fact...

... that Fred Phelps himself is really from Mississippi.

Still sucks for Topeka, though.

[Guy Fawkes]

53. The Janesville, Wi KKK rally a while back...

on the lighter side, they gave Rivera (sp?) that annoying newscaster a black eye.

[Zomby Woof]

54. we allow the AZ Cardinals to have camp here

Otherwise, we're a pretty cool place!

[IronLionZion]

56. Flight 93 crashed here and 9 miners were trapped

The miners survived. Flight 93 crashed about 6 miles from my house and the miners were about 3 miles from my house.

and my town was founded by Harmon Husband, murderous traitor of the British Army. Somerset, PA

[qwertyMike]

58. 30 years of bombs, riots and bigotry

Oh and the Titanic too. That was a big one!
Belfast, Ireland.

On the upside - Van Morrison

[miss_kitty]

61. ted bundy; gary ridgway uh 2-3 yes votes or so for a monorail

we still don't have; the space needle,; tearing down old cool stuff, boeing, microsoft origins; two brand spanking new sports stadiums and 3 pro teams that suck, all the while a homeless population grows; cuts in social services...i could go on, but i'm getting depressed now.

[rockymountaindem]

62. Focus on the Family

And Amendment 2

[justjones]

63. Rodney King was beat down the street!

My hometown, Pacoima, CA, is where Rodney King got beat by the police on a dirt clearing by Hansen Dam. The person who caught it on tape lived in the same apartment complex where my sister used to live.

I think there should be a monument there that reads, "Can't we all just get along?"

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

64. the local high school expelled a kid for wearing an antiwar t-shirt

the infamous katie sierra

it made natl news just after 9-11 when the whole country was nuts, most democrats included

[AwakeAtLast]

65. Near to the world's largest ball of paint!

There is nothing else worth mentioning about Anderson, IN.

[ilovenicepeople]

66. Bathtub Races

Spousal Abuse capital of Canada
Hepatitis Capital of Canada
Most Grow-op's per capita

[displacedyankeedem]

67. Bob Jones University

Affectionately known as BloJo here.

[NorthernSpy]

71. LOL!

BloJo, huh? And I thought I was all alone laughing at the initials "BJ-U".

:D

[LiberalManiacfromOC]

70. Laguna Niguel, California

It's travesty is that it's FULL of right-wing nut-jobs

[Droopy]

72. The infamous phosphorous fire of 1986

A train that had a car (maybe several) loaded with phosphorous derailed and caught on fire. Most of the city had to be evacuated due to the hazardous smoke. That's Miamisburg, Ohio btw.

[jdj]

73. Geez, what day is it?

-Last animal shelter director embezzeled.
-One after her embezzeled.
-Next one fired last month after euthanizing a properly liscensed and i.d. tagged dog whose owner had just called to find out what time to pick up her dog, which had been at the shelter less than a day, and they killed it in between the phone call and when she arrived at the shelter a few hours later WITH HER TWO KIDS!!!
-County Commissioners duking it out in op eds in the papers every week and trying to have each other fired.
-Yesterday an assistant to county clerk demoted, and clerk charged with embezzlement and simple assault.
This town is an utter circus, every week of the month a new scandal.
(Is known among locals as "the home of corruption).

[enigmatic]

75. My hometown is Cleveland..

And it has a bunch:

A river that caught on fire (Cuyahoga)

A mayor whose hair caught on fire (Ralph Perk)

First major american city to go into default (when Dennis Kucinich was Mayor)

And a long, endless, nightmare run of horrible luck in our sports teams..

[maveric]

77. McDonalds Massacre - 1984

In San Diego's border community of San Ysidro. We lived a quarter mile away from where it happened.

[wickerwoman]

78. Mao Zedong's old stomping grounds. Birthplace of the CCP.

Oh, and how many of your cities have been turned into verbs meaning "force someone to work against their will"?

[RebelOne]

79. Atlanta, GA and Zell Miller is definitely a travesty.

[ScreamingMeemie]

83. A corrupt Mayor, and a scandal involving the chief of police and

some Krugerrands
:hi:

And Jimmy Hoffa may or may not be buried under I-696

[fujiyama]

85. I live near Detroit

Urban decay, crime, and riots are what it's known for...

[eyesroll]

89. ooh...the city where I grew up -- Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Is Ron Goldman's hometown.

That was the guy who was murdered along with Nicole Brown Simpson. I was home for the summer, and the press was swarming. (His parents lived maybe three blocks from my parents -- I didn't know him, but a few of my sister's friends were baby-sat by him in the early 80s.)

[BringEmOn]

90. Horse Slaughter Camp

Chief Garry tried to argue that it was not fair to punish all the tribes for what a few warriors did. But Colonel George Wright would not listen. His troops pushed the tribes, ruined crops, burned store houses, and then near Liberty Lake he ordered his troops to shoot 800 horses that belonged to the Spokan tribe.

http://www.spokaneoutdoors.com/horsesc.htm

[Elginoid]

93. the nuthouse.

in the 1800's our city had a choice between having an insane asylum, or a teacher's college built by the state. in their infinitely bad wisdom, the city fathers took the nuthouse, while Dekalb ended up with NIU. At the time, the looney bin meant many more jobs and business.
when i think of all the used record stores we lack today, i want to cry...

[Touchdown]

95. One word...COLUMBINE.

Also the murder of Alan Berg, liberal radio shock jock, proving the popularity of liberal talk long before Limbaugh came around.

I guess you can say setting "Dynasty" in Denver would be a travesty!:puke:

[skygazer]

96. Brattleboro Vermont is not really known to anyone

except people in Vermont. No real travesties, though. The headquarters of the Holstein Association are in Brattleboro (that's a dairy cow registration). The Estey Organ Company was in Brattleboro - they were the largest manufacterer of parlor organs in the world in the mid 1800's.

I rather like being from a place no one knows anything about.

[Zomby Woof]

97. we have family friends from Seattle

One of the spouses is from Brattleboro.

[Misunderestimator]

98. Dallas: JFK assassination when I was 1 year old.

[mdmc]

100. Tawanna Browley

yet, Rev. Al can still run for Pres!

[MrSlayer]

101. Philly: The M.O.V.E. bombing in 1985.

Set the entire neighborhood ablaze. Too bad no one realized those psychos doused all the roofs on the block with gasoline. In retrospect simply keeping the seige going for a while would have produced the desired result. Mayor Goode got a bit overzealous and it resulted in a disaster. I still have spent rounds that were shot at my dad from that day.

[Mandate My Ass]

105. Sorry to hear that

about your dad. I won't forget that night anytime soon but nobody shot at any of my relatives.

Overzealousness was often a factor when the city dealt with the M.O.V.E. members.

[MrSlayer]

106. It's ok, it was his job.

He got through ok and was commended for pulling a fear-frozen TV reporter to safety while the lead was flying. He also made the news in the Soviet Union and other countries who were covering it.

[SmileyBoy]

102. "Testicle Fest"

In 2001, there was a punk-rock concert in Lindenwood Park in Fargo that transformed into a riot. It was the only riot ever in North Dakota's history.

[tXr]

103. Enron, Ken Lay, Tom DeLay...

n/t

[Cuban_Liberal]

107. The 1917 tornado, which killed 119 people.

It also hit Mattoon and Charleston, killing almost 400, in all. Radar and warning sirens are good things, y'all!

:scared:

[strategery blunder]

108. O' Hare, especially during bad weather and hot days.

Terminal 1 has an all-glass ceiling and the A/C isn't strong enough to compensate, making it a greenhouse in the summer. The other terminals aren't as bad, but the entire operation halts when there's a lightning strike within 25 miles or so of the field.

Oh, and did I tell you that United Airlines does not know how to call in wheelchair requests to the wheelchair room? I should know, because I was on the receiving end of some angry passengers this summer.

[NNadir]

109. Lindberg's son was kidnapped in my town, Hopewell, NJ.

The police chief in a borough of our town was arrested for attempting to murder his wife.

The fired CEO of one our local biotechs, killed his wife in a jealous rage after she went to a tryst in a cheap motel with a landscape worker on his property. He tried to make her death look like an accident by driving her SUV into a river.

[eleny]

110. John Hinckly Jr stayed at the Bugs Bunny Motel

....on West Colfax in Lakewood, Colorado right before going out of state to shoot Reagan.

[yardwork]

111. My whole adopted state is known for electing Jesse Helms

over and over again. As if that weren't bad enough, there's also the Klan massacre of communists that happened down the road in Greensboro in 1979. Two trials ended in acquittal for the Klan, who were captured on videotape firing into the crowd. Since they killed communists, that was fine with the good people of Greensboro.

[Nlighten1]

113. Notre Dame.

:)

[Bossy Monkey]

116. The, uh, (whistling) um, Civil War

Articles of Secession ratified here due to malaria or yellow fever epidemic in Charleston. But they were the ones who fired on Fort Sumter! (Of course, I was born there, so I still don't get to dodge the, uh, cannonball.)

Edit: Apparently I have that backwards, but since as I say both Charleston and Columbia can claim me, it doesn't matter all that much