Ghetto

Matt and I purchased our home in 2001. It was my grandparents home. They built a new house. We were engaged and decided to buy a house, rather than continuing to pay rent in an apartment. It's a nice house. A three bedroom split foyer. When we purchased it, the neighborhood was nice. There was some riff-raff, but you have that anywhere. We started having some issues in the neighborhood with some of the local juveniles. However, we didn't think much of it at the time. Kids will be kids. Over the last eight years, the neighborhood has went...well...downhill. Our neighbors are great, the ones that live to one side and across the street. However, there are a lot of not so great peeps moving into the areas. There is litter everywhere, because most of the people could care less. It just looks ghetto. We recently had some new neighbors move into the house behind us. Their backyard butts up to ours. This weekend we witnessed the kind of people they are...They are training pitbulls to attack in the backyard. Swinging them around by ropes, clenched in their mouths. Beating them to get them angry, and then letting them attack each other. They have three younger looking dogs, which are very obviously being taught to be aggressive. We called and reported it to animal control. They told us we had to video tape it and then call back. WTF? These people are obviously mistreating these dogs. Not to mention, we have small children and this scares the hell out of us. The people in this area are so rude. They walk in the middle of the road, not moving when cars come. They swear, yell, fight and deal drugs right down the street. The parents let the kids run havoc in the neighborhood at all hours of the day and night. Too busy to be bothered because they are too busy doing drugs, using food stamps to buy cigarettes, and ruining this area. On another note, I feel like we cannot even take the beauties for walks. A few weeks ago they found a man who had hung himself along the bike trail. Can you imagine going for a walk with your children and finding something like that? The park equipment has profanities written all over it. Chloe always asks me what it says. The kids swear and fight on the playground. To put it mildly, most days I feel unsafe in my own home. The doors are never unlocked. Matt is a Police Officer, which makes the problem even more real to us. He sees the people living around us in jail all of the time. We want to move so badly. But question whether this is really a reality at this time for us. Family of six. He is already working two jobs. The economic hardship that is taking place. Not to mention...who would really choose to move into a neighborhood like this...unless they are thugs. In which they would not buy a nicer home like ours. Mostly because they are living off the state. What the hell is wrong with this world? They come to this area because the welfare is so great and they can live off it indefinitely. I am all for it for those who need it. But come on...these people are abusing the system, and getting away with it. It makes me so angry. Especially when I think of how hard my husband works to pay our bills every month. I am angry and do not know what to do about it. We need to get out of here. I need a home I feel safe in. A school close to our home that I feel comfortable sending my children to. Neighbors all around that you can trust. My children deserve better than this neighborhood.