First in violence, deepest in dirt, lawless, unlovely, ill-smelling, irreverent, new; an overgrown gawk of a - village, the "tough" among cities, a spectacle for the nation.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the chaotic and often unappealing aspects of a city that embodies toughness amidst societal challenges.
Lincoln Steffens describes a city that starkly represents the struggles and raw realities of urban life. By using vivid imagery and contrasting adjectives, he captures the essence of a place that is marred by violence and neglect yet possesses a unique character that stands out in the national landscape. The description signifies a reality that, despite its flaws, is vibrant and noteworthy, offering insights into the complexities of urban existence.
In practice
In a discussion about urban development, one might quote this to illustrate the gritty reality of some cities.
Whenever anything extraordinary is done in American municipal politics, whether for good or for evil, you can trace it almost invariably to one man. The people do not do it. Neither do the 'gangs,' 'combines,' or political parties.
Most men think graft a sporadic evil, breaking out here and there, with no connection between outbreaks. I shared the same opinion, but very soon I discovered that the graft in the cities always leads to the graft in the State.
But government in which the majority rule in all cases can not be based on justice, even as far as men understand it.
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
Om is the pointed piece and Dhyâna (meditation) is the friction.
I am a Muslim and . . . my religion makes me be against all forms of racism. It keeps me from judging any man by the color of his skin. It teaches me to judge him by his deeds and his conscious behavior. And it teaches me to be for the rights of all human beings, but especially the Afro-American human being, because my religion is a natural religion, and the first law of nature is self-preservation.
And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but overacuteness of the senses?
If one has been blessed or have been fortunate enough to have got much more than normal wealth, it is but natural that one expects a certain fiduciary responsibility in terms of how that wealth is applied, used and leveraged for purposes of society.
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