New Bush Neighbor In Dallas: I'm Afraid "The Whole Neighborhood Is Going To Be A Target"

As was reported this week, George Bush has bought a new house in a wealthy part of Dallas, called Preston Hollow, to live in after he leaves office. Preston Hollow homeowners are used to having well-known neighbors; the area is already home to Dallas Mavericks' owner Marc Cuban and former presidential candidate Ross Perot. And while many of the Bushes' new neighbors seem perfectly happy and excited to welcome the former first couple, a few of them, reports the Wall Street Journal, have some significant reservations:

The impending presence of a former President is ratcheting up security fears. "I am afraid with all the negative press the president has been getting, the whole neighborhood is going to be a target," said a woman, who wouldn't give her name. She carried her King Charles spaniel Friday past the Bushes' new abode.

But Raw Story reports that the area had some issues long before Bush made it his new home.

Until 2000, the neighborhood association's covenant said only white people were allowed to live there, though an exception was made for servants. The document, enacted in 1956, reads:

"Said property shall be used and occupied by white persons only except these covenants shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of different race or nationality in the employ of a tenant."

Comments

[PoliSci2008]

Dang!!! It took 2000 for someone to speak-up and make a change in the real estate codes!?!? BRAVO to that person, but SHAME on those who did nothing. It just goes to show that some folks in the South are STILL FIGHTING THE CIVIL WAR!!!!

[jalowe1957]

Restrictive covenants? Was Dubya that concerned about living with people whom he thought was not one of "them?"

[readmewell22]

Can he move in NOW?

[WestCoastWoman]

That would be good if he could move in now. Obama as P.E. is doing just fine... and doing more than Bush The War Criminal!

[DIAGUY]

WHAT IS THE BIG HURRY TO GET RID OF DUBYA ??? IF YOU LOOK AT BIG BARRY'S CABINET PICKS , WHEN BUSH FINALLY GOES, YOU WON'T EVEN REALIZE HE IS GONE.

[HotheadPaisen]

And just how do you know how big he is Dia? Still peeping in the lockerrooms?

[Chillinout]

I think they are actually worried that having Bush there will drive down property values.

[thinklib]

Far from it.

It just became the safest neighborhood in Dallas.

[biskitdaddy]

Another addition to the Bush legacy

[readmewell22]

Maybe a miracle will happen, and he gets a huge dose of the his own medicine and the economic mess he has created, and maybe HIS HOUSE GETS FORECLOSED ON like so many others across the nation. Or maybe he gets so much hate mail, he'll have to move to abroad somewhere. But where ever he goes, we can't wait until he leaves the white house. As a whole, wherever he goes, the nation won't miss him!

[returnofthejedi]

Or maybe a cat 4 hurricane or Tornado.

[PghMike]

This is a truly stupid article -- some combination of a 1948 Supreme Court decision and the 1968 Fair Housing Act (I think) made all such restrictive covenants unenforceable at least 40 years ago.

While unenforceable, they were quite common in the early part of the 20th century, and can be a real bear to remove legally. So, it is not surprising that the restrictions were still present until 2000.

[thinklib]

True.

[clamperken]

Those new nieghbors of his should'nt worry. Bush won't be living there for long. After he's convicted for his war crimes, he'll be moving to a federal prison far, far away from thier precious all-white gated paradise.

[thinklib]

There is no gate. But there will be very soon - to protect him from the lunatic fringe who think he's a war criminal, etc...

[smk2538]

We don't "think" he is a "war criminal". We know he is.

[anattendentlord]

You do realize that the zip code Bush is moving into is 59% white.

That sounds a little low to be the "all-white gated paradise" you want to categorize it as. Just because unenforceable rules were in the neighborhood association guidelines, it didn't seem to keep Black and Hispanic families from moving in.

[markinaz]

This man is just beyond disgusting. I wonder if Condi would be allowed to visit?

[thinklib]

I live a couple streets away from W's house.

Here are the facts: yes, it's a very wealthy neighborhood. No, it's not inhabited by a bunch of racists. Believe me, I saw plenty of Obama signs in yards around the neighborhood. The reason it's perceived as racist is because not many non-whites live there. It has to do with money. There just aren't many non-whites with millions of dollars (or billions, as is the case in this neighborhood). Therefore, the kneejerk reaction is to say that it's a racist neighborhood.

And you heard it first here: W's neighbors are black. I've seen the dad and son out front tossing the football. Big house to the left of W's. Google map it. They're going to have to put up a gate to that neighborhood pretty soon. Lots of people driving by gawking at W's house, which isn't much from the street. But I'm sure it's great inside.

Anyway, it's a great neighborhood. Lots of kids playing outside, joggers, moms walking their babies, etc..

[yougottabekiddingmee]

This story is not true - African Americans were barred from living in this neighborhood. It may have been on the books, but it is not true. African American's have lived in the neighborhood for years - my aunt has lived there since the early eighties - and for the record, the only thing that bans you from living in this neighborhood is the ability to the afford it.

[BigPictureReg]

Are you going to say, faithfully, that the only reason for not being admitted in this neighborhood is financial status?

Are you really that naive?

[thinklib]

I have black neighbors, jewish neighbors, gay neighbors - and I live just a couple of streets away from W.

That's the trouble with the far left fringe. You think everything's a conspiracy, 'the man' is out to get you, the big bad Republican bogeyman is lurking around every corner.

Chill.

[thinklib]

It's not a private club. It's a house.

There is no board deciding who gets 'admitted' to the neighborhood.

Take it easy.

[jojojo]

Likely was VERY true in the 1950s and later. Then over time it opened up to non-whites, but the rule just never got taken off the books.

[den1953]

!!!!!!!!NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!! Dallas just got it's village idiot back!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

[just4shiggles]

George has to buy a place that his racist mother will come to visit!

[richinkle]

Ironic that the paranoid bigots worried about non-whites proliferating in their precious neighborhood, actually find that their peace and property values are truly endangered by the failure of a president they so fiercely supported, who is himself the perfect example of Affirmative Action for White People.

[thinklib]

Another 'tolerant' liberal.

[SouthernBlueBelle]

You really should re-think your name.

[richinkle]

I am not tolerant of bigoted deed restrictions that bar people of color residency in certain neighborhoods, and believe that people who perpetuate them deserve what they get. Conservatives love to whine about how nobody understands them and how everyone's against them, when it's the reverse that is so glaringly true.

[eddie bowers]

While I’m not at all happy about Bush living in my neighborhood I’m starting to feel a bit defensive with all the comments about it being a racist area and only for rich people.
I don’t consider myself Rich. I’m probably better off than most, but certainly not rich. I live in a house built in 1951 and moved to this area specifically for this cool 1950s style house. During the housing boom it was sad to see some of the older houses get torn down for tacky McMansions, but that’s another story. There are a lot of moderately priced homes just a few blocks away from some of the real Mansions (and there are some I admit)
My best friend since I was 5 years old is a Black man and he hangs out in my neighborhood fairly often. He hasn’t ever been hassled.
Yeah, it’s unfortunately a pretty white area. I live next to and Indian family and a Korean family, and there is a pretty big Jewish community here however.
There were lots of Obama signs in yards during the election and don’t forget that although Texas went with McCain, Dallas went for Obama.

Anyway, as others have said Bush is many horrible things, but I don’t think he is a racist.