Windy City turns "war zone" from gun violence

[umbertino]

by: Teresa Albano

July 26 2012

CHICAGO - The city once known for wind is now known for gun violence. The Windy City is called a war zone.

There were 275 murders - most of them from gunshot wounds - here within the last seven months. That exceeds the number of soldiers killed in combat in Afghanistan during the same time period.

Police say the violence stems from gangs fighting over drug turf.

Most of the victims are young. Most of them are Black or Latino innocent bystanders.

Phil Cadman, a resident of South Shore neighborhood, describes walking his dog four blocks to the nearest park. On three of those blocks he passes homemade shrines to three victims of shootings.

"They are 12 years old. One was just trying to ride his bicycle," he said.

Another young victim was a 7-year-old girl, Heaven Sutton, hit by a stray bullet while selling candy outside her home.

As the nation deals with the aftermath of the Aurora, Colo., attack, violence plaguing some neighborhoods gets little attention.

President Barack Obama did take note of daily violence while reflecting on Aurora in his weekly address.

"I hope everyone takes some time for prayer and reflection - for the victims of this terrible tragedy ... and for all the victims of the less publicized acts of violence that plague our communities on a daily basis," Obama said.

Chicago police chief Garry McCarthy once called the nation's permissive gun laws racist. Gun manufacturers and sellers - with their lobby group the NRA - push local, state and federal officials to adopt laws that result in high sales and profits - legally and illegally - from their wares.

Last weekend, area faith leaders called for action to stop gun violence, urging the public to combat violence by contacting their legislators and demanding stricter gun laws, like an assault weapons ban that is currently languishing in Congress.

They also urged a multi-pronged, citywide approach.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is in the hot seat over a change in police tactics - based on a campaign promise for more beat cops - which some aldermen have pointedly criticized as ineffective.

Policing is just one piece of the overall problem, though, and Emanuel has not substantially addressed any underlying factors and solutions.

He did speak on "values" recently.

"We've got two gangbangers, one standing next to a kid. Get away from that kid. Take your stuff away to the alley," he said in a CBS interview.

For impoverished communities, which also face systemic exclusion to jobs, home ownership, education and health care, it's not that easy, says Sun Times columnist Mary Mitchell.

In some neighborhoods the "largest employer" is the "drug trade," she writes.

"There is no way Chicago is going to significantly reduce the violence without investing resources in the communities where the violence is occurring."

Ex-felons without job prospects, young people struggling to learn basic skills and trying to survive in "neighborhoods hard hit by foreclosures and high unemployment" are all "ripe for trouble," Mitchell writes,

In a time of budget slashing, tea party Republican austerity policies and their promises to spend more on war, public investment in neighborhoods, schools and job creation seems a distant dream.

According to studies, it costs taxpayers $1.2 million dollars per shooting for medical and criminal justice expenses, in reduced business and property values and dealing with the long-term effects on children who witness violence.

Costs increase when you factor in removing people from economic productivity either through incarceration, injury or loss of life.

"Why do we spend at least 1,000 times more money protecting ourselves from terrorism than we do protecting ourselves from gun violence?" writes Andrew Cohen in The Atlantic.

Then there is the quality of life impact on the wider community.

One local high school principal has attended eight funerals of current and former students. In an interview on WBEZ, principal Leonetta Sanders described the tragic impact in human terms.

"We are literally picking up students in the morning in our own cars and bringing them to school because they cannot walk through certain areas," Sanders said.

Last June she started a list she called the Harper High School Victim and Offenders Binder.

"One day after-and I can't remember which incident-I just started a list....LaMont Goggins, Marcus Nunn, Deondre Alexander, Cedric Bell, Sergio Penex, Brian O'Neill, Darius Farley..." she said.

The list now has 27 names, 19 shot and eight dead in one school year.

"As I wrote the list, tears just ran down my face. Because it's different when you see it like this. When you see the total number of students in one high school that have been affected by gun violence," she said.

http://www.peoplesworld.org/windy-city-turns-war-zone-from-gun-violence/

[mArK47]

I think you can say "Fast and Furious" the Chicago way.

[skitealwedrop]

What is your point in reminding Americans that Chicago is a violent city, Umbertino? Chicago is not singular in the matter. I live in the US. I know how violent my country has become. Miami, NYC, Detroit and Compton are good examples to start with. I can go on and on.

Do you have a solution as to how to solve the the violence issues in my country? Your perspective would be appreciated.

Edited July 31, 2012 by skitealwedrop

[texasspark]

What Chicago needs are more rappers, more fathers that dont have any connection to their kids, where are the family values and civic leaders that take personal responsibility a real motto. The problem is we are lead down the road that it takes a village to raise a family. I disagree strongly, it takes a involved MaMa and Daddy. Together placing the core family values on display daily, and living and leading by example. The Federal government can and never will be a surrogate family head. Guns and gun control are not the problem, the problem is the government, Federal, State and Local are really wanting control of the people. As long as the individuals have guns and a ability to keep the government at bay, we will be a free nation. A free Nation to live by the principles envisioned by our previous generations that had a vision of less tyranny.

[sxsess]

It's funny how liberalism makes things worse. Chicago has gun laws that takes guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens and puts guns in criminals hands. Completely ass backwards. Look at what happened in Colorado at that movie theatre. Again liberal policies placing law abiding citizens in danger and in this case dead. Another example that liberalism is a mental disorder.

[littlefeet]

Where are all the activists and "community leaders", that's what they like to call themselves...Jackson, Sharpton, The dwarf Spike Lee, Farrakhan, and even the POTUS and Trayvon's folks........no bus tours through Chicago to pull the communities together, no news conferences to try heal the city ???? Does none of these people care, or is it they can't make a buck off it???

Rahm "Dead Fish" Emmanuel, Mayor, must be letting his City crash and burn so more Federal Aid can be distributed.....Its amazing what these people will holler and cry about on TV when it best suits them.....

BACK UP THE TRUCK ALICE, ITS OVER !!!

[desimo]

Chicago is another fine reason to see how gun regulations work to curb gun violence.

[jonjon]

WHY IS CHICAGO DRIPPING BLOOD?

“Some 72.5% of black children today are born out of wedlock.”

By Pete Papaherakles

Chicago is experiencing an incredible surge in gangster violence that has experts wondering what exactly is going on. Gang violence is up 30% since last year, and the murder rate has skyrocketed by 37% since this time in 2011.

Not surprisingly, the majority of violence is being committed by black gang members, who are running wild in the Windy City, and so far there has been little the police can do.

Over the Independence Day weekend, 15 people were shot, some of whom were children. Previous weekends were much worse. On the weekend of June 16-17, 35 people were wounded, and seven killed. The previous weekend 40 Chicagoans were shot, and eight died. On Memorial Day weekend, 40 people were shot, and 10 died. By far the worst violence occurred on the weekend of March 17-18, when 49 people were shot and 10 people killed, including a six-year-old girl. So far this year, a whopping 279 people have been killed in Chicago, largely due to gang turf wars.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s answer to the problem has been to close down corner liquor stores and tear down abandoned buildings where gang members hang out.

“You will not find shelter in the city of Chicago,” Emanuel proclaimed in a press conference that sounded more like political demagoguery than real, practical solutions.

In a recent TV interview Emanuel appeared to be talking like Al Pacino from the movie The Godfather. “You got two gangbangers,” he said. “One is standing next to a kid. Get away from that kid! Take your stuff to the alley. Don’t touch the children of Chicago.”

A major part of the problem is a shortage of police officers on the streets.“We’re in a manpower crunch,” said Fraternal Order of Police president Michael Shields.

A reason for this shortage of officers is that 1,000 retired officers were replaced by only 150 new ones. There are only 200 officers in Chicago’s gang enforcement unit to go up against an estimated 100K gang members in the city. Some 625 gangs are involved in 223 ongoing turf wars and vendettas.

Neither Emmanuel nor the police addressed why there are 100K gangsters in Chicago in the first place.

On the July 16 O’Reilly Factor, host Bill O’Reilly pointed out that this is all black crime. His guest, Fox News contributor Bernie Goldberg, put the whole problem in perspective: “In the entire recorded history of the planet, there has never been a greater voluntary child abandonment by their fathers than in black America today,” said Goldberg. “Some 72.5% of black children today are born out of wedlock. Blacks like to blame this on ‘racism.’ That is simply not true. In 1940, when America was much more ‘racist,’ the out-of-wedlock black birthrate was only 19%. In 1965, with the civil rights movement, it rose to 25%. This coincided with the ‘Great Society,’ the welfare state. Since then the numbers have gone up geometrically. So, that’s what happened: The government became the father.”

Goldberg added that black politicians will not talk about this, blaming the problem on racism. White politicians also won’t touch the subject.

“Democrats will never speak honestly to black people, because white liberal guilt gets in the way, and Republicans don’t have the courage because they don’t want to be accused of being racists,” said Goldberg. “Nothing will change in black America if you have 72.5% of children born out of wedlock.”

Peter Papaherakles, a U.S. citizen since 1986, was born in Greece. He is AFP’s outreach director. If you would like to see AFP speakers at your rally, contact Pete at 202-544-5977.

[Rockstarr]

FYI

When the people are armed, criminals are afraid.

Violent Crimes Drop In Texas Under "Concealed Carry" Gun Law

Quick facts:

-Robbery decreased by 20%

-Rape decreased by 18%

-Aggravated assault decreased by 15%

-Murder plunged by 33%

In 1995, Texans got the right to carry concealed weapons if they obtained permits to do so. Since then, violent crime rates in the state have fallen.

Here are some of the statistics compiled by the Texas Department of Public Safety comparing crimes in 1995 to those in 1999.

• Per 100,000 population, rates for aggravated assault fell from 429.3 to 370.

• Robberies declined from a rate of 179.8 to 146.8.

• The rape rate was down to 38.1 per 100,000 from 45.5.

• And murders fell from 9 per 100,000 to 6.1.

Since carrying a concealed weapon in the Lone Star State was legalized, overall violent crimes have declined from 644.2 per 100,000 to 561.

As a group, Texans with concealed-weapon permits are far less likely to commit crimes than other Texans, says Sterling Burnett of the National Center for Policy Analysis. "You don't get a concealed carry permit because you want to commit a crime," he points out. You get one "because you fear crimes against you."

Burnett reports that permit-holders in 1999 were 5.7 times less likely to be arrested for violent crimes than those without permits. They were 14 times less likely to be arrested for nonviolent offenses. And they were 28 percent less likely to be arrested for murder.

Source: Benjamin Kepple, "Texas' Gun-Totin' Ways Hit by Gore, But Data Show Violent Crime Falling," Investor's Business Daily, October 13, 2000.

[dog53]

Guys /Gals This is a easy one. They are out of control in the windy city because they are allowed to be out of control. During the California riots back in the 1800`s the governor call on the Texas rangers for help. A few days later that help arrived by train. When the gov met the train he expected to see a contingent of rangers step off the train. Instead he was met by a single ranger. When the Gov ask the ranger "where are the rest of your men" The ranger replied "one riot one ranger" In the next three days the ranger killed 4 men and the riot came to an end. I guess what i'm saying is the problem in Chicago is the same everywhere. Not only are the police hands tied behind there back in regards to using deadly force. I see a lack of resolve in lawmen nowadays that's disturbing. A lot would rather do there 8 hour shifts handing out seat-belt tickets or parking tickets rather then stand up to the lawlessness like the old timers did. Then the few that do stand up and actually kill a bad guy has to worry if he himself is going to go to jail. So it`s like I said they are allowed to be out of control and will continue till we as Americans put a stop to the liberal madness. I want to see our boys in blue stand as that ranger stood that day. "One riot One Ranger"

[dog53]

Guys /Gals This is a easy one. They are out of control in the windy city because they are allowed to be out of control. During the California riots back in the 1800`s the governor call on the Texas rangers for help. A few days later that help arrived by train. When the gov met the train he expected to see a contingent of rangers step off the train. Instead he was met by a single ranger. When the Gov ask the ranger "where are the rest of your men" The ranger replied "one riot one ranger" In the next three days the ranger killed 4 men and the riot came to an end. I guess what i'm saying is the problem in Chicago is the same everywhere. Not only are the police hands tied behind there back in regards to using deadly force. I see a lack of resolve in lawmen nowadays that's disturbing. A lot would rather do there 8 hour shifts handing out seat-belt tickets or parking tickets rather then stand up to the lawlessness like the old timers did. Then the few that do stand up and actually kill a bad guy has to worry if he himself is going to go to jail. So it`s like I said they are allowed to be out of control and will continue till we as Americans put a stop to the liberal madness. I want to see our boys in blue stand as that ranger stood that day. "One riot One Ranger"

my kinda a law man