Chicago gun violence: Where's the outrage?

The long 4th of July weekend featured glorious fireworks along the lakefront and deadly gunfire in inner-city neighborhoods.

[skippydog]

Is this person actually suggesting that the US military patrol streets on American soil and engage in policework? His argument seems to be that since Chicago's already-restrictive gun control laws aren't working, they need even more restrictive gun control laws, and martial law.

[Billy Bob]

How much outrage can people disgorge? The gun
violence, Iran, China, Sir Lanka, Gaza, North Korea, Zimbawe, and so on.

[Meddler]

What a sham of an article. 1st. Guns cause the problem? Yea right, how about enforcing laws already on the books (and Chicago's are more restrictive than most). 2nd. How about getting rid of the illegal immigrants? I wonder how many of them are tied to this? 3rd. You want the military in the streets. You sir have NO clue. WOW. 4th. It's Chicago--land of taxes and excessive government. ACORN, voter fraud and Obama. The Tribune. Excessive regulations, political kickbacks, and every other government concoction democrats have developed to ruin society. What do you expect?

[Damfunny]

Chicago, City of No Shame.
ain't never had it, won't ever will.

may have something to do with our legacy of corruption and police brutality:
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SEW.

--#1 in gun control
--#1 in homicides
--#1 in big city high-school dropout rates (>50%)
--#1 in corruption and patronage
--#1 in FBI agents assigned to investigate corruption and patronage

Politicians are like diapers:
they should be changed frequently, and for the same reason!

Time to vote the bums out, and get some new bums.

NO MORE DALEYS
NO MORE STROGERS
NO MORE MADIGANS
NO MORE KENNEDYS
NO MORE CULLERTON
NO MORE QUINN
NO MORE BURRIS
NO MORE DURBIN
NO MORE TAX-AND-SPEND DUMB-O-CRATS!!!

And, restore 2nd Amendment rights, you'll see crime drop!

[Grandblvd03]

Are you serious? Look, I'm a liberal and I am deeply concerned about Chicago's poor crime-ridden neighborhoods. But if you think that the opinions or input of any white person, particularly from one of the wealthy suburbs will be welcomed by the residents of these neighborhoods, you are out of your mind. Don't believe me? Ask them.

The drug and violence problems must be solved by the residents in those communities. Specifically, they need to start trusting the cops and calling the cops on their neighbors. This isn't a message they want to hear, so I and many of us have quit saying it.

[Pat Hickey]

Now, that's some High Dudgeon you got going there, Gerry.

Planning a lawsuit?

[Harvey]

Is this article serious?

The "residents of Barrington, Winnetka, Wheaton and Lincoln Park" aren't going to be going to Englewood because they don't want to get carjacked, mugged, or robbed themselves. There's a reason they live there, instead of in high-crime areas.

Everyone points to "guns" as being involved in a disproportionate percentage of crimes. According to the article's statistics, it appears that blacks are also involved in a disporportionate percentage of crimes. Maybe if you want to lower the crime rate in Chicago, Mayor Daley should be banning black people, instead of guns.

[Lauren Love]

How's that gun ban workin' for 'ya?

[DonP]

"Meanwhile, national leaders who are fearful of offending vital constituencies pander to the right-to-bear-arms advocates and refuse to address the most urgent issue in urban America. "

You sniveling ambulance chasing fool, those "right to bear arms advocates" you seem to disdain are the majority of honest citizens in this country.

No, we are not going to allow some Limousine Liberal from the North Shore to further restrict our rights, just to make themselves feel good in their gated community or doorman monitored building.

You want to help the people in Englewood or Chatham? Bring your wife, son and daughter down and stop at any church on the street and ask the pastor what you and your family can do to help every other weekend.

The Pastor will find something for you to do from delivering canned food to families that need it to sweeping an older parishoner's with severe arthritis home.

But that would mean actually giving of yourself and it's far easier to try and pass another crapola "feel good" law that you can brag about at your restricted country club.

But that's just my opinion and pretty much the same for the other almost 5 million NRA members out there.

[Jerry Clark]

Why is this never reported?
Fact: In the 5 year period from 2003 through 2007

a.) There are 1.2 million Foid card holders in Illinois.
b.) 500 Foid card holders have had their cards revoked due to criminal records.(Those revoked don't have to be because of gun use!)
c.) 60,000 NON Foid holders were convicted of felonies.

My question to you and other anti-gun activist is this.

Why do so many Illinois politicians insist on passing legislation that will harm its legal citizens, instead of going after the criminal elements of the state?

From the 5 year facts it is clear that it’s that FELONS WILL NOT abide by any laws passed.

Next:
"If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the past 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers.

The firearm death rate in Washington, DC is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same period. That means you are about 25 per cent more likely to be shot and killed in the US capital, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US, than you are in Iraq.

Conclusion: The US should pull out of Washington."

[Wayne_IL]

According to the end line "Gerald D. Skoning is a Chicago attorney." Pretty sad that an attorney would advocate for the US Military to take a presence in US Cities given that such action is STRICTLY banned by Federal Law. If the Military can't be used to patrol the nation's borders how can the law allow them to patrol city streets? And to say that access to guns is the problem. Doesn't Chicago already have one of the most draconian gun control laws in the nation? Maybe the issue is that the police are scorned, distrusted and ignored by the residents. Now many of these shootings occur in or around large groups, yet no one saw anything? How often do the shootings occur during the curfew is in place, yet the victims are still underage? Maybe the community should try to police themselves, starting with parents keeping their kids at home after hours.

[Chicago Taxpayer]

I am neither a bleeding heart liberal nor an ultra-conservative, I am only a very, very scared tax paying citizen of a once fine neighborhood going terribly wrong from gangs and section 8 housing being used to hand-deliver these gang members into this community. I have been robbed twice. I no longer feel safe in my own home. I along with most of my neighbors cannot sell as fast as we would like due to economic constraints. Yes, we will most definitely lose our equity but at this point, we will take that loss over the very real prospect of losing our lives if we choose to remain. In the absence of any valid plan to stem this tide of violence, and our Mayor doing nothing but sitting back waiting for the Olympics, then YES… bring on the national Guard!

[DonP]

"That's just the latest carnage. The city logged 202 homicide victims in the first six months of 2009: 88 percent were male, 78 percent were black, 44 percent were between the ages of 20 and 30, and 84 percent were shot to death.

Hmmmm? Based on Mr. Skonings numbers, it seems the solution to reducing crimes and violent death in Chicago is to immediately stop selling guns and ammunition of any kind to and young Black Males in Illinois. To be fair ,, we can stop selling to the young Hispanic Males too.

(As if any of these thugs buy guns at a gun store!)

I wonder if Jesse Jackson and Father "Flaky" Pfleger could get behind that idea?

I'm sure their favorite whipping post, Chuck's Gun Shop would support a program like that.

[James Reyes]

Why did all the murders occur South of Madison? What is being done or not being done in North side neighborhoods with similar demographics to prevent this problem?

[Law]

LockandLoad wrote:

I think that to cut down on pedafiles they should neature all white males over 12. I whish that people would learn from the insurgents in Iraq and afghanistan and hide IED in places were large volumes of the bigots, cowards, kikes and pale faces gather at now that would be a great firework show. I love some Kentucky Fried Kracker I wonder what white flesh smells like when its burning I hope to find out some day.
<quoted text>

You really should have stayed in school after the 3rd grade.

[Steve]

Dude,

Go smoke another one. Our politicians aren't - pandering - to us "right to carry" and "Pro-Second-Amendment " supporters. They're defending a constitutional amendment. If you don't like guns, don't buy one. If you don't want to see guns, don't watch TV, movies, or leave your house. If you want to curb violence of any form, get out in your community and do something for your neighbors or volunteer your time for a youth group. Teach them right from wrong as well as the benefits of leading a lawful life. My guns have never hurt anyone and never will unless someone's threatening me, my family, or my property. If that last statement bothers you, I don't care...that's the founding fathers' reasoning behind the adoption of the second amendment. It had nothing to do with maintaining a standing army like so many of you flaming liberals argue.

[SaucySausi]

How can any of you live there? Another creepy crook governor, your mafia mayor and all those ex-cons that are your city reps. I won't even VISIT there let alone live there. It must be like living during the twenties but much worse because the rest of the country is one hundred yrs ahead of you. How depressing.

[John - Chicago]

The only thing more astounding than the staggering levels of black crime is the black community's silence/denial of it.

The editorial asks, "Why aren't the residents of Barrington, Winnetka, Wheaton and Lincoln Park linking arms with residents in Englewood, South Austin and Lawndale..."

How can you expect Barrington to care if Englewood doesn't???

This nation is in sore need of a black renaissance, but that would require the unthinkable - for black men to take responsibility for themselves and grow out of their arrested adolescence.

[scooby]

John - Chicago wrote:

The only thing more astounding than the staggering levels of black crime is the black community's silence/denial of it.
The editorial asks, "Why aren't the residents of Barrington, Winnetka, Wheaton and Lincoln Park linking arms with residents in Englewood, South Austin and Lawndale..."
How can you expect Barrington to care if Englewood doesn't???
This nation is in sore need of a black renaissance, but that would require the unthinkable - for black men to take responsibility for themselves and grow out of their arrested adolescence.

Not only their silence / denial of it. Its their refusal to do anything about it. Not cooperating with the police when someone gets killed even though the shooting happened in broad daylight with 20 people hanging around. Nothing short of martial law in these neighborhoods is going to work, along with a house by house person by person and vehicle by vehicle search of everyone who lives there. Of course then you'd have jesse and company complaining about peoples civil rights being violated . Even though the people that live there could care less about civil rights.

[Eastwood]

It's fear, folks, that hold back witnesses from speaking out to the police. Fear from those who have committed said crime, as well as a fear of not knowing the relationship a police officer may have with those that committed said crime.

We've all seen The Shield and shows of that ilk, and it's scary to see what some officers have to do to maintain some sense of comfortability in the neighborhoods. Of course, some (mind you, the numbers are probably as miniscule as it could get) may do it in order to supplement a low salary (can imagine it being a tough job, especially if you feel underpaid/unappreciated/unresp ected), but others may do it in a sort of compromisorial move. "Look, you can sell your drugs here, but you can't be shooting up the place." The crime-committer: "Okay, but I got one of my top guys over here about to go down because someone say they spotted him shooting at this kid two streets over. And I can't seem to find out who. Shoot, I just wanna talk to the man." He then slips a wad of cash over to the cop who nods and, then, having to trust that he'll only talk to him, perhaps comes back with the info.

I know, too much TV! I'm pretty sure there are not enough crooked cops (in relationships with these guys) to have to make a fuss; the point is that we have this image and it's scary.

P.S. I live in the "hood" and would be okay with military control. Because, obviously, something needs to be done. With the long history of "less than" parenting (following a long history of slavery and Jim Crow and general misdeedery), to just assume black folks in these communities will rise up and become a model parent like those who have had advantages (shoot, a parent that went to college, seen marriages last--I'm 37 and just recently went to my first black wedding--had at least one parent who could help out with 8th grade homework, had someone who wasn't traumatized by a shooting/death growing up, etc.)--but to assume something's gonna change within just like that is impossible. Not being negative--just an opinion.