What does President Obama have to do with Violence in Chicago?
May 28th, 2010 by ShortyI was watching a news show and I briefly heard someone say that this is the first time President Barack Obama has been to the city amidst the violence that is occurring.
Allow me to say that I did not hear the whole story, so I don’t know what the topic was. However, I am going to comment on the statement I heard the person make.
First of all, violence has been mounting in Chicago for years. It just didn’t happen overnight. In fact, Chicago was ranked the most violent city over 10 years ago when our current President was not even a senator. So, what does his presence here have to do with the current level of violence? Would his being here mean anything to the people who are selling and using the guns?
Secondly, were the same demands being made of President Bush? Probably not. African Americans knew he couldn’t be count on during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Did anybody call Bush out on that one other than Kanye West?
I just had to say something about that comment because I felt the dude was saying that President Obama needs to come to Chicago to try to stop the violence that has bee building for years. Honestly, it will be easier to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf than it will be to clean up the violence that has overtaken the streets of Chicago.
Do Gun Turn-In Programs Really Work?
May 2nd, 2010 by Shorty
Mayor Daley is requesting more gun turn-in programs. For what? I personally don’t feel that these programs work. They sound good; they may even yield promising results on the day of the turn-in. But, being effective? I think not. Allow me to share why I feel the way I do.
First, the people who are turning in guns are not the ones committing the homicides.
Second, killers will probably not turn them in because 1) their firearms are illegal 2) they have a police record or 3) they have not completed the job for which they purchased the gun in the first place.
Third, what is the point of these programs really? Especially in Chicago. This is a reactive solution to a problem that has been going on for a long time. Why wasn’t anything done when it was first realized that there was a problem? How many people died before authorities said, “Hey, I think we have a gun problem here?” And, what is the body count between the last turn-in and this one?
Also, according to news reports, most of the shootings lately have been gang-related – allegedly. Do authorities really think these people are turning in guns? Ok, let’s say they do. They will have another one as soon as they walk away with the rewards that are being offered. Here’s a thought. What if the rewards are being used in exchange for the next firearm?
Do gun turn-in programs really work? I don’t know. But as far as I can see, they do not.
Will the National Guard Solve Chicago’s Violence Problem?
April 29th, 2010 by Shorty
Lawmakers want to bring the National Guard in to combat the rampant violence in Chicago. That is NOT the solution to the problem. It took YEARS for these problems to get to this level; it’s going to take YEARS more to undo what’s been done. Repair will begin when the roots of these problems are addressed. In my opinion, some of the contributing problems are: lack of parenting, lack of community, lack of family support, media as baby sitters, and politics in Chicago. Let me explain.
Lack of parenting. Old school parenting came with rules and IMMEDIATE consequences. Many of us feared our parents; even if they were single parents (I’m still scared of my mother). Over the last few years, parenting became lax; time parents spent with their children decreased; parents started disappearing; parents got younger; and parents started being friends with their offspring. Consequences changed drastically. Ours used to hurt. What the hell’s a time out? We got whippings as soon as we did anything. Our punishment was usually the removal of something we liked. There were no negotiations. There was no “If you do or don’t this, then….” No; if we didn’t do what we were supposed to do, punishment immediately ensued. Let’s bring old school back…even if it hurts.
Lack of community. Remember when everyone in the community knew each other? And, if you got in trouble your neighbors had permission to punish you. They would tell your parents and you got in trouble again. Classic. Most people don’t even know who lives next door to them these days. Thus, they probably won’t tell you when your child misbehaves because they don’t know you. It truly does take a village to raise a child, and this lack of community contributes to the failure of all children.
Lack of family support. It’s a known fact that many children are being raised in single parent homes headed by women. This is taxing and stressful. Then, add all of the invisible factors with which parents compete, and you have borderline insanity. Help is needed. Parents and children need adults who genuinely care about the well-being of the child. Parents need to know they can drop their babies off in caring and safe environments. Unfortunately, that is not the case these days. Not even with family members. And the discord in families is terrible (mine included). Can’t we all just get along? Well, at least try…
Media as baby sisters. Media has more power over children than parents. They are telling your children how to live, think, and act. This is not just TV. Radio, the internet, and video games are also culprits. Unfortunately, most adults (I’m guilty) do not know what the young people in their lives are watching or listening to. They also do not know which websites they’re visiting (many don’t even know how to use the internet!) or what’s on the video games they are playing. We need to be more in tune and consider alternate forms of babysitting. We also need to spend more time with youngsters. Things we can do together: Reading, writing, homework, and exercise.
Politics in Chicago. Corruption touches politics in some aspect whether it is intended or not. Unfortunately, the corruption in Chicago has directly impacted the young people. Money is being taken away from education to fund income generating projects and sometimes irrelevant projects like adding flowers and trees in the middle of the streets or cleaning The Bean in Millennium Park. Essentially, money is being taken away from the poor to benefit the rich. Or, it’s being spent fruitlessly.
Anyway, how are children expected to be productive when after school programs and activities are continually being cut? Do the powers that be really think ONE teacher can really educate 37 children with different personalities and learning levels in one class? Why are some school books and building updated and not others? Why aren’t teachers paid more? This is a loaded topic so I’ll stop here.
I could go on, but I won’t. All I’m saying is – The National Guard will not combat Chicago’s violence problem. Chaos was not created overnight; it will not be solved overnight. If lawmakers really want to solve the problem, they need to address ALL the root causes and contributing factors to these problems including their lack of action and apathy. Until this happens, Chicago’s body count will continue to exceed the current military casualty count.