In what is another regrettable entry into the logbook of Chicago violence, last weekend saw the heretofore lowered homicide rate, increase, when 7 people were shot dead in one day last weekend.. Making headlines on the local and national media, of course, but overall changing little in what is seen as tragic, and now accepted as an inevitable fact of life in certain city neighborhoods.
As the death toll increases, it sweeps indiscriminately of young and old alike, toddlers and teenagers, bus drivers as well as honor roll students; as this Northernmost city becomes almost synonymous with gratuitous gun violence.
Here are the numbers from the Chicago Tribune: “As of Monday morning, the city had logged 103 homicides, compared with 101 this time a year ago, according to data compiled by the Tribune. At least 513 people have been shot this year, compared with 466 over the same time last year.
President Trump has said he will send in the feds, if things don’t improve; yet according to Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson, that help has failed to materialize. Blaming the ease of guns, especially those from neighboring states, and especially Indianna, most if not all local lawmakers, right down to Mayor Rahm Emanuel have wrung their hands in despair.
Johnson wants to have more assistance from the FBI, the DHEA and the ATF, yet even if their help is received there needs to be a plan written to target their help. Right now, most of those plans, seem to be aired only in meetings. Many are looking to see if the Trump’s joint address to Congress on Wednesday, can give solidity to his tweets: “Can you believe what’s happening in Chicago?” and “. . . this is totally out of control.””
Centered in three poverty stricken areas, mostly populated by poor blacks, areas that Sen Dick Durbin defined as being responsible for 50 percent of the murders in January of 2017. In Englewood, and on the South and West sides, the communities of Harrison and Austin, the unemployment rate is 21 percent compared to 11.1 in the Chicago, overall.
Since the violence does not exist in a vacuum, it has created public health problems, in addition to one of social and economic behavior, and the increase in unemployment, foreclosures, and other factors has led to a gnawing self-devaluation among those area residents.
The situation, seems to not abate, as myriads of opinions flow, especially faulting the lack of jobs, weak schools, and lack of community resources. And, while these assessments are correct , the solutions that they offer: mentoring, job development, enhanced or new resources, these will all take more time than most realize. Even the mayor's promise of hiring more policeman, will take time as class instruction is only the beginning of the learning curve; the real lessons are to be learned on the street.
Time is what Chicago really doesn’t have, to give this city, on what was once a prairie, and its residents -- all of its residents -- a sense of hope. As Johnson noted, somewhat plaintively, in an interview, “The mayor made the request in person as recent of last week and we are hopeful the Administration will finally respond.”
Possible steps to resolution might include a greater attention to illegal gun acquisition, as the arsenal increases outside of the standard sources of gun shows and dealers. Joined with narcotics, this duality might increase the police the power to raid ,as they have done recently, and when Chicago Police gave the stats, the mind boggled.
What stood out? 61 previous convicted felons, 49 documented gang members, 19 priors on drug related charges, 14 currently on parole, and 65 identified by police as being high risk.
Of the weapons confiscated, there was a machine gun that could roll out 40 to 50 rounds in seconds
When we take a closer look at the behavior of those involved, the detail may surprise some. Last year, NPR reported, in an interview with a reporter from The New York Times, who had been embedded with a local gang, some surprising news on the changes in gang behavior.
“Gunfire was so common in their lives that to me, it seemed like they were not necessarily traumatized by it anymore in the sense that a lot of times, if there were - if someone was killed, of course they were talking about it. You would go on their social media page, and you'll see them grieving about it openly.But if someone gets shot in the hand or the foot and they're alive, in some ways, they actually joke about it,” said John Eligon, the reporter.
He also noted, “For them, it's because it's not necessarily something that's uncommon or traumatic. In Chicago, in the part that I hung out in, the ambulance comes. They put the people in the ambulance. Police come. They try to talk to people. They put up police tape. It goes down, and then life just kind of continues.”
The desensitization may be just as damaging as the behavior, especially since in this racially divided city, it affects mostly black.people, a fact that is equally corrosive to the lives of the city’s black residents, especially its elders, who after the Black Migration, brought homes in these areas, alive with hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow, than the yesterdays of their lives in the Jim Crow South.
Much of the violence stems from episodes of “dissing” be it on social media, or in person, retribution becomes routine. As Eligon remarked, “And I think that that's why you see this kind of continuation, this perpetuation of it. So I think that's one thing. And a lot of them tried to tell me, how would you feel if your brother, uncle, father, cousin was shot and killed? Would you let that go? And for a lot of them, it's really hard to let that go.”
Coupled with a sense of helplessness that delivers a hopelessness, then these actions almost make sense. Almost.
While we can agree that there is no single solution, to the problem, it solutions cannot begin without money, a plan, and a commitment; and with so many thinking of the violence as a black problem, political will may be lacking.
In other areas, there has been a decrease - Oakland, California has a 41 percent decrease in violent crime since 2012 -- and much was centered on recalibrating the systemic problems of employment, opportunity, and self-esteem. There was also the use of psychological techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, gun control and mentoring, and one essential ingredient:, police and community reconciliation.
Can it be done in Chicago? Only time, along with will can begin to stem the tide of violence. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent - a period of both holy self-denial, and also self-reflection for Christians. Can we add to the list the prayers of hope, and the prayer of commitment for a reduction of violence? Let us pray.
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