Gun violence in Chicago is out of control, this is not a new thing and it can’t be laid solely on Trump, as terrible as that wretched man is.
Chicago has an undeniable gang problem, largely a black gang problem. This isn’t because the color of people’s skin, this is due to generations of degrading a culture of people, of poverty and discrimination leading to an eroded mentality and near full-on return to tribalism. In my opinion. This is an issue of culture, opportunity and systemic repression. This is a problem that the government seemingly has no wish to fix, at least at the top end.
Local politics, community organising, providing alternatives to gang membership for youth needs to be done at a community level, because no one high up gives a damn.
It’s easy for me to say all this, I am not even a resident of Chicago, but this latest spew of child deaths caught in gang gross-fire is disheartening.
The Huff post reported on this last death saying:
A 2-year-old boy and 26-year-old man are dead and a pregnant woman is injured after a gunman opened fire on their car in the Lawndale area of Chicago on Tuesday, according to The Chicago Tribune. The woman was filming the trio on Facebook Live when the shooting occurred.
The video begins with the woman singing and dancing with the man in the car. A child, whom police identified as Lavontay White Jr., can be seen in the back seat.
After a minute and a half, gunfire can be heard as the woman screams.
The screen goes dark after the woman runs out of the car and into a house, apparently looking for help. She can be heard yelling, “Call 911! They killed him,” apparently referring to the car’s other passenger. She then tells people in the house, “I have a bullet in my stomach!”
src. Huff.
How is this going to be beaten?
There are so many amazing people and amazing role models working tirelessly to try and improve the situation on the streets of Chicago. Teachers, mentors, small business owners, advocates, health professionals, community organisers. Trump’s presidency has taught us that we really can’t rely on a higher power. ONLY grassroots community organising can make a difference. Every kid out of a gang is a win, every gang kept away from a corner is a win. This can only be done little by little without giving up.
I can talk this talk, of course I am not there on the street, I am not trying to build a community garden whilst a drugs are being slung on the next corner. I am not facing threats for trying to keep kids away from trouble. I am not slaving to try and give love and care to a kid in a losing battle.
But it has to start with the kids.
And, I have not even started on the official gangs, yes the police! The terror they put on the black and poor community is inexcusable. This gang needs to be filmed, reported, every negative action they takes needs to be flung far and wide on social media and the bad needs to be rated out until every inch of the rotten regime is crumbled.
Again, all easy for me to say.
Chicago, you are in my mind every single day.
I would love to hear from you. Can things get better, are there things forming that will make real change? Is it hopeless?
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