The violent criminal subculture of Bloody Chicago was responsible for wounding 47+ people over this past weekend. 9 of the 47+ died* of their wounds in a city where crime reports are on par with—and have many times exceeded—casualty reports from our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It isn’t known as “Mogadishu on Lake Michigan” for nothing.

The youngest fatality of this weekend’s crime spree was the seven-year-old son of an alleged gang leader, who, of course, refused to cooperate with police in apprehending his son’s killer or killers. Abiding by the thug culture ethos of “no snitching” was more important to him.

It’s just another weekend highlighting of the violent criminal subculture problem we discussed yesterday. Until we identify, acknowledge, and target the criminal-glorifying thug culture itself, we cannot hope to stop the violent crime that is responsible for so many of the the deaths we see in cities like Chicago from one week to the next.

Sadly, we know the victims and we know their assailants, and we have for years, yet we refuse to do anything about it.

Instead, the people who could be making a difference create scapegoats:

Who are the murderers and their victims? A 2011 Chicago police analysis found 90 percent of murder victims in the city are men, 76 percent of victims have prior arrest records, and the most common ages of killers are 17 and 18 years old.

“These officers are putting their lives on the line. Does anybody realize what we’re talking about here? There are guns, they kill people!” said Supt. Garry McCarthy, Chicago Police Department.

Oh, yes indeed. It’s the fault of those inanimate objects, guns.

It couldn’t be the fault of criminals.

The guns made them do it.

Sadly, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy seems to really believe that merely possessing guns will turn you into a violent killer… presumably through some sort of mind control:

“It’s real simple,” he said at the conference. “Gun possessors are potential murderers. If they don’t learn a lesson for carrying the gun, they keep carrying the gun. They get into an argument, now instead of fighting, they shoot.”

This bully with a badge intentionally conflating law-abiding citizens with violent criminal sociopaths is the same man who seemed eager in 2013 to have his officers shoot lawful concealed carriers first, and ask for permits later.

I don’t know how anyone can could bear to live in a city where the “top cop” treats mothers and fathers attempting to protect their families with the contempt he should reserve for repeat felons.

Garry McCarthy is obviously unwilling to publicly identify the problems in his city, much less begin to address them.

It’s time to replace him with someone willing to make an actual difference.

* For some unknown reason, an ABC 7 report from last year at this time surged to the top of news feeds this morning, showing that 80+ people had been injured and 17+ had been killed. We’ve since revised the number wounded and killed to the most recent agreed upon numbers.

It’s still terrifying that Chicago is so bloody that we can never been sure if we’re getting accurate casualty counts.