It's not just Donald Trump who's raising attention to Chicago's violent crime ahead of the Democrats' convention in the Windy City. Some community activists are chiding city officials for turning a blind eye to crime in the Austin neighborhood; rolling out the red carpet for celebrities and politicians while residents continue to "live in fear, ducking bullets and mourning our dead."
The statement comes from the 15th Police District Council, which is one of 22 "councils" set up by the city as part of its efforts to reform and reshape policing in the city. As the website CWB Chicago points out, while the groups are ostensibly designed to "build trust between CPD and residents" and offer residents an outlet to "improve policing", in practice the councils all too often "serve as outlets for thinly disguised anti-police ideologies rather than constructive collaboration."
That's what makes the recent statement by the 15th Police District Council somewhat of a surprise. It wasn't a police-involved shooting that prompted the activists to chide city officials this time around. It was a cold-blooded ambush killing that happened last week involving a group of men who pulled up to the curb, stepped out of their car, and immediately opened fire; continuing to shoot even after their victim had collapsed on the sidewalk.
In their statement, the 15th Police District Council called the murder a "stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive support from all levels of government to address the rampant violence plaguing our streets".
As elected representatives of the district, we are committed to upholding both Public Safety and Police Accountability. However, we must acknowledge that while accountability is crucial, it cannot be our sole focus. We cannot allow ourselves to be quick to anger when instances of officer-involved misconduct occur, while simultaneously turning a blind eye to the black bodies that are being left lifeless on our streets. This is a harsh truth we must confront. We are perpetuating our own genocide when we fail to address the violence that is devastating our communities. It is time for us to come together, to demand better for ourselves, and to hold all those responsible for the safety and well-being of our communities accountable. We must break this cycle of violence and work toward a future where our streets are safe, our children can thrive, and our community can heal.
As Chicago prepares to welcome dignitaries from across the nation and around the world for the Democratic National Convention, the Austin community continues to live in fear, ducking bullets and mourning our dead. Chicago cannot claim to be a world-class city, ready to showcase its best on the global stage, while neglecting the people who give this city its soul. This stark contrast between the city’s polished image and the harsh reality on our streets is a tale of two cities—one of pomp and circumstance, the other of real human suffering. We cannot allow the spectacle to overshadow the urgent need to address the violence that is tearing our community apart.
Chicago, and Illinois in general, are firmly in the grips of the Democrat Party. They control every statewide office and both chambers of the legislature, along with the mayor's office, Cook County State Attorney, and a majority of the Chicago City Council.
They also have almost every gun control law imaginable. Illinois residents have to be licensed by the state simply to possess a firearm in their home (which amounts to a "universal" background check law as well), and bearing arms for self-defense requires a separate license. The state has banned so-called assault weapons and "large capacity" magazines, and has implemented a "red flag" law allowing for gun seizures without adequate due process. Chicago and Cook County have even more restrictive laws, including a "one-gun-a-month" provision, a "lost-or-stolen" requirement, and extra taxes on the purchase of firearms and ammunition.
If gun control laws made cities safer places, Chicago would be one of the least violent locales in the country. Instead, while pockets of the city do enjoy relatively low crime rates, neighborhoods like Austin are being decimated by both gang and drug violence as well as crimes of opportunity. Yet when Democrats gather in the Second City this week, their public safety prescription is to put Chicago-style gun laws in place from coast-to-coast. Chicago's decades-long experiment in criminalizing the right to keep and bear arms has already proven to be a failure, but don't expect to see any images of the Austin neighborhood on your screens while the DNC is taking place. The Democrats will be too busy talking up their desire to gut the Second Amendment to pay any attention to the harms caused by their "blame the gun" mentality in Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods.
