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Chicago's July Fourth weekend ends with 17 dead, 70 wounded

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By DON BABWIN

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As Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said after the shooting of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in Atlanta, “These aren’t police officers shooting people on the streets of Atlanta. These are members of the community shooting each other. … Enough is enough.” 

This has gone beyond a gun problem, and has become a poverty and desperation problem. Of course, everyone being armed to the teeth doesn’t help. Added to which, the record rise in gun purchases:

Rise in pandemic-related gun purchases linked to shooting spike. Preliminary research from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Program calculates the increased gun violence that may have resulted from the surge in gun buying that has accompanied the coronavirus (and reached a new record against the backdrop of last month’s protests). Between March and May, the scholars found, 2.1 million more firearms entered circulation than would have under typical demand. Those “excess purchases” are associated with more than 775 fatal and nonfatal gun injuries that otherwise might not have occurred.

https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/daily-bulletin-pandemic-coronavirus-gun-sales-chicago-new-york-fourth-of-july/

4 ( +5 / -1 )

2 weeks after, proof that George Floyd meant nothing to Democrats:

George Kirby? Floyd Taylor? Pelosi, Schumer botch George Floyd's name

“Who do you believe when it comes to civil rights and police accountability: Mitch McConnell, or the lawyer for the families of Floyd Taylor, of George Taylor, George Floyd — and Breonna Taylor?” said Mr. Schumer.

“And I said I’ll recommend that to the Judiciary Committee and to the Congressional Black Caucus, who have shaped the bill, but I only will do that if you tell me that this legislation is worthy of George Kirby’s name,” said Ms. Pelosi at a press conference.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Where are BLM and where is the good Rev. Al Sharpton?

This has gone beyond a gun problem, and has become a poverty and desperation problem. Of course, everyone being armed to the teeth doesn’t help. Added to which, the record rise in gun purchases.

As long as blacks vote for the same policies as they have been for 60 years nothing will ever change in that city.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I think they should buy more guns and learn how to defend themselves. Right?

Irony again?

Exactly. More guns equals less crime, right? Well that's what conservatives' favourite "academic" John Lott reckons - or should that be Mary Rosh?

"Not only was Lott’s assertion that more guns leads to more safety formally repudiated by a National Research Council panel, but he had also been caught pushing studies with severe statistical errors on numerous occasions. An investigation uncovered that he had almost certainly fabricated an entire survey on defensive gun use. And a blogger revealed that Mary Rosh, an online commentator claiming to be a former student of Lott’s who would frequently post about how amazing he was, was in fact John Lott himself."

https://archive.thinkprogress.org/debunking-john-lott-5456e83cf326/

1 ( +2 / -1 )

July 4, a day to celebrate our independence but not America is enchained by loudmouth gun fanatics and hateful politicians. And that includes Trump with his utter disregard for the original Native Americans.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Where are BLM and where is the good Rev. Al Sharpton?

Silent.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Where are BLM

Trying to end police brutality against blacks.

where is the good Rev. Al Sharpton?

Not sure? I don't track him. But probably doing his best to reverse racist policies against blacks.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Isnt that pretty typical for Chicago? The media are just trying to tie this to July 4th for their agenda.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The media are just trying to tie this t

That's one perspective. Another is it's topical. My experience has been media outlets report on topical issues, especially ones that might be of interest to their readers.

I've found that outlets also report from a variety of perspectives. Some spin reporting of events from perspectives I disagree with, but by using the internet I've been able to find reports that I fully agree with.

Interesting times when something called 'the media' has status similar to orcs and Skynet in the minds of some

1 ( +2 / -1 )

bass4funkToday  08:56 am JST

Where are BLM and where is the good Rev. Al Sharpton?

This is the first thing certain people always ask, as if it is his sworn duty to do something about everything dealing with minorities. For your information, there are many people working to help solve problems like this. Others just wait with their pen or give lip service, like that failure in the White House, ready to pounce and say "see," and we all know they are enjoying this and don't really give a damn.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

where is the good Rev. Al Sharpton?

Not sure? I don't track him. But probably doing his best to reverse racist policies against blacks.

You have got to be kidding!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Where are BLM...?

84% of whites are killed by whites. Where's WLM?

It's wrong to think that black people don't care about crime in their communities. They speak out all the time.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/06/24/chicagoans-do-protest-gun-violence-and-organize-for-safer-neighborhoods-all-the-time-heres-how/

The Violence Interruptors are a Chicago based operation aimed at "interrupting violence in select cities throughout the United States by establishing short and long term goals that will reduce the number of violent crimes such as; killings, shootings and robberies that are instigated by gang activity and gang retaliations."

https://www.violenceinterrupters.org/our-mission

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Give it a rest people. It'll be a lot uglier in October. Save your vitriol! You've a better use for it, coming soon to a theatre near you.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

bass4funk

As long as blacks vote for the same policies as they have been for 60 years nothing will ever change in that city.

Maybe. I'm not well versed in the political history of Chicago. I will say that violence in urban areas is usually limited to only a few groups of people in small areas of a city. Also, it seems you're drawing the causal conclusion that democrats cause crime. But if you're going that way:

Of the 10 states with the highest rates of violence, seven voted for Trump. Los Angeles, whose homicide rate is enviably low, has had only Democratic mayors since 2001.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/reason.com/2018/08/13/the-truth-behind-chicagos-violence/%3famp

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Maybe. I'm not well versed in the political history of Chicago. I will say that violence in urban areas is usually limited to only a few groups of people in small areas of a city. Also, it seems you're drawing the causal conclusion that democrats cause crime.

Democrats didn’t cause the crime, their policies did and have done so for over 60 years.

But if you're going that way

That’s just the reality...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

This is the first thing certain people always ask, as if it is his sworn duty to do something about everything dealing with minorities. For your information, there are many people working to help solve problems like this.

So if that is true, why hasn’t anything changed in 60 years of Democrat governing?

Others just wait with their pen or give lip service,

That’s what exactly what the Dem leadership is doing until it gets time for the election season then it’s all about we deeply care.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It's wrong to think that black people don't care about crime in their communities. They speak out all the time.

They don't care about that. They don't like that black people are protesting police brutality and are looking to beat them with any stick they can.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They don't care about that. They don't like that black people are protesting police brutality and are looking to beat them with any stick they can.

So how have the Democrat politicians positively changed the lives of blacks living in Chicago?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Shocking but not surprising. That's Chicago . . . guns are a way of life there, especially for the poor ans stupid.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

bass4funk,

I'm just not sure you can draw a straight line from democratic control, to increased crime. While I'm not denying the present violence in Chicago, crime has decreased across America since the 1990s.

"Crime in the United States is down roughly 50 percent since 1990. Both survey research and police statistics reported to the F.B.I. show the trend... .

"It went down in places like Dallas and San Diego, cities that have had a mix of Republican and Democratic mayors.

"It went down in Chicago, a city that hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1931. It went down in Oklahoma City, which hasn’t had a Democratic mayor since 1987."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/opinion/politics/giuliani-trump-chicago-data-crime.amp.html

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I'm just not sure you can draw a straight line from democratic control, to increased crime. While I'm not denying the present violence in Chicago, crime has decreased across America since the 1990s. 

Actually, crime has been going up and especially over the last few years and New York especially

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/06/18/nypd-crime-stats-may-2020/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-19/some-crimes-are-spiking-in-major-u-s-cities-amid-empty-streets

"Crime in the United States is down roughly 50 percent since 1990. Both survey research and police statistics reported to the F.B.I. show the trend... . 

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/crime/report-colorados-violent-crime-rate-continues-to-climb

"It went down in places like Dallas and San Diego, cities that have had a mix of Republican and Democratic mayors.

"It went down in Chicago, a city that hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1931. It went down in Oklahoma City, which hasn’t had a Democratic mayor since 1987.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/6/8/21281998/chicago-deadliest-day-violence-murder-history-police-crime

Actually, it really hasn’t.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Sure, but we're confusing violent crime with overall crime. Anyway, a few excerpts from your sources:

During the month of May, overall crime decreased compared to the same period last year.

Amid empty streets and shuttered shops, crime rates in some of the biggest U.S. cities have dropped -- with a few exceptions

And of Chicago,

In a city with an international reputation for crime — where 900 murders per year were common in the early 1990s — it was the most violent weekend in Chicago’s modern history.

(M)urders have fallen significantly in recent years, along with police-involved shootings. There were 764 murders and 12 fatal police-involved shootings in 2016, compared with 492 murders and three fatal police-involved shootings last year.

Hopefully, what Chicago is experiencing right now is a temporary spike.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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