Chicago, my hometown, keeps winning in one shameful way

Chicago remains the homicide superior of America — 13 years straight. According to an investigation by Wirepoints, 573 homicides were committed successful Chicago during 2024 astatine the complaint of 21.5 homicides per 100,000 residents. These depressing numbers acold transcend those of different large cities similar New York City, Houston and Los Angeles. 

Yet astir of Chicago’s metropolis leaders whitethorn arsenic good beryllium surviving connected different plant. They garbage to look astatine world successful each of its ugliness. After an unruly mob of implicit 300 kids took implicit Streeterville and the Loop recently, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the solution was much "safe spaces." Safe spaces for whom?

Anybody who knows Streeterville, location to the Navy Pier, knows that it is 1 of the safest neighborhoods successful each of Chicago. In fact, determination were 2 shootings successful March — some were owed to ample gatherings of teen mobs.

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That’s 2 shootings that could person been prevented had the metropolis taken this occupation earnestly agelong before. When Mayor Johnson archetypal took bureau determination were 3 consecutive nights of thoroughfare takeovers successful the Loop and adjacent areas. Fellow Chicagoans and retired of towners were assaulted. Stores had their windows smashed and were robbed. 

When we raised our corporate outrage backmost then, Mayor Johnson chastised america for "demonizing children." He went connected to say, "They’re young. Sometimes they marque silly decisions. They do. And so, we person to marque definite that we are investing to marque definite that young radical cognize they are supported."

I didn’t spot thing "silly" astir those videos showing these kids bashing guiltless radical implicit the head. I besides rejected the mayor’s mendacious statement that we’re demonizing these kids. What everyone was outraged astir was the behaviour of these kids and that it had been allowed to proceed for galore hours without immoderate instrumentality and order. 

Clearly, this delusional attack by the politician hasn’t worked. Even helium knows it. After the caller tally of teenage mobs, the politician said helium would "not tolerate" this behaviour immoderate longer. But wherever is his solution? His plan? 

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I ne'er enactment immoderate of my religion successful him. I didn’t ballot for him and was immensely disappointed erstwhile helium won. I knew that Chicago would conscionable proceed with concern arsenic usual. Now, I’m seeing much and much Chicagoans aftermath up to the world of this mayor. Many of them betrayed their communal consciousness and voted for him due to the fact that of individuality politics. But the world of the fearfulness amusement that this politician is has go excessively overmuch for them to bear, particularly erstwhile children are astatine stake.

Chicago residents ripped Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (Reuters/Vincent Alban)

We cognize the lone mode to scope our younker is to go progressive successful their lives. I’ve been doing this enactment connected the South Side for decades and I tin archer you that it works. It is not cleanable — I person preached astatine acold excessively galore funerals for teens — but it does prevention galore lives from the destiny of the bullet. 

What we bash is precise simple. We speech to these kids, find retired wherever they’re at, what their demons are, and we fto them cognize we understand. We cognize they’re being targeted each time for rank into gangs and we strive to antagonistic that with the content they tin go somebodies with their changeable astatine the American Dream. 

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What we don’t bash is supply these kids with "safe spaces." What is the constituent of a harmless abstraction if unit inactive reigns extracurricular the door. What we bash alternatively is strive to marque their communities safer. That is what gives these kids that consciousness of information and state to absorption connected processing their skills and ambitions. 

My assemblage center, Project H.O.O.D., reduced the homicide complaint successful our vicinity of Woodlawn by 50% from 2021 to 2022. 

Most of those kids moving wrong those mobs don’t person immoderate of that. They’re lost. They’re sheep moving wherever the mob takes them. They perpetrate unit due to the fact that it is each they person to connection nine astatine that moment. They travel of property during Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police and they cognize there’s cipher astir who cares capable to halt them. In different words, they’re pushing the limits of our nine arsenic acold arsenic they tin due to the fact that they cognize they can. 

Our politician and astir of our metropolis leaders are blameworthy of indulging these teen mobs. They judge they tin babe these kids to safety. But I tin archer you that’s not what these kids want. Many of them privation to beryllium a antheral oregon pistillate of importance. They privation to matter. But they don’t cognize however due to the fact that their parents person failed them, their schools person failed them, their leaders person failed them and present they are failing themselves. 

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The lone solution is to daze them backmost into world by showing them that determination are consequences for their actions. Alderman Brian Hopkins has called for imposing an 8 p.m. curfew connected these youths to assistance the Chicago Police Department get a grip connected the problem. I personally would spell further and apprehension those suspected of straight committing vandalism and battery. Lock them up. I would besides clasp the parents of underaged children legally accountable. No much excuses. 

We person to bring backmost reality, instrumentality and order, and unit these youths onto the citizenship track. Otherwise, this societal contagion volition lone dispersed to different communities and we’ll soon each beryllium paying the terms for our wayward youth.

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