Mayor Daley is feeling the heat about firing Truancy officers and giving more work to police officers, who want more money, and alienating athletic programs by reducing state requirements for four years of physical
education down to two. With young people having less activities to partake in to move themselves away from violence and issues like the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (Audy Home) being closed after one fight and currently having one unit, no books, and no computers to teach children in, Mayor Daley needs to pay attention to this as well. There is a shortage on security guards, so students of various levels are being taught on the same level. When students are not challenged, they tend to dropout. When you give young people way too much time on their hands, less of an opportunity to find jobs, and mediocre education in a high crime area, gang affiliation rises even stronger. (Note: There is no reported connection between the Audy Homes and the violent Chicago weekend in 2008.)
However, I recall one of the most intelligent young guys in my elementary school being beaten up repeatedly on his way home from school because his older brother was in a gang. He was beat up on his way to the library, on his way to school, during lunchtime, and yanked out of a van because of his brother's affiliation and for refusing to join a gang. He graduated from elementary school and went to one of the top high schools in Chicago, Whitney Young. Although I lost touch, I hear now that he is a convicted felon. Sometimes good guys make bad decisions, but oftentimes they are forced into gangs. Every gang member is not there voluntarily, and some join for security reasons. If police officers cannot comprehend this idea and don't talk to each one as an individual instead of as a pack of criminals, nothing will be resolved. The easy way out is to tell residents to snitch on criminals in the area, but who is going to protect those residents when the police leave? While the police go home to safer areas, these people have to stay in these neighborhoods.
After attending high school in one of the high crime areas, Morgan Park, I'm holding my breath and hoping another Sean Bell incident doesn't happen from overzealous police officers. However, at the same time, I can recall many of days watching gang members scurry when the police were visible. Fights suddenly stopped. Arguments decreased to a whisper. Corners cleared. But as soon as the police drove by, the gangs were back. I'm not opposed to police officers having more sophisticated weapons, but I hope Mayor Daley plans to do more for Chicago than make Chicago look like a war zone. At the rate Chicago is going now, we're catching up with the crime rates of Los Angeles, which is the only city higher in crime than Chicago. Mayor Daley, concentrate on education and employment. Violence is definitely something to pay attention to, but there are those students who are trying to stay out of trouble. If they are not given the opportunity to excel in education, young Chicago residents turning into criminals will only increase. I hope for the best, but I can't say I don't expect the worst.
Sources:
However, I recall one of the most intelligent young guys in my elementary school being beaten up repeatedly on his way home from school because his older brother was in a gang. He was beat up on his way to the library, on his way to school, during lunchtime, and yanked out of a van because of his brother's affiliation and for refusing to join a gang. He graduated from elementary school and went to one of the top high schools in Chicago, Whitney Young. Although I lost touch, I hear now that he is a convicted felon. Sometimes good guys make bad decisions, but oftentimes they are forced into gangs. Every gang member is not there voluntarily, and some join for security reasons. If police officers cannot comprehend this idea and don't talk to each one as an individual instead of as a pack of criminals, nothing will be resolved. The easy way out is to tell residents to snitch on criminals in the area, but who is going to protect those residents when the police leave? While the police go home to safer areas, these people have to stay in these neighborhoods.
After attending high school in one of the high crime areas, Morgan Park, I'm holding my breath and hoping another Sean Bell incident doesn't happen from overzealous police officers. However, at the same time, I can recall many of days watching gang members scurry when the police were visible. Fights suddenly stopped. Arguments decreased to a whisper. Corners cleared. But as soon as the police drove by, the gangs were back. I'm not opposed to police officers having more sophisticated weapons, but I hope Mayor Daley plans to do more for Chicago than make Chicago look like a war zone. At the rate Chicago is going now, we're catching up with the crime rates of Los Angeles, which is the only city higher in crime than Chicago. Mayor Daley, concentrate on education and employment. Violence is definitely something to pay attention to, but there are those students who are trying to stay out of trouble. If they are not given the opportunity to excel in education, young Chicago residents turning into criminals will only increase. I hope for the best, but I can't say I don't expect the worst.
Sources:
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- Approximately 36 people were shot and 9 people died in Chicago during April.
- Majority of the shooting was in one weekend--April 18-April 20.
- Police officers are allowed to have M4s.
(Guest)