Children Dying in the Streets Thanks to Chicago Gangs and Politics

We hear a lot of rhetoric about how guns kill people in Chicago, but it becomes apparent when one sees the statistical data that gangs are the real killers. In the first seven months of 2010, there have been 258 murders in Chicago. When you consider that 21 of those murdered by gang violence were under the age of 16, the blight of Chicago gangs becomes apparent. It is time for Chicago residents to realize that the current city policies and politics surrounding the Chicago gang issue have failed.

When mothers worry that their children will be shot in their homes and on the streets because of gang activity it is the responsibility of every citizen to say, "No more!" We cannot expect our children to do well in school when they fear for their lives. Wear the wrong colors or look like the wrong person in Chicago and your family may grieve your death.

This year even the police force has not been safe. It seems that most believe that blame should be placed on the police department. Especially those police stations located within these gang-infested areas. However, with dwindling resources and inadequate staffing, we cannot expect our neighborhood law enforcement personnel to police and protect potential witnesses and their families from gang retaliation.

Witnesses fear that the system will not protect them and they are right. Who is to blame? The politicians and civic leaders interested in re-election and retaining power more than eradicating the gang infestation plaguing the city.

If blame is placed, it should rest squarely on the shoulders of Mayer Daley, his Police Superintendent Jody Weis, the Alderman in these districts who ignore the problem and the civic leaders who try to excuse these criminals.

Mayer Daley's failed gun buyback program and the gang summit held by Police Superintendent Weis show a distinct disconnection with those who have to survive in these gang invested areas.

Chicago's civic leaders decry all gang criminal activity, yet they try to excuse their criminal behavior. These gangs are politically savvy and are so bold that they have a press conference and the nerve to say that their rights were "trampled ". They say they were "tricked" into attending Weis's gang summit.

It is apparent that no one considers the rights of law-abiding citizens to live safely in their neighborhoods. Are these criminals the only ones in Chicago with rights? What about all the children who have been killed in gang violence?

Poverty is not an excuse for murder and the continuing political rhetoric blaming guns instead of people is an insult all Chicagoans who try to live with dignity and integrity. We all should be asking this question,"If the police know who these gang leaders and members are, why haven't they arrested them?"

A legal solution to the gang problem maybe the use of federal RICO statues. The RICO Act has been an effective weapon against organized crime since the 1980's. Let us apply these federal RICO statues against gangs our modern "racketeers". We need to hold our leaders accountable. Chicagoans understand many gang members come from poverty. However, we can no longer excuse their behavior because of their upbringing or lack of funds.

Terrorizing honest citizens and destroying neighborhoods cannot be tolerated. Tagging and other "misdemeanor" gang crimes should be considered organized criminal activity and treated as such. Gang leaders must be held accountable for the action of their members.

If the federal government is not interest in helping the city, why doesn't Chicago enact its own version of RICO? We can ban goose liver foie gras but we can ban gangs? How many more children must suffer before the city wakes up to this hypocrisy? This is not a race issue; it is a child safety issue.

It is obvious from Police Superintendent Jody Weis's gang summit that our police department knows each gang designation, their leaders and their members. It is time for local neighborhood, civic and political organizations to stand strong and decide that killing a child and destroying neighborhoods has no excuse.

This Chicago gang problem is not a matter of race, creed or economic status. Gangs and their members are not a part of any community, but are the blight to those who wish to live in peace and safety. It is time for all community organizations to stand strong, pressure their Aldermen for change and report ALL gang activity to the police. Let us abolish all gang activity in Chicago for the safety of our children.