Chicago... What's happening to my city???

It's truly sad to see a city you've grown up in and loved so much fall to such horrible times.. The city I'm talking about is Chicago, where the violence is ever growing and its been this way for sometime... For those who dont know, since 2001 roughly 2000 american soldiers have died fighting in Afghanistan, in Chicago over 5000 have died... Maybe my city is a war zone now...

It’s not just this year that Chicago outpaced Afghanistan in terms of deaths by violence, either. Since 2001 more than 5,000 people have been killed by gunfire in Chicago, and during that same period 2,000 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan, Chicago’s WBEZ 91.5 reported.

Chicago's murder rate is 4 times that of NY City and 2 times that of LA... All the cities mentioned have their issues with gangs and violence (what urban city doesnt), but why is Chicago blowing these other major cities out of the water??

As the sun rose Sunday, New York City hit a remarkable milestone, recording just 193 murders in the first six months of the year. In that same span, more than 250 murders were recorded in Chicago—a city just one third as large.

Is this something that we should be blaming on the Mayor? Granted Mayor Rahm Emmanuel hasnt been on the job too long and inherited a significant mess from former Mayor Daley, but it seems that nothing has changed and that the city of Chicago cant find a way to curb this violence..

Some blame it on the weather, not sure if thats an reason/excuse I can live with... They say that in these lower income neighborhoods where folks cant afford air conditioning they take to the streets when they are experiencing excessive heat, and thats when rival gangs cross paths and violence erupts... So if its a weather thing, would AC in all these homes end the violence?? I doubt it... So what is it?

Everyday I turn on the local news its people being shot and killed. Just the other day 8/18, 3 people were killed and 17 wounded in overnight shootings... I'm just at a loss for words with this senseless violence... (story linked below)...

articles.chicagotribune.com... t-shootings-gunshot-wounds-critical-condition

Ultimately, I dont know what my city can do to fix this issue, I wish they could take a little advice from NYC because it seems like they are making tremendous strides in the right direction...

Anyways, for those who were not aware of the violence here in Chicago, you now know what's going on here... Sad and scary...

ATS let me know what you think

www.thedailybeast.com...

Here is a link to a clip from Huff Post, it shows a round table discussion on the Chicago violence we are seeing

www.aol.com...

reply to post by jhn7537


Might have something to do with having the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation?

Are most of the shootings drug related? Gang related?

Idk ... stay safe in any case.

Originally posted by followtheevidence
reply to post by jhn7537

 

Might have something to do with having the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation?

Are most of the shootings drug related? Gang related?

Idk ... stay safe in any case.

Unemployment surely has played a role in it (no statistics to go off of), but the majority of the violence happens on the South/West sides of Chicago where gang violence is around every corner. The issue is, that the violence is starting to spill over into the "nicer/safer" neighborhoods and thats what has me really worried. And with that violence spilling over, you're having to worry about armed robbery, battery, etc. to go along with the chance of a round ricocheting into your home...

Originally posted by jhn7537

Originally posted by followtheevidence
reply to post by jhn7537

 

Might have something to do with having the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation?

Are most of the shootings drug related? Gang related?

Idk ... stay safe in any case.

Unemployment surely has played a role in it (no statistics to go off of), but the majority of the violence happens on the South/West sides of Chicago where gang violence is around every corner. The issue is, that the violence is starting to spill over into the "nicer/safer" neighborhoods and thats what has me really worried. And with that violence spilling over, you're having to worry about armed robbery, battery, etc. to go along with the chance of a round ricocheting into your home...

edit on 20-8-2012 by jhn7537 because: (no reason given)

Well, those areas don't have people to rob in them. I lived in Wrigleyville during the late 70's, early 80,s. It wasn't safe even then to walk outside of areas that were considered safe. Nicer areas surrounded by the ones that aren't are subject to crime. It isn't uncommon to find a wealthy block in Chicago to be ritzy, and the next block look like a war zone. If you don't like it, move. Even the suburbs aren't safe.

Don't complain.
Get out.
Get out now.

Not for nothing, but Chi town has one of the toughest gun restrictive laws in the country...its amazing how the crooks still manage to find a way aroudn that...I'd say you need to arm joe schmoe citizen to even the odds.

Not trying to turn this into a gun debate....just calling it like I see it......high crime....because the innocent aren't allowed to defend themselves within reason.......and the crooks are claiming open season.

The reality is, that in a city of that size with as many cops as you have.......sorry...but ...if you aint packin heat...your either a victim....or a statistic...

Originally posted by Sulie

Originally posted by jhn7537

Originally posted by followtheevidence
reply to post by jhn7537

 

Might have something to do with having the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation?

Are most of the shootings drug related? Gang related?

Idk ... stay safe in any case.

Unemployment surely has played a role in it (no statistics to go off of), but the majority of the violence happens on the South/West sides of Chicago where gang violence is around every corner. The issue is, that the violence is starting to spill over into the "nicer/safer" neighborhoods and thats what has me really worried. And with that violence spilling over, you're having to worry about armed robbery, battery, etc. to go along with the chance of a round ricocheting into your home...

edit on 20-8-2012 by jhn7537 because: (no reason given)

Well, those areas don't have people to rob in them. I lived in Wrigleyville during the late 70's, early 80,s. It wasn't safe even then to walk outside of areas that were considered safe. Nicer areas surrounded by the ones that aren't are subject to crime. It isn't uncommon to find a wealthy block in Chicago to be ritzy, and the next block look like a war zone. If you don't like it, move. Even the suburbs aren't safe.

I'm relatively young (27 years old), so I never got the chance to witness Wrigley back in the day, but my father who lived in Chicago since the late 40's, told me that the Wrigleyville area was VERY dangerous back then, so i definitely believe what you wrote... Who would have thought that today it would be one of the nicer neighborhoods... I lived in Lakeview first, which was very safe, then moved to Rosco Village (on Addison) which is safe until you go across Western Ave. then it gets real sketchy fast... I guess its true that Chicago neighborhoods are always changing, well the gold coast aint changing, money has always been there...

People on the border call it Chicongo.

You should realize that the more violence the more cops there are, yes ?

Cops that could, should and will be used against...let's say strikers, or protesters ?


The funny thing is that there are much more cops now, way better equipped than in 80's (where violence was rampart all over the big cities in US) and except NY, where violence dropped acordingly to the number of cops, elswhere it isn't dropped acordingly.


My advice is same as others : get out.


Because it seems that the americans are so lazy that even fighting for their OWN LIFE and security is too hard to do it, and expect the unexpected : the gov to do something.

Yes, I know, this shouldn't be a thread about guns and regulations and stuff..

Anyhow.

Berlin 2011 (3.510.000 residents): 219 assaults by gun. 41 first-degree murder (not differentiated by weapon, mostly knifes or blunt weapons, I guess).
So urce, pages 175 and 184

Chicago is turning into "dark town" like Detroit.

Just leave.

Originally posted by sonofonehunlo
Chicago is turning into "dark town" like Detroit.

Just leave.

Easier said than done... I have a great job here in Chicago, which makes leaving tough... Not to mention my whole family lives here...

I just wish there was another solution like the City of Chicago figuring this mess out and turning this murder/crime wave around...

I dont expect them to fix this over night, but I want to see progess, and right now, I dont see any and the statistics dont lie..

no legitimate way to earn a living, means more crime. less honest money, more dishonest money...i don't know how else to say it.

Originally posted by jhn7537

Originally posted by sonofonehunlo
Chicago is turning into "dark town" like Detroit.

Just leave.

Easier said than done... I have a great job here in Chicago, which makes leaving tough... Not to mention my whole family lives here...

I just wish there was another solution like the City of Chicago figuring this mess out and turning this murder/crime wave around...

I dont expect them to fix this over night, but I want to see progess, and right now, I dont see any and the statistics dont lie..

Good luck then. There are a lot of crooked cops in Chicago, and political figures to boot.

Hold community meetings, have people sign petitions.......invite the news to attend the communities meetings concerning crime.

Use your voice. When I lived in the area I told you about, there were weekly community meetings. You can't just sit back and wait for change, you have to perpetuate it.

The area I lived in was very gang infested, and crime riddled while I lived there. If people had not gone to meetings and left their voiced unheard, that area never would have changed.

Talk to your neighbors and see if they have the same kinds of concerns. Get a district area political to attend so they can address your concerns, as well as your neighbors.

Complaining on ATS won't help, and I hope you don't take that as an ugly view on my part, because I lived in the city, and know what you are talking about, even this many years later.

Wow..........5000 people have been killed in Chicago in just 11 years.......

How many of these have been due to firearms?

I know it's probably a dumb question coming from a none USA person and too late now in the short history of the USA, but why did they allow firearms in the first place?

Apparently everyone is allowed to individually bear arms in the US, but wouldn't the people who make all the rules have thought it a much better place if nobody was allowed to have firearms?

I suppose I will get a tirade of this, that and the other due to the fact that I don't live in the US, but it has never made much sense to me.....

Don't you think that you US citizens would have lived in a much safer environment all these years if the so called governing bodies would have had a much better view to how things would have panned out in the future?

Obviously you would have had the odd nut-case who wants to take a pot shot at somebody now and again as what we do over here in the UK. But If everybody is allowed to have guns, then what do they expect to happen, after all, the only reason anybody has a firearm is to defend themselves because everybody else has a firearm. If nobody had them then nobody would need them....

But like I stated earlier, it's rather a bit too late now isn't it?

Originally posted by davethebear
Wow..........5000 people have been killed in Chicago in just 11 years.......

How many of these have been due to firearms?

I know it's probably a dumb question coming from a none USA person and too late now in the short history of the USA, but why did they allow firearms in the first place?

Apparently everyone is allowed to individually bear arms in the US, but wouldn't the people who make all the rules have thought it a much better place if nobody was allowed to have firearms?

I suppose I will get a tirade of this, that and the other due to the fact that I don't live in the US, but it has never made much sense to me.....

Don't you think that you US citizens would have lived in a much safer environment all these years if the so called governing bodies would have had a much better view to how things would have panned out in the future?

Obviously you would have had the odd nut-case who wants to take a pot shot at somebody now and again as what we do over here in the UK. But If everybody is allowed to have guns, then what do they expect to happen, after all, the only reason anybody has a firearm is to defend themselves because everybody else has a firearm. If nobody had them then nobody would need them....

But like I stated earlier, it's rather a bit too late now isn't it?

All of them are due to firearms...

It’s not just this year that Chicago outpaced Afghanistan in terms of deaths by violence, either. Since 2001 more than 5,000 people have been killed by gunfire in Chicago, and during that same period 2,000 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan, Chicago’s WBEZ 91.5 reported.

Originally posted by jhn7537

Originally posted by davethebear
Wow..........5000 people have been killed in Chicago in just 11 years.......

How many of these have been due to firearms?

I know it's probably a dumb question coming from a none USA person and too late now in the short history of the USA, but why did they allow firearms in the first place?

Apparently everyone is allowed to individually bear arms in the US, but wouldn't the people who make all the rules have thought it a much better place if nobody was allowed to have firearms?

I suppose I will get a tirade of this, that and the other due to the fact that I don't live in the US, but it has never made much sense to me.....

Don't you think that you US citizens would have lived in a much safer environment all these years if the so called governing bodies would have had a much better view to how things would have panned out in the future?

Obviously you would have had the odd nut-case who wants to take a pot shot at somebody now and again as what we do over here in the UK. But If everybody is allowed to have guns, then what do they expect to happen, after all, the only reason anybody has a firearm is to defend themselves because everybody else has a firearm. If nobody had them then nobody would need them....

But like I stated earlier, it's rather a bit too late now isn't it?

All of them are due to firearms...

It’s not just this year that Chicago outpaced Afghanistan in terms of deaths by violence, either. Since 2001 more than 5,000 people have been killed by gunfire in Chicago, and during that same period 2,000 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan, Chicago’s WBEZ 91.5 reported.

edit on 20-8-2012 by jhn7537 because: (no reason given)

Wow, yeah I just re-read again and it states they were all firearm related.........that's unreal..........That is undoubtedly what you call inner city warfare..............so sad............

I have family scattered all over the south and west side of Chicago including madison terrace. A lot, if not the majority of these shootings are young people.... and when I say young I mean 15-22..

You see it more and more, and I think that's why it's so rampant in Chicago. So many kids, so little to do, and not the best of influences. Some of my older siblings were raised in Cabrini Green and can attest to carrying a gun at 13-14 years old. Your judgment just aint all there when you're that young.

Tell Chicago to put more money into stuff for youth, more back into education and some community reform. The can't keep focusing all their money toward the northern and central neighborhoods, and neglecting the south and west sides, because soon all that violence is gonna end up directed that way..

reply to post by davethebear


I just find it kind of messed up that this is happening on home soil and the US Govt. doesnt seem to give two sh*ts about it.... I guess they expect it in inner cities, but when there's a single shooting in an upper-class affluent area the whole country is in uproar... Ill never understand why this isnt treated like a bigger issue...

Chicago's problem is corruption.

Almost all the hiring of police, teachers, judges ect is based on political connections. Ok, there might be a few low level non-corrupt people but almost everyone at the top got there through political connections.

There were groups who represented minorities, who instead of taking on political corruption made the choice to join the corruption.

People at the top don't care if a program is good for Chicago as long as it's good for them.