ct-chicago-memorial-day-weekend-violence-20160528

Eddie Johnson was named as Chicago’s Police superintendent only two months ago. After the hapless, hopeless, historically violent term of the odious Gary McCarthy, Johnson had only one way to go…up. But since assuming the top cop job, things haven’t gotten any better. Which was why, with 2016 gunshot deaths up 55% compared to last year and a long hot summer ahead, Johnson let it be known last week that he wasn’t going to accept the current state of affairs . . .

As we look toward the summer months, Superintendent Johnson has made it very clear that the violence will not be tolerated – period. The cause of the violence traces back decades, and everyone has a role to play in fixing it – police working with parents, judges, residents, clergy, community leaders, and others. Put simply, we need more values, fewer guns and stronger sentences against violence offenders.

And then the Memorial Day holiday hit the city like Katrina hit the Big Easy. As the Chicago Tribune eports, 58 people were shot over the long weekend. Four of them have died.

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But as the Sun Times notes, some things never seem to change, no matter who’s in the big chair.

The department’s message following the shootings and killings this Memorial Day focused on the need for tougher gun laws — another common thread in recent years.

When in doubt, disarm the populace. Because that’s been so successful, right? Except as the Sun Times reveals in the very next graph,

Using computer analysis, the department estimates from 1,300 to 1,500 people in Chicago commit most of the gun violence, and many of them have been arrested for gun crimes without serious punishment in the justice system.

Maybe the Chicago brain trust should fire up the ENIAC again and try to figure out who those 1300 to 1500 people are. And then they might consider spreading enough cash around city government to get a few judges on the bench who will actually sentence them to meaningful time. Just a thought.

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48 COMMENTS

  1. I presume this should be “And then the Memorial Day holiday hit the city LIKE Katrina hit the Big Easy.”

    Easy enough to miss.

    Unfortunately you’re playing up gun violence of 4 dead and 58 injured by comparing it to a pretty substantial natural disaster that claimed the lives of somewhere between 1,245 – 1,836 people. Chicago is major market and all, but those numbers really don’t make sense side by side unless you were intending the reader to infer you were comparing the un-vetted computer aided projections of the 1,300 – 1,500 people who are committing gun violence. Even then dead citizen vs live criminal just doesn’t shake out for this reader.

    I’m all for making my share of dark humor jokes since I’m trying to maintain my million miler status but that’s a comparison I don’t think I’d put in print.

    • Current events say, same stuff happens in LA for the same reasons. Those displaced from /Katrina are plying their version of stupid worthless pestillence to Houston and other various sanctuary cities. Katrina was also as-bad as it was, in LA, because of POS lib-prog-comms, and just another example of the best of what (D) can do for you and yours.

  2. Remind me again why increased penalties are supposed to deter crime if the existing ones aren’t even applied?

    Oh, right, pay no attention to the facts behind the curtain, we’re Doing Something here!

    On another note, I really miss the “previous” and “next article” floating buttons. It’s a small thing but it saves page reloads and mobile data.

    Otherwise, while I have some quibbles, nice new site layout – font is more readable on my phone.

  3. Chicago………charging, convicting and locking up perpetrators. One would think that would clean up a town, but no, let’s blame and persecute ALL BUT THOSE RESPONSIBLE for the mayhem. For the children ™ .

    • Do it for the adults. It is the “children” who are responsible for the violence.

  4. One of my more recent favorite quotes from this site.

    ” Meh.”

  5. Chicago has several problems. First, a catch and release program because they believe too many Black youth are disproportionally in jail forgetting the fact that Black youth are also 90% of the crime. Second, no law can fix gang/thug culture which is so deeply ingrained. No law can fix generational poverty where gangs are the only job in town.

    There seems to be programs that work, but those are underfunded. For example, getting the kids away from the gangs. Keeping kids in prison where they are required to go to school before they are released. The giving a thug a hug programs don’t seem to work.

    Lastly, Chicago is a purely partisan city. There are nothing but Democrats running the show and have done so for more than 50yrs. The echo chamber does not work, time for some outside ideas.

    • Chicago hasn’t a Republican Mayor since Big Bill “The Builder” Thompson. That is 90 years

    • You’re absolutely right! It’s sad but the issues are so deep, laws can’t change the mentality of a group of people. As Americans we have the right to protect ourselves, and if you choose a gun, that’s your right. When guns are in the the hands of criminals, that’s a problem! The lawmakers making the choices for us aren’t doing a great job…

    • And they need to address the FACT that even if some of these gang thugs do get prison time they serve it in prison with other members of their gang or are recruited into the dominant prison gang culture. What is the point of putting these guys in prison when all they do there is learn how to be better gang members?

  6. I will ask a few simple questions here:
    1)Who of these shooters has a FOID card?
    2)Who of these shooters has a CC License?
    3)Who of these shooters is ineligible to own a firearm?
    4)Who of these shooters is on probation, parole or bail?

    I’m willing to bet that since such people typically do not get access to firearms they are likely already covered under the “illegal” part.

  7. Once again it is all the fault of the gun stores and gun owners in Indiana.
    The gun show loophole!

    • What I love about that line of reasoning is that, if all the shootings in Illinois can be blamed on the guns in Indiana, then all the crime in Indiana can be blamed on the criminals in Illinois.

  8. Oh yeah-blame Indiana! Hapless is the operative word. They’re gonna’ call Garry back. Anywho legally arm the so-called good folks in the crappy neighborhood LOL…

  9. “Superintendent Johnson has made it very clear that the violence will not be tolerated – period.”

    It may not be tolerated, but it will be endured none the less.

  10. And our so-called leaders Of the Free World Keep saying gun control is the only way To eradicate The shootings. What a bunch of BS! When it’s safer for me to walk down the streets of Afghanistan like I did when I was in the army Then to walk down the streets of Chicago Illinois we have a serious problem. And it’s not with gun control it’s wet The government trying to force upon us Their ways and their thoughts and their actions. This country is a free country if it’s anything, And with freedom Comes the ability for individuals to make their own choices in the way they live their lives and raise their children. When you start taking away Rights that are guaranteed to us by our Constitution and our Bill of Rights The whole shebang goes in the shitter.

  11. I hope the LEOs aren’t letting folks off who they find with illegally concealed weapons in Chicago. This happens a lot in California.

  12. 58 people were shot over the long weekend. Four of them have died.

    Sad. They were all just turning their lives around.

    Actually, I don’t care and neither does anyone else.

  14. At what point does Chicago’s administration simply throw their hands in the air and say – anyone that wants a gun can have one?

    Let the people of Chicago sort out the problem.

    • Never happen.

      Arming everyone to fight the problem didn’t bode well for the administration when the administration is the problem.

    • “Let the people of Chicago sort out the problem.”

      That is EXACTLY what they are doing.

  15. The simple fact of the matter is that Democrats have a vested interest in widespread crime and chaos.

    First of all, all of those criminals vote for Democrats and they cannot actually cast votes when they are in prison. Furthermore, those criminals cannot coerce the people in their neighborhoods to vote for Democrats if they are in prison. Thus, Chicago politicians will do everything in their power to keep criminals out of prison.

    Second of all, all those criminals keep a lot of people employed in government jobs who will always vote for their paychecks … which means they will always vote for Democrats.

    This isn’t a laughing matter. Criminals and government employees (is there any difference?) number in the thousands and are a substantial voting bloc in Chicago. Democrats are not going to throw that away.

  17. Go ahead make all guns in chiraq illegal. Know what happens next? Same number of killings, different method. If you don’t change the reason for murder you’ve fixed nothing

  18. Chicago … War zone. 58 shot over a weekend. Wow. I have a solution. More guns.

    If there was a gun every cubic foot in Chicago, then all the people who ready to kill someone and then be killed could go ahead and do that. Everyone left over after that carnage, would be great people left to rebuild the area. We need to remove psychopaths from the gene pool so they don’t pass that nonsense on.

  19. Guns are neither the problem nor solution to Chicago’s murder problem… just like the weather isn’t.

  21. As of sunrise this morning (Tuesday) it was sixty-six (66) wounded, six (6) killed and I’m appalled I tell you, APPALLED!

    I’m appalled over the poor marksmanship exhibited by Obama’s “sons” in Chi-Congo. Perhaps a solution to their anemic stats is a city-sponsored “target shooting” program for thugs at the police firing range then maybe the criminals will stop hitting the granny down the street taking out her trash and strike their intended targets.

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