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Some have called for the National Guard to step in to slow down the epidemic of violence that has spread through Chicago. Lawmakers John Fritchy and LaShawn Ford (two Democratic State senators out of Chicago) are asking Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to send National Guard troops to patrol the streets. Fritchy's argument is that the number of people killed in the streets of Chicago, 113 at the time of his April request, matches the number of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, combined.
Fritchy and Ford are at least partially correct. The violence in Chicago is clearly a problem that must be addressed at the local, state and federal level. The officers on the streets likely don't have the resources to fight the violence, meaning that additional resources should be supplied by other governmental entities. Attorney General Eric Holder should get involved, and additional funding should be provided for anti-gang initiatives, jobs and other outlets to give youth something to do besides shoot at each other. There must also be additional resources provided to make residents safe, but I am not sure if creating a police state via National Guard presence would help the situation.
Father Michael Pfleger, a prominent pastor in Chicago, has been quite vocal in his fight to slow the violence. Father Pfleger ordered that the American flag at St. Sabina church be flown upside down, a sign of distress, to signal the community's desperate need for help in this crisis. He is also seriously committed to doing whatever it takes to make his community better.
I respect Father Pfleger and all of those who are fighting to solve this problem. One of the most accurate points made by Pfleger is that if the same number of children had died of the Swine flu, millions in resources would have been allocated to correct the issue. Also, we know that if the children were not black and brown, the problem would surely have been managed by now.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who was once the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, also agrees that had these children been from affluent communities, the response would have been different.
"If that happened to one of Chicago's wealthiest suburbs -- and God forbid it ever did -- if it was a child being shot dead every two weeks in Hinsdale or Winnetka or Barrington, do you think the status quo would remain? There's no way it would," said Duncan.
Why are we letting our children die?
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (21)
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By: Trudy on 6/23/2010 11:25AM
I TRULY DO PRAY ABOUT THIS DOPE AND NARCOTICS COMING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE U S FROM MEXICO. MY REASONS FOR SAYING THAT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS AFTER HEARING ABOUT THESE GANG RELATED SHOOTINGS AND MERCILESS KILLINGS IN CHICAGO. AND CHESTER, PA HAS A STATE OF EMERGENCY ALERT FOR THE MANY KILLINGS HAPPENING THERE RIGHT NOW. THIS SENSELESS LIFE STYLE IS JUST ATROCIOUS AND NEEDLESS TO SAY THE LEAST. WHAT IN THIS LIFE WOULD YOU WANT SO MUCH THAT IT WOULD CAUSE YOU TO KILL OVER IT? IF THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WOULD JUST STOP A MINUTE AND ASK THEMSELVES THAT QUESTION AND TAKE TIME TO WAIT ON THE ANSWER, I THINK THEY WOULD RECONSIDER THEIR DESIRES. NOTHING IN THIS LIFE IS WORTH LOOSING YOUR LIFE OVER. WHETHER IT IS A MAN OR A WOMAN OR DOPE OR ANYTHING ELSE. I PRAY THAT ALL THESE GANG MEMBERS AND DOPE USERS WOULD JUST TAKE SOME TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY LIVES AND RECONSIDER THE CONSEQUENES OF NOT ONLY THEIR OWN LIVES BUT THE MANY INNOCENT BY STANDERS WHO ARE AFFECTED BECAUSE OF THEIR SO-CALLED "HEARTS DESIRES!" ANYTHING WORTH LOOSING YOUR LIFE OVER SHOULD BE MORE THAN THE NEXT HIT OR THE NEXT BOSS OVER THE DOPE PUSHING. BECAUE IT ALWAYS LEADS TO DEATH, HURT, HARM, OR DESTRUCTION OF SOMEONE'S LIFE. PLEASE STOP THIS MADNESS OVER THE DRUGS, YOU WILL GET A NICE LIFE IN ANOTHER WAY WHEN AND IF YOU ARE THAT DETERMINED. JUST STOP IT AND I MEAN IT.
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By: rik on 6/22/2010 10:23PM
Why are we letting our children die?
What’s with this “we” crap! These individuals are responsible for their actions. Not we!
Unless one is perpetually stupid, the Swine flu analogy doesnt work. Disease has no conscious and does not know right from wrong. These folks made the choice of picking up a weapon and shooting another human being.
Most folks are just trying to survive, without hurting others. Or handle their own business. It’s not that people don’t care, but most have a family of their own. Who the hell has time to take care of their own, and someone else’s?
Where is the individual’s culpability? Why is it always the Federal Governments or other law abiding citizen’s responsibility, to waste resources on these folks? Further, poverty is no excuse for lack of morals.
So to answer the question, they are doing it to themselves, and the ultimate responsibility is theirs. "We" are not doing anything; they are doing it to themselves. If u and others care so much, don’t write an article, move into the community, pack up you and your family and move in, and make a difference. Yeah I thought so!
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By: Angie on 6/25/2010 12:34AM
This is why we are having the problems that we are having! There used to be a time when "we" watched out for each other, where "we" believed in that it takes a village to raise a child. The Civil Rights Movement could not have been successful if it were not for African Americans and others pulling together, marching together, fighting together, etc. When did we start saying, "it's not my problem", "that's not my child", "let them take care of their own?" I am a teacher, and when I walk into my classroom, I see every child as my child! It is my responsibility! We have to start getting back to this premis, or we will continue to see a decline in our communities! We have to start coming together and supporting one another the way we used to!
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By: oneuwontforget on 6/22/2010 3:15PM
@cutiehoney & billw...One thing I will never understand is why narrowmided people like you 2 come to sites like BV and spread negativity. If African-American's are terrorists, why are you interested in what's being posted in the BV section? After reading the shallow comments made by you two, I didn't get upset, I felt sorry for you. Only cowards deem another race terrorists. I don't no what ethnicity you two are, and I really could care less. All I have to say is you should really educate yourself on how much African Americans have contributed to society, and historically befor calling someone a terrorist. Think about that the next time you stop at that stoplight that was invented by a black man, or the next time you ride in an elevator, or push your child in a stroller, or write with your favorite ink pen...Just a thought...Loosing that many lives, in that short amount of time is devestating. Instead of making rude comments, you should be sending your condolences to these family's.
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By: BG on 6/22/2010 4:17PM
HERE WE GO AGAIN DR. BOYCE WATKINS.
Rather than being pro black senselesness, we must pause a minute and question the immoral and sickning behavior of the black race even after we have a BLACK PRESIDENT in the history of this nation.
An affluent community or wealthiest suburb as you put it, are designed by a more sensible,hardworking, drug-free, non-prostitute and right thinking individuals and not a group of never-do-wells.
When Obama became President, I had the joy and optimism of seeing the black people carry this ARRIVAL ON TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP to further excel in what we do and how we now project into the future, and how we are perceived particularly by the whites who had long seen hopelesness in us.
I did not see the impact of Obama's victory in us and on our children. Infact, our situation has worsen as a race.
I moved to this predominantly white community after deserting a trashy littered sudivision. You see the white people walk their dogs and pick up after them. You see the white kids in the swimming pool and everything looks pleasant.
A year later, I witnessed a number of movers and Penske trucks at the complex. The whites are moving out in direct response to influx of black people moving in.
Months earlier, a helicopter was hovering above the building investigating a dead body found in the creek adjacent one of the buildings.
There has been several reports of vandals. Something the white occupants have not seen before.
Some black visitors who has no code to pass through the gate would tail a lawful resident thereby breaking the gate arm.
Black resident would place trash bags on top of the trunk on the way to the dumpster, the trash would roll off but black people would not stop. Later, the neighborhood is littered with food remnants and cats feeding on them.
Late at nights, between 2:00am and 4:00am, you hear altercations. One of these was a teenage dad with a gun, and currently with a restraining order looking for his ex new boyfriend.
My wife had accussed a neighbor for allowing his dog to poop just by the stairs. The argument led to harassment with a gun.
So, Dr. Boyce, I am in the process of packing my stuffs looking for another white neighborhood where there are no drugs, prostitution, trash, rodents, and senseless killings.
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By: usureaboutthat on 6/22/2010 5:35PM
I don't think you should be promoting white neighbourhoods as the safest,cleanest, overall better community to live in. Another thing you shouldn't do is demonize the neighbourhoods with large numbers of African-Americans either. Sure there are community's that are predominately Black, but at the same time-what about the white neighbourhoods, or Mexican that have high crime rates? It's unfair to categorize things that way. Quit sterotyping. If I recall correctly, it was a white man that blew up a building with tons of innocent people inside,also wasn't it white men that took guns into a high school, and went on a shooting rampage? Didn't those men come from decent neighbourhoods? What about the white teachers that were caught dating & having inappropriate relationships with their students? Didn't those things occur in "nice neighbourhoods". As soon as something negative happens in the black community, blacks are demonized and the stereotypes are promoted. But as soon as something great happens, like our lovely president, Blacks are subjected to a number of acusations that just aren't fair. So I say to you BG- quit stereotyping, what you've said isn't fact. All your going off of is perception, and an expierence-there are neighbourhoods with a large African American population that live in peace and comfort. Your just to blind and nieve to see it. Although, I do have to agree with the point you made in reference to these civilians killing one another. Yes, that is their fault for pulling the trigger, but being black has nothing to do with how many times the trigger was pulled.
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By: damfoo on 6/22/2010 10:00PM
Its all according to there plan. The city had crime, but it didn't get like this until the Mayor tried to get city ready for the olympics. Like ppl wanted to come to the Chi for Olympics. It startd with the disstruction of the projects. Then they just put families anywhere, rival gang r n the same territories having conflicts with 1 anothr. Then the white ppl were complaining about stayn way n the suburbs and having to wrk downtown. Which is the reason for all the condo`s being put. Now a black person can get a house anywhere n the burbs, or the city for cheap. We as a race have to wake up an c and xplain to r kids what's going on. Its all apart of some whites plan to let's all the black folks kill each other, while they sit back an laugh.
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By: BG on 6/22/2010 11:01PM
@unsure:
Your commentary above made an intellectual piece hence, worth replying to.
Yes, all those are white. And what about the DC. sniper that randomly killed dozens of innocent citizens going about their daily chores. Is he not black?
I am actually not into black and white things. But I can tell you this. Bring all the black folks into a predominantly white neighborhood. Switch them with the whites and bring the whites into the predominantly black neighborhood. Go back to each neighborhood two years after and blog me with your findings.
Go and compare a Target and Walmart store in a predominantly black neighborhood to the one in a predominantly white neighborhood and blog me with your findings.
Magic Johnson gave the black community a theater. All of them are shutting down. He should have given them a liquor store. No viable businesses in the black neighborhood are thriving.
Take a taxi from the airport, tell the driver you need drug and prostitute and see whether he will drive you to a white neighborhood or black neighborhood.
So we have to devote our energy to addressing this anti-achievement mentality affecting the black race rather than this pro black nonsense.
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By: usureaboutthat on 6/23/2010 11:52AM
I understand where your coming from, and I do agree with the fact that Black, just as whites, have committed some terrible crimes. My main point that I'm trying to get across is this: Not all black community's are raggedy, ghetto, trashy,unsafe and dirty. The black community's that are thriving just aren't talked about. So what do you expect from people that have never had a chance to experience a black neighborhood that's actually doing well? Negativity always gets more attention than positive. The people that shot and killed others should be punished accordingly, and I definitely agree that this is nothing the African-American race should be proud of. Point is this, people who live in area's that aren't invested in have the Do or Die mentality. Lower income community's do not have the same resources, or access to the same benefits as a well-invested community has. So when your given the bottom of the barrel-and there's not enough resources to go around, what do you expect? People fight over it. It sadden's me that you can't see the opposite point of view. I do wonder if you feel the same way about other races, Mexican, Asian, Russian etc. Do you deem them with the same negative thoughts as you do African-Americans? Also, you made an interesting comment, "He should have given them a liquor store"...That's the problem right there! If you drive through a "nice area", how many liquor stores do you see? How many gun stores? How many "adult" businesses do you see? Hardly any. If you drive through a "not-so-nice" area, you'll notice a liquor store on every corner, a gun store, strip clubs, and a numerous amount of fast food restaurants. Not everyone is able to make their way out of bad areas. It's something that easier said then done. Your outlook on the world is different when you've been born into poverty vs. being born into a family that's considered "well-off". So would things be different if some of those liquor & guns stores were shut down??? Definitely...but whose job is it to regulate that?
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By: enzorellie on 6/23/2010 3:36PM
All of these conditions have been set up and created to be this way by the racist powers that be. to target our community and children for destruction. they do this all over the earth ruining nations with thier methods of satanic infiltration, chaos creation and destruction. from the constant loss of jobs, to the allowance of illegal aliens to come in and take away jobs and housing, to the importing of drugs, and guns, and hired killers,to the organized kkklan "gangstalking" and spying of our community to the set-up racially rigged judicial and political system that targets and parasites on us daily, etc... the point is : all of this fake crap is set up from the outside and is masked with a fake label of colored "gangviolence"...so wake up and dont fall for the medias fake hype and demonization lies...check out youtube "gangstalking,cointelpro,etc" and do your own research and look around at the conspiracy set up for our community.
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