What are Your Thoughts on the Chicago Homicide crisis?

[aeron]

I don't disagree that stricter gun laws would cut down on some of the shootings and killings, but give me an example of a gun law that would not interfere with the 2nd amendment. The "breakdown of the family structure", as you have mentioned is also a good example of what's wrong in America, not just Chicago. But, how do you make dad's accountable by staying home and raising their family? Some point to education. Here in the city where I live is the largest high school in the county. The school is predominantly black because it is located in center city, which is also predominantly black. The drop out rate is just over 50%. When anyone enters the building, they must walk through a metal detector. Visitors from outside must be escorted by an armed security guard hired that is paid for by the school. Go to a basketball or football game and it looks like a cop's convention is going on. There is a lot of police presence inside and outside. The district has trouble hiring teachers because of the violence that goes inside the school.

Like I wrote earlier, I don't think any one thing will answer Chicago's problems. It is a city out of control. Gangbangers have to be brought under control. Coming up with a solution to that problem would be a good start. I have watched the movie "Boyz n the Hood" a number of times and although it is a movie out of Hollywood there are some real life events in that movie. It really bothers me to see young boys and girls being shot down over turf wars and drug issues. There has to be an answer to this problem. To just keep having meetings about it and never doing anything will not solve the problems.

I don't have an answer, It's easy for me to sit and say that Chicago should do this and/or that, but what do I know? I have never lived a life like poor, uneducated blacks, Latinos or whites have lived. I was lucky enough to come from a great home with a very good support system in place and two parents that cared about their kids. I have no idea what the rest of the kids in the world are going through. Probably, if I was a young, white, black or Latino kid from a single parent home, I can see myself being just like they are. If it's easier for me to sell drugs and line my pockets with cash, then I very well may go down that road. It also seems to me that drugs, guns and violence all go together.

There is a mentality among many young people that if you live in a certain area of the city then you best not come into my area of the city or I will shoot you. I must protect my turf from outsiders. Is that crazy or what?

Tribalism vs. civilised society.

 

[QuickSilver]

Tribalism vs. civilised society.

Yet the rebublican candidate and president* elect ran on a platform of "Tribalism".... Aren't you misunderstanding the word a bit? It actually has NOTHING to do with African TRIBES... But a is a form of civilized society. A word you may better understand is "Nationalism"

Tribalism

is the state of being organized in or an advocate for a tribe or tribes. In terms of conformity, tribalism may also refer in popular cultural terms to a way of thinking or behaving in which people are loyal to their own tribe or social group.[SUP][1][/SUP]
Tribalism has been defined in as a 'way of being' based upon variable combinations of kinship-based organization, reciprocal exchange, manual production, oral communication and analogical enquiry.[SUP][2][/SUP] Ontologically, tribalism is oriented around the valences of analogy, genealogy and mythology. That means that customary tribes have their social foundations in some variation of these tribal orientations while often taking on traditional practices (including through religions of the book such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), and modern practices, including monetary exchange, mobile communications, and modern education.

[SUP]

From wiki.

[/SUP]

 

[aeron]

Yet the rebublican candidate and president* elect ran on a platform of "Tribalism".... Aren't you misunderstanding the word a bit? It actually has NOTHING to do with African TRIBES... But a is a form of civilized society. A word you may better understand is "Nationalism"


[SUP]

From wiki.

[/SUP]

Why are you apparently trying to find racial connotations in what I write?

I am well aware of the meaning of the word tribalism and how it can overwhelm civilised society.

Probably the best example took place during "The Troubles" in the British province of Northern Ireland, one of the two separate countries on the island of Ireland, the other being Eire.

What took place was presented as a religious conflict but was in fact a tribal conflict within the British province funded to a considerable extent by Americans providing the cash and arms to terrorists who were attacking British people on British soil.

 

[QuickSilver]

Because whenever Republicans start bashing Chicago... they are doing one of two things.. They are inferring the inferiority of Blacks... OR they are insinuating that Democrats cannot govern a city or handle it's problems...and in doing so take a swipe at President Obama by proxy. Sometimes it actually is BOTH. Then they offer Draconian Republican solutions which would be absolutely impossible to implement. So yes.. which one are you guilty of?

 

[aeron]

Because whenever Republicans start bashing Chicago... they are doing one of two things.. They are inferring the inferiority of Blacks... OR they are insinuating that Democrats cannot govern a city or handle it's problems...and in doing so take a swipe at President Obama by proxy. Sometimes it actually is BOTH. Then they offer Draconian Republican solutions which would be absolutely impossible to implement. So yes.. which one are you guilty of?

Neither. I'm not "Republican" but based on what i have watched happen over a number of years plus in occasional chats with some ex workmates I do believe that the management of Chicago has been lamentable and as for Obama, I don't need to take a swipe at him by proxy, I am more than willing to criticize his presidency directly because of his dreadful foreign policy and the way that he fudged the US economy by printing scrip and his refusal to protect the US from invasion and that's just to start with.

Draconian solutions to the emergence of the criminal sector? I honestly believe that in the near future the US will disintegrate just as the USSR has. The social fracture lines are just too deep now.

As to which "one" I am guilty of? That infers that I am "guilty" of either of the things that you level at me, a bit like "have you stopped beating your wife" (to which I answer "no"!). In fact because I fall into neither of the camps you offer the answer is of course neither!

 

[QuickSilver]

So It's actually the second choice you are guilty of..

Neither. I'm not "Republican" but based on what i have watched happen oiver a number of years plus in occasional chats with some ex workmates I do believe that the management of Chicago has been lamentable and as for Obama, I don't need to take a swipe at him by proxy, I am more than willing to criticise his presidency directly because of his dreadful foireign policy and the way that he fudged the US economy by printing scrip and his refusal to protect the US from invasion and that's just to start with.

 

[aeron]

So It's actually the second choice you are guilty of..

I'm not guilty of " taking a swipe at Obama by proxy" In fact I'm not guilty of anything. To criticise someone based on what they have done that absolutely justifies criticism is an entirely reasonable thing to do. Especially when amongst the disgraceful things is making false accusations against what SHOULD have been a strong ally against a common enemy, who has supported the terrorism being waged against the legitimate government of Syria, who right from early in his time in office behaved appallingly towards on head of state (Queen Elizabeth) yet groveled before the head of Saudi Arabia, and so much more besides.

Taking a swipe implies criticism indirectly.

There is nothing remotely indirect where my condemnation of Obama is concerned.