React from anti-crime aldermen on special City Council meeting
By Ray Hanania
A special Chicago City Council meeting was held on Friday (July 2, 2021) to address the rising gun violence and record deaths taking place in Chicago.
Many Aldermen have criticized Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for failing to do her job. Lightfoot has responded not by addressing the concerns of safety for Chicago residents, which have equally tragic consequences for Chicagoland’s suburbs, but she instead hid behind claims of “racism” and anti-Gay bashing.
Lightfoot works harder to promote her African American heritage and Gay lifestyle than to champion the needs of all Chicagoans. Last month, she said she would only allow to be interviewed by Black journalists and writers of color, excluding White journalists. In fact, she has discriminated against journalists of “non-Color” since she was accidentally elected by a small plurality of votes over her challengers.
Chicago’s crime and killing rate has increased dramatically under her watch and the failed leadership of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. But then, according to them being Black allows you to deflect from serious and real issues and instead turn the discussion into one of racism and “hatred.”
Regardless, 19 Chicago Aldermen called for a special City Council meeting to discuss the rising death toll and Lightfoot’s failure to effectively address it and demanded that Chicago Police Supt. David Brown address the group.
Instead of focusing on addressing the rising crime he is incapable of controlling or stemming, he jumped on Lightfoot’s bandwagon berating the alderman for dragging him before the people who pay his salary and whom he serves.
13th Ward Alderman Marty Quinn
“I have raised concerns about the morale and fatigue of our police and the safety of our city for months. I appreciate Superintendent Brown addressing our questions today, and I will continue to push for these critical discussions until we have a path forward that protects both our officers and our communities. The 13th Ward supports the police and wants to see more police officers on our streets. I will be helpful in any way I can, as I know there is not an easy fix and it is not dependent on any one person. Everyone needs to get involved in finding ways to stem the violence and the police fatigue we are experiencing in Chicago. The future of our city and our police force is too important to do anything less.”
15th Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez
“I am pleased that the Superintendent and his two deputies came to answer questions from City Council. I am thankful to my colleagues that were well prepared for a serious, substantive and meaningful dialogue which is what was intended and what happened. … There is much information the Superintendent promised to my colleagues. I am hopeful he follows through. Chicago needs to substantially decrease the violence in our neighborhoods. Narrative politics must end and be replaced with facts & action. … Lastly, a special & well-deserved thank you goes out to all our officers. Your work is incredibly important. Your concerns have been heard. I along with many of my colleagues will continue to fight on your behalf. Have a safe Independence Day holiday weekend.”
Other Aldermen attending included Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward who had recently been attacked by muggers in Chicago, and Matt O’Shea of the 19th Ward who offered strong words of support for Chicago’s abandoned Police Officer.
Despite the increasing death rate, Lightfoot asserted after calling her critics racist that “crime is not rising.”
OK, Mayor. Maybe crime is just a misunderstood child and we need to coddle it.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and political columnist. For more information on Ray Hanania visit www.Hanania.com or email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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