It is now a new year and Chicago has already had 52 homicides.- MIa Haskins
In the year 2016 Chicago, Illinois had 762 deaths related to gun violence. It is now a new year and Chicago has already experienced 52 homicides. The crime rate in Chicago has it’s high and lows, 2011 crime rates had dropped from over 70% for 1990 to 34% in 2011. The downside was that 83% of the crimes involved a firearm, while 10% were due to robbery, and 60% gang related. Men and and teenage boys are the main victims of these killings as they are being pulled into the street life as that's their only option. When they are young that’s all they see and know, so they become accustomed to the life and want to follow in other’s footstep.
On social media, TV, news, and online blogs, Chicago is portrayed as a crime filled city. As I searched the internet for statistics and proof that it’s a dangerous city, I couldn’t find anything. Which leaves me with the question, is it really all that bad? With an outstanding number of 762 gun related deaths it makes you question if there are any gun laws in place. Chicago's gun laws say if you have a state FOID (Firearm Owners Identification) it is legal to have a gun. That doesn’t stop gang members, drug dealers, and just regular people from getting their hands on one. In California gun laws are a lot similar to getting your driver's license. You have to take a written test and pass to purchase a handgun. All sales are monitored, when sold privately by dealers must have a license. All firearms sold are recorded by the state and have a ten day waiting period. In Illinois the gun laws states it’s illegal to carry a gun or in a vehicle unless unloaded.
At a point in his presidency Obama and the mayor of Chicago tried to pass stricter gun laws. Chicago’s former Chief of Staff agreed that it would help lower crime rates. Obama believed the issue is more than just guns, he explained that it is also the gang built neighborhoods, lack of structure in Chicago, and easy access to weapons. Violence is not only in the “ghettos” of Chicago, it happens anywhere at anytime to anyone. An African american off duty police officer was shot by two other police, reasoning was because he failed to “drop his weapon”. This later lead to Black Lives Matter protest, this was a time when everyone had to come together to mourn for another black man's life lost to senseless violence.
At this time in American history we all have to come together and stand for what’s right. There's always gonna be people who will try and stop the movement but that’s what we have to do to become better. At this rate we aren't going to have any young people to lead us into the future. We must try to get our young boys and girls off the street and into after school programs, jobs, and college fairs. Let’s stand for what’s right and end this senseless violence.
