While the world is dealing with a history-shaping pandemic that threatens to topple governments, collapse economies, and terrorize millions of people who are being threatened by an invisible, cunning, relentless enemy known as COVID-19, commonly called the Coronavirus,  many Chicagoans are facing another added threat. It is clearly visible and to some just as lethal. This past Memorial Day weekend was Chicago’s deadliest since 2015 with 56 attempted murders, 10 murders, 42 people shot and wounded, and 4 seriously stabbed.  Imagine if you will, prowling through a minefield not knowing if the next step will be your last. A reality that thousands of Chicago residents face every single day. Not an unseen enemy but just as virulent and as bitterly hostile as the killer virus. The murder numbers certainly don’t compare to the virus’s numbers but they are a steady stream of added horror that is escalating in a city that seems helpless to stop it.

Imagine a slow leaking faucet that just never gets turned off, Chicago’s steady unrelenting murders and shootings. The victim lists just keep haunting a city already paralyzed by the fear of COVID-19. The stay at home orders, the social distancing orders, the shelter in place orders, nothing slows down the gang thugs from the daily routine of the stalk and kill agenda. Think back a few years at all the GAS BAG speeches by the local politicians and the agenda people, all leaping and preening before any cameras they could shove their way in front of, in the so-called fight against violence.

There was more bullshit on the expressways than a bullfighting ring in Spain. Recall the many so-called leaders and assorted buffoons marching on and shutting down expressways miles from the killing zones of their neighborhoods. The sight of the since disgraced Chicago Top Cop marching hand in hand with the marchers in full uniform probably was one of the most despicable scenes any of us in Law Enforcement has ever witnessed. He since has been exposed for the buffoon he was.

Before the start of the Memorial Day Weekend, there was the usual press conferences mostly by the unfortunate Cop Command staff ordered to announce plans on just how their plan (9 million and 68,000 close anyway) was going to combat the expected mayhem of violence. Along with the cops there was of course a local alderman gassing about, READY! loud motorcycles and cars on Lakeshore Drive.  After all! the residents of those high rises are voters and those noisy motorcycles and cars speeding on Lake Shore Drive are annoying. Police manpower was going to be beefed up to deal with this horror and the culprits were going to be dealt with for sure. This had to be in my opinion the SUPERBOWL of misplaced priorities. The alderman probably never heard of Nero playing his fiddle while Rome burned but it crossed my mind, and the big Command Cops just kinda went along with the whole dog and pony show. Not a mention of how to deal with the elephant in the room (DEATH AND MAYHEM BY GUNFIRE AND VIOLENCE). The Ostrich theory has been in full force in Chicago, keep your god damn heads in the sand and it will eventually go away.

There has been from time to time many instances of Chicago’s Mayor yelping about people of faith congregating in places of worship.  Somehow the Governor and the Mayor have declared churches and other places of worship nonessential establishments, and the Mayor has ordered the police to assess heavy fines and in some cases allegedly sending as many as 3 cars filled with cops and a member of the Mayor’s office to pound on doors of suspected churches holding services. I’m including a photo above as a source.

Imagine the Reverend’s point of view on this. Liquor stores, and marijuana dispensaries, and Walmart stores all deemed essential and open for business, food, liquor, and weed for the body but no food for the soul. Hard to imagine the logic in all that but one thing I do know is when a ruling government says it’s stopping you from exercising basic rights by saying it knows better, it makes one think, IS THE KGB laughing?  Armed police banging on church doors to stop a service begs the question where is the ACLU? Where are all the Civil Rights groups?   Who really holds that power, the PEOPLE as we have been told by our Constitution, or a politician who says they know better? Chicago desperately needs help in a lot of areas and leadership is a top priority. Stay safe and listen carefully to people who say they know better.