A few days ago I  was having a conversation with a friend of mine who happened to be a reporter in Chicago for over 45 years.  The subject suddenly changed from baseball to the present conditions in Chicago. He had witnessed first hand the last two lootings and violence that have struck the city on the Magnificent Mile and the Downtown area of Chicago, not as a reporter but as a resident. He said something to me that jolted me from my thoughts about baseball. “I can’t figure it out, the criminal element is very bold, it instills doubts about the future.” This from a guy who has covered every incident a big city has to offer for over 45 years. I thought well maybe he’s thinking this way because he witnessed the mayhem in person and he wasn’t as seamed all over by the scars of violent behavior as an ex-Marine and a veteran Chicago cop who was subjected to a steady diet of man’s inhumanity to man on a daily basis.

In Chicago again yesterday an attempt was made to march on the Dan Ryan Expressway, another radical group of about 200 people was easily repelled by the Chicago and Illinois State Police. Within a few hours, they had marched to Chicago’s downtown area where they again clashed with the Chicago police resulting in 18 more Chicago cops being injured and 24 arrests. One wonders under these conditions how many more Americans feel like my friend does. Obviously confused, disoriented,  and discouraged thinking about the future. When did it become racist to respect the country’s National Anthem or Mt. Rushmore?

At what point did George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson become moral monsters who have to be erased, or that all police officers are racist thugs?  Why are the rioters and looters allowed to terrorize people, destroy and steal property with impunity?  Why are our leaders not enforcing the laws?  In my opinion, it’s deeper than incompetent leadership. Chicago and Cook County politicians are rife with incompetence and clueless leadership, but it seems a lot deeper than that. The consequences of that clueless leadership are starting to take place. Macy’s Department store located in the toney Water Tower shopping area has announced they are getting out. They have been in residence since day one of Water Towers’ existence. Eight floors of a once-bustling shopping destination, have had enough. United Airlines has announced that it is moving key elements of its management out of the Willis Tower sighting the safety of its employees. For most people in the Chicago area watching the Ronald McDonald House being viciously attacked by looting thugs while confused parents and loved ones of serious child cancer patients cowered helplessly inside could not help to feel both sorrow and immense anger.

Nothing was spared — the looting went on and on for at least 4 hours —  until most shelves were emptied and the loot was tossed into U Haul trucks and vans and driven back to the neighborhoods they came from.  All in the name of peaceful protest. Another shameful day in the history of a city that was so unprepared no amount of words by any politician could deflect blame. Anything they could say would be tantamount to pouring syrup on a pile of crap and telling the public it was pancakes.

I know it’s a beautiful Sunday morning for most of you folks and forgive me for delivering such shameful news but as Edmund Burke once said  “THE ONLY THING NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS FOR GOOD MEN (AND WOMEN) TO DO NOTHING” It’s difficult to go on to the entertainment pages and the funnies when a once-great City is under attack before your eyes. These are also the SHAMEFUL NUMBERS that evil is triumphing over and the silence is sickening. Since January 1st of this year, Chicago Murders and shootings are up over 139%. See the numbers above and the disgust just grates one’s soul. 478 souls have been murdered and 2,511 have been wounded, 58 of those were pre-teens, babies, toddlers, and several under 10 years of age shot down on Chicago’s streets. While the City leaders come under attack for all the looting and rioting the silence is ignoring the evil that just keeps rolling along. Look at the quote above. INDEED! HOW MANY MURDERS OF CHILDREN DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A CITY’S SOUL ROT?