angry but motivated.
05/25/2010“Bllck! Bllck! Bllck! Bllck! Bllck! Wee-ooh, wee-oh weeeeeee…”
The South Side sounds like a war zone. Gun violence has spread like a virus and it has got my blood boiling. I hear multiple instances of gunshots outside my bedroom window every night. As I drove through the alley behind my house the other day, I imagined the city of Chicago being put on a curfew in order to curtail the violence that comes over the streets at night.
Certain folks have got us believing that terrorism only comes in the form of an Arab or Muslim. So, we’d better send more troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. We must fight them overseas so that we don’t have to fight them at home. Well, Department of Homeland Security, there are some terrorists that live in my community. They illegally possess handguns. And with them, they kill innocent little girls, and young black boys that have yet to realize their potential.
I’m one of those people that likes to think beyond race because I know that the real issue is power: money, land and natural resources. But I tell you, if the gun violence that overwhelmingly and disproportionately plagues black neighborhoods were to happen in, oh, I don’t know, say Schaumburg or New Trier; white folks would be up in arms. However, it’d probably only be because they would fear a decrease in property values. hmpf.
So what is to be done? Complain? Pray? Then pray some more?
I feel so powerless, yet something MUST be done. Clearly, the Chicago Police Department ain’t doin much. Legislators down in Springfield have suggested that we have the National Guard come and patrol the neighborhoods where this gun violence is occurring. But, these are OUR neighborhoods where WE feel unsafe and OUR children who are being murdered. We’ve marched, but then what?
I’d really love to do something radical like have sit-ins around the city. Huge masses of people would stage sit-ins in their neighborhoods overnight. There would be a sense of empowerment and connectedness that would occur. We would take back our streets! The number of people who are not shooting and participating in gun violence surely outweigh those that do. The question would be, how would I organize something like this?
Any ideas?
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I remember you saying that with all the social network communication platforms, one would think we would use them more appropriately than updating statuses. While I am in another state and yet concerned about my home town, our channels of communication are still open. I think that a sit-in is appropriate. King, Jr. lead this type of protest and human assault boycott. So why should anything be different now. I think that it is important for social services and other places, for example churches and schools, should be at the forefront of the sit-ins. For some reason, the open protests always end in violence (what a horrible dichotomy). I will list some more ideas as they come to me.
But otherwise, interesting blog. All the people in power positions now utilizing that power to the ultimate ability.