The true meaning of Easter is celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and how he shed his blood to pay for the mountains of debt we couldn’t bear to repay. However, the city of Chicago had other plans.
This past weekend, 19 people were shot and 4 were killed, including a 13-year-old boy, in various parts of Chicago–even hitting West Town and Rogers Park. The Chicago murder rate has increased by 35 percent, with over 100 homicides since the start of the year. It seems like as soon as the sun shines, bullets cover the Windy City.
The majority of shootings have been random acts of violence on street corners or gang-related. Sadly, children are bearing the worst. A few weeks ago six-year-old Aaliyah Shell was shot on her front porch in the Little Village neighborhood, meaning no one is safe from the raging fire and consequences of true brutalities from others.
Chicago Police Suppt. Garry McCarthy is miserable failing at his job to target high crime areas such as Englewood, Roseland, Austin and Marquette Park. Though he claims the team is strategizing efforts to prevent Chicago from having yet another hot, bloody summer.
The issue that startles me is that no one is protesting against this street violence. It’s almost as if the dangerous atmosphere is the norm and we have become too familiar with tragedy.
I hate every act of violence and agree, it should all be publicized to shed light on the faults of the aggressors. I see us marching for Troy Davis and Trayvon Martin; both cases are tragic and true examples of racism that lies deep within the soil and hearts of our country, but we cannot forget our own. We cannot forget the children who are hassled daily at the bus stop by gang members; we cannot forget teenagers and young adults who’ve become entangled in deadly street life.
Update: 5 people were killed, 23 wounded this past weekend.