Chicago residents have faced an exceptionally deadly Summer this year — 123 people were shot and killed, twice the amount of US soldier casualties in Iraq over the same period.
Throughout 2008, murder rates in Chicago have risen. In July Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich said he was prepared to call in the National Guard to help restore order to the "out of control" city.
Police officials note that the pace still keeps the rate at historical lows; however, there's a real possibility that Chicago could finish the year with more than 500 murders, for the first time since 2003. Most murders are related to gang activity, and a high number of offenders and victims have a criminal history.
While some compare the American soldier casualties in Iraq and Chicago to depict the dire condition of Chicago, ignoring civilian and Iraqi deaths in Iraq could paint an inaccurate picture.
Urban Outfitters
Kind of a strained comparison isn't it? What real links are there between Chicago and Iraq this summer?
1How is it a strained comparison? Its a hard number.
2I don't think the point is to argue that Chicago is more dangerous than Iraq. Just equally as dangerous for Americans.
3i dont get it.
4Randomly enough, when my husband deployed to Iraq, I moved back to my hometown of Chicago. People would ALWAYS ask me, "Aren't you afraid he is going to die in Iraq?" I would always answer them, "He is more likely to get shot in the southside of Chicago then in Iraq"... I was always sarcastic... but how ironic it is actually true.
5Maybe we need to send our forces into Chicago.....
6One of the big reasons I moved out of there in May. I grew up there, spent my life there. Chicago is all I have ever known. I love that city with all of my heart and there is nothing more beautiful than that skyline on a clear day. But the crime and violence and filth there, I just couldn't stomach it anymore. My apartment was broken into, in a GOOD area of the city, my friends have also been burlarized or mugged/beat up, every year there are multiple serial rapists going around. The "homeless" peddling at every corner while swigging 40s under the viaduct and throwing the food people give them to eat on the sidewalks because they don't want food, they want money for booze and drugs.
I just couldn't take it anymore. I honestly could not watch the news because every day there was a gang shooting. Little CHILDREN, I'm talking 3 and 4 year olds, getting killed in gang crossfire.
It breaks my heart that a city I've had a great love affair with all my life became something that made me ill.
7P.S. Rod BlaGAGevich is one of the most crooked, self-serving jack@sses in politics. But who am I kidding, all Chicago politicians are that way. Taking bribes, not caring about their duties as a leader, favors. That man is a scumbag.
8Isn't that why it got the nickname The Windy City?
9Melissa Rae, that is so sad. Hopefully something can be done; I've only visited Chicago a few times, but I don't want to lose this city to crime.
What you said about the problems with filth and people swigging 40s on every street corner makes me think of The Tipping Point. I wonder if the city someone let small crimes slip by and it led to bigger problems.
10Haus, I believe it is. I'm pretty sure that's how the county got the nickname Crook County, as well.
11hmm interesting... i wish i had some deep dish pizza right now...
12No its Windy b/c of the wind.
On a serious note, I have moved back to the Chi and some of the neighborhoods are horrible. I think some of the police are afraid of paroling it. I work in many of these neighborhoods through volunteering and live in one and many of the citizens there believe when the city tore down many of the projects and relocated them to different areas that the areas started to see a real change in violence. There has always been violence but there has been an increase in the last 3-5 years. Some of the more isolated suburbs are also seeing an increase in violence.
It is horrible, a young girl was walking down the street last week was killed and she was 9 and outside playing rope with friends. Every week there is at least 5 killings or more of teenagers and under. It seems everyday there is a kid dying. Whether they are on their way to school or just out and about. The sad part most of the ones killed are accidents, the criminals were aiming at someone else or misidentified.
They tried the curfews, that didn't work. I don't know what they can really do. The citizens of the neighborhoods are patrolling the streets and looking out for each other but its the criminal element that needs to banished. It's ashamed that children and people can't even live and feel safe.
13I am pretty sure that it was dubbed "the windy city" because of its longwinded politicians?
14"But who am I kidding, all Chicago politicians are that way. Taking bribes, not caring about their duties as a leader, favors. That man is a scumbag."
And we want to elect a politician for president from Chicago?!? Doesn't that strike people as odd?
15A little something from one of Chicago's long-winded politicians: "The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals."
16Whats strikes me as odd -- is voting a man in office that voted with BUSH 90% of time - that's pretty odd.
17It strikes me as odd that people don't examine that statistic a little more closely to see where McCain agreed with Bush.
18And I don't see how anyone is telling anyone else that we can't uphold the second amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.
19My a** hurts.
20"but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals."
Having a total gun ban isn't going to keep the AK47's out of a criminal's hands, if he wants one, and can afford the price on the black market. I agree that we need to do more to control the ability of gangs/thugs/criminal element to get whatever they want, but I don't see how that is accomplished by trampling on the freedoms of the common man.
21I agree UnDave. I can't fathom how Daley thinks a gun ban is keeping guns out of criminals' hands. If they are already breaking other laws, breaking a gun control law is nothing.
22Maybe the UN should send in some peace keeping troops.
23Chicago did have a bloody summer, didn't it?
24I wonder how so many people are getting murdered when handguns are illegal in Chicago.
25oprah did it.
26Dave, you just don't get it.
If the victims are unarmed and unable to defend themselves, it's *much* less likely that the criminal will have to shoot them during the course of a robbery or mugging. Thus, the murder rate is *bound* to decline.
27Exactly Laine. Finally some common sense from the right. And how about the danger that a citizen would have their handgun forcibly taken away by a criminal during a struggle.
28Huh. That's an interesting statistic. It all depends what part of Chicago you're in...much like any other big city. If you come do the tourist thing in Chicago chances are you're going to be just fine.
lilkimbo it's actually COOK country. CRook county is in Oregon.
29Oh, I know! (Well, I didn't know there was an actual Crook County.) I was saying it got the nickname Crook County because of the crooked politicians. Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone.
30Oh, I know! (Well, I didn't know there was an actual Crook County.) I was saying it got the nickname Crook County because of the crooked politicians. Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone.
31Well, I think the mayor of Chicago deserves a pat on the back for their tough "common sense" gun legislation. And kudos as well to everyone running all the firearms manufacturers out of Illinois. Glad to see it's paying dividends.
32i think that it's really scary to hear about how we're having all these issues in our own country when there are soldiers that are fighting for freedom in another country for us. it's hard....especially hearing that there have been more murders and deaths here than in Iraq. i think that it's valid for the mayor to want to call in the national guard...we need to figure out what the baltimore police force did that changed things so drastically - since they had some of the highest crime in the country and it's slowly getting better.
33The city is making strides towards changing things, like tearing down the "projects" and building new mixed income neighborhoods. It is a lot like the tipping point in that little things can make a big difference, but you don't really know what they are until you try them and study them.
What I really want to see changed is the culture that makes gangs seem like the best option to a lot of young people. It's really a complex problem.
34I must admit that the last night I spent in Chicago, I witnessed a police raid, and a mugging within a block and a half of each other. My wife and I decided that we were going to get to the interstate and get out of "dodge" as quickly as we could. I've friven through Chicago many times since then, but will not go downtown again, unless I have a special invitation or reason.
35Comparing the murder rate in Chicago to that in Iraq is misleading and does a great disservice to our troops. There are 200,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq. There are almost 3 million people in Chicago. The fact that the same number of people were killed in Chicago as Iraq over a particular time period means that a U.S. soldier in Iraq is TEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED as a citizen of Chicago.
I have written about this in depth with cited references at my blog: http://www.jeremygoodell.com. I welcome your commments.
36I think we all know what is really wrong. The blame game is easy, but people will have to change. I love stubborn, independent thinking Americans and the only disservice we do to our troups is not having a safe place for them to return to. Thinking that any administration is doing the right thing is not only ignorant, it is not very patriotic. Blaming is always easy, but truely we are in a global market (contrary to belief) and if we don't start doing what we do best (Being first in technology and getting things done) then crime will be the least of our worries. What people do in other countries affects us in every way. There isn't any reason we cannot be the icon for how things should be instead of the opposite. By nature we have always been agressive. This is not the problem. Be agressive toward a true cause that you know is right. If it is questionable, then ask questions. This is called being American. Read History books if you don't believe me.
37I saw a clip on the video site of Smiley Purple Lips Teleprompter gloating about kicking off the 2016 Olympics in the last days of his second term with Mayor Daley at his side...Not enough people stopped to think what it actually means to bring the Chicago Machine model of sleaze to the White House.
The donor lists are all the same, he endorsed Blagojevich twice, endorsed Daley every time. his campaign manager, now top advisor ran every major crooked Chicago politician's bid here.
There won't be reform in Chicago, it is a one-party state here.
Emanuel, Stroger, Burris, Daley, Axelrod, Obama, Blagojevich, Jackson Jr., Guttierez...crooks.
38I got to chicago at age 14 , they tried to murder me once on the same block twice as I ecaped my first murder attemp and wass running away , a 2nd murder attept before i made it to the end of the block.
39the cops were racist they helped the murder they will pick you up in one spot of chicago and drop you of in an opposing neighbor. and scream out the loud speaker that you are from another part of the city. racisim is one of the biggest problems. I had to buy a gun , and shoot back in self defense never killed no one thanks God! Chicago turned me into a criminal, looking back on it I know , I undestand how it all happens! the system is set up to fail minorities , the biggest enemy in Chicago is the chicago police. they torture , they muder , they deal in racism and drugs.
19th district police station I have no regrets walking in you're doors and busting police officers in the head ,I was 17 years old and it took the whole station to bring me down ,thank God I moved out because with time my rage would of had grown for them
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