Now that Jussie Smollett was found guilty in Chicago’s nothing burger trial of the century, can the hormonally charged teenagers in Chicago’s news media and editorial boards concentrate on the critical issues plaguing this city, like the rampant violent criminality in Chicago? We can read the tabloids if we want to know about celebrities’ trials, travails, and tribulations.
“We also got to push retailers. Some of the retailers downtown and [on] Michigan Avenue, I will tell you, I’m disappointed that they are not doing more to take safety and make it a priority. For example, we still have retailers that won’t institute plans like having security officers in their stores, making sure that they’ve got cameras that are actually operational, locking up their merchandise at night. Chaining high-end bags, these purses seem to be something that is attracting a lot of attention on these organized retail theft units,” Lightfoot said.” (Fox 32)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot put her light foot in her mouth when she blamed Magnificent Mile businesses for the smash and grab thefts by hordes of people entering the stores, walking out with thousands or tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. “Smash and grab” is a politically appropriate term the news media and political spokes weasels use instead of looting.
Major merchants have security plans. Their insurance companies require proof of them. There are security officers in their stores. A few security officers cannot overwhelm or stop the numbers of thieves coming in at one time without jeopardizing themselves or causing a dangerous melee. Over the summer, a security officer in a Mag Mile store was critically injured trying to stop the thefts.
Oh, and cameras? Where does light foot in the mouth Lightfoot think the operational videos of the thefts come from? People who shop for high-end bags and other luxury items, the most frequent theft targets, do not want the bags chained. They want to examine them without the pressure of sales personnel. The overnight smash and grab looting cannot be avoided by locking up the merchandise. The looters will break into the stock rooms at night to get what they came for.
Who does Mayor Lightfoot think she is kidding?
The mayor obviously knows as much about retailing as she does about security, which is little to nothing. Violent crimes are out of control. Looting is out of control. The city is spiraling out of control. Light foot in the mouth Lightfoot plays her fiddle ala Nero when Rome burned.
The one person who is not taking safety seriously and making it a priority is Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Her chosen mercenary Superintendent of Police, David “Tex” Brown, is an abject failure. So is her handpicked First Deputy of Police, Eric Carter. She plays nice with State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx, a news media darling. Foxx may be in contention for an Emmy Award for her over-the-top emotional on-camera performances. They took idiocy up to the nth degree.
The victims, the merchants, are not responsible for being victimized. They are providing security officers and security cameras. Unlike the city, they have plans, policies, and procedures. The mayor’s victim-blaming is not only wrong but also shameful. Only the most gullible people in this city would believe her. It is as bad as State’s Attorney Kim Foxx blaming shooting and murder victims over mutual combat when refusing to prosecute those crimes. Blame the victims, even the innocent ones caught in the crossfire.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost control of Chicago. Kim Foxx emboldened criminals with her no prosecution policies. The court’s lenient bail policies are also are not helping. Yet, like most failing government policies, the elected officials refuse to concede they are wrong. Their social experiments failed, and they doubled down with excuses, logomachy, and blame others, including the victims.
What a f**king city!