“I can’t even put it into words… 300 to 400 young people just converge on this community and it becomes gridlock.” (ABC 7 Chicago)
Another weekend passed with more incidents of dangerous street takeovers and racing. One was on the Near Southside, at 25th and MLK Drive. This was one of several weekends where residents in that area woke up in the early hours to noise, the smell of burning rubber, and several hundred people creating gridlock on the streets.
According to CBS 2 Chicago, there were incidents at Morgan and Washington and 50th and Cicero. Two cars leaving the Cicero event were allegedly racing south. One caused an accident in which a pedestrian was killed. In Pilsen, bystanders attacked and damaged six police vehicles responding to a race.
“When we see more and more of these incidents happening, we got to talk about the root causes,” said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez.” (CBS 2 Chicago)
Root causes? Really? Lopez does not deserve to sit on the Chicago City Council. Maybe he should join some useless, think tank where he can navel gaze and woolgather about root vegetables. “We got to talk about” the root causes of why less-ons (Lower than morons) become aldermen.
Mayor Lightfoot’s Summer of Joy is getting out of control. The dangerous, fun-loving racers care nothing about the laws. They and their fans just want to have fun, no matter the potential peril, tragedy or mass disturbance they create. It is all about them. Only they and their fun matter.
Where are the aldermen? Very few spoke up against the lack of public safety in this city for two or more years. Now, most are silent about this dangerous activity. Alderman Lopez is looking for any excuse to justify this peril on our streets.
What Will it Take to Stop Street Racing in Chicago? Here’s What The City’s Top Cop Says (msn.com) As with most of Superintendent Brown’s past plans, strategies, and deployments, whatever he comes up with will fail. He too has been silent for too long.
Where are the property owners of parking lots? Why can’t they figure out how to keep these dangerous racers from trespassing on their property? Will it take a tragedy to get them to act? There are people advocating that owners of large parking lots allow this dangerous activity on their property to make the streets safe. A total takeover-temporary confiscation- of private property for fun and joy.
Worse, WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times published this irresponsible puff piece about the racers. You know, in order to understand their side of the story. (Subscription may be required)
When it comes to fun activities, no matter how dangerous or illegal, no one cares. This is the Summer of Joy and her Mayorship will not curtail enjoyment. Who cares if noise and the pollution of burning rubber awaken people in the wee hours of the morning? Who cares if emergency services cannot access the streets to save lives? Who cares if police vehicles are damaged or officers are injured? Who cares if litter is left on the streets? Joy and fun override public safety, public health, life, and death.
Fun and joy are mayoral edicts. So Lightfoot decreed. So it shall be. Lightfoot will deprive no one of fun, no matter the dangers. Having fun, no matter how illegal or perilous is the new civil rights issue during our Summer of Joy in Chicago.