Chicago we have problems

You must hand it to community groups and Chicago alderpersons. They come up with the most ridiculous ideas. It was not ridiculous enough when an alderperson bought whistles to give away. The dumb idea was if people saw a crime being committed, they could blow the whistles to attract attention.

A North Side community group is calling for people to refrain from shooting guns in Chicago between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. to reduce the risk to people “not involved in high-risk activities.”

The group, Native Sons, is from Rogers Park. 49^th Ward Ald. Maria Hadden is promoting what is called “The People’s Ordinance” in her newsletter. While called an ordinance, no legislation is being considered. It is a sure bet the criminals will abide by the community’s wishes. Just like they abide by the laws against carrying guns, shooting people, selling narcotics, and committing other violent crimes. The rivalry between the Gangster Disciples and Black P. Stones gangs supposedly causes many shootings in the area.

It is hard to tell who is more ridiculous, the Native Sons or the alderperson. Community groups can look ridiculous. Many are and do. But elected officials are not supposed to look, act, or sound ridiculous. The Chicago City Council has a long history of alderpersons looking ridiculous. Ridiculousness happens when people vote with their feelings instead of their brains or worse, do not vote.

It may not be long before some in the City Council propose this idea as an ordinance. The City Council is full of ridiculous feather brained alderpersons. We are living in the age of asinine politics. Some community groups are as big of a joke as the Chicago City Council.

Our new mayor, when asked about the firing of the Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Arwady, evaded the question. Instead, he quoted the late rapper, Tupac- “You can’t always go by the things that you hear. Right? `Real eyes realize real lies…” Mayor Brandon Johnson cannot or will not answer a question to save his life. He dances around them and chides reporters for their choice of words. I was willing to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt and wished him success. No more. I doubt his ability to govern and pick qualified people to fill important posts.

“The victims of crime feel like they’re the ones that are not being supported, and that criminals are the ones that are being coddled,” one resident said. “… The police need to be able to do their jobs.”

The people in the Ukrainian Village held a community meeting with their alderman and the 13^th District police commander. They expressed, sometimes angrily, their frustration and anger at the lack of policing. Former mayor, Rahm Emanuel, closed the district police station and merged it with the abutting 12^th District. Various street crimes are up, people are in fear, and they complain they rarely see police patrols. It would have been better if they had merged the district with the 14^th District, which is closer and abuts the 14th. The two police districts are similar.in demographics so the police would be familiar with them. They can still merge them with no disruptions.