This Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer season. This is also the beginning of Chicago’s violent and crime ridden season. It also kicks of a season of silly ideas coming from Springfield and the Chicago Mayor’s office.
“Illinois legislators have passed legislation that would change the word “offender” to “justice impacted individual” in state law, a move Republicans say disrespects victims of violent crime.” (CWB Chicago)
Justice impacted individual? One could wonder what those legislators are smoking down in Springfield? What next? Impacted connotates it is the justice system’s fault that offenders commit crimes. What about the victims of crime- the offended? They get no consideration.
House Bill 4409 amends the language of the Illinois Crime Reduction Act. What does changing offender to justice impacted individual have to do with reducing crime?
In this new “progressive”- whatever that means- era it is mandated that names are changed so as not to offend. Evidently, it is offensive and stigmatizing to call an offender an offender. Will the addle-brained legislators change the name of the criminal justice system to the justice impacted system? Will offenses be relabeled mistakes? Will criminals be labeled victims of societal ills?
How about we change the name of prosecutors to justice enablers since prosecute sounds like persecute. Judges could be called justice impact mediators. Should change the entire system to eliminate any mention of crime or the victims of crime? This way, “justice impacted” individuals will not feel stigmatized by the system. They can feel better about themselves and not feel threatened by their “mistakes.”
Our lawmakers, mayor, and current State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx care more about the tender sensitive feelings of criminals than they do about the victims of crime. Chicago will not be a safer city if these trends keep up. The mayor believes that investing in people will make Chicago safer and stronger. He does not specify what investing in people is. It is just the typical gobbledygook he pontificates when he cannot or will not answer a question.
The Chicago City Council voted 34-14 to keep the ShotSpotter contract and take the approval out of the mayor’s hands. Mayor Branson Johnson in reply, said he and only he has the power to approve and end contracts.
There is a lot of noise and hot air about the ShotSpotter including over-policing- whatever that means, systemic racism, flaws, and on and on and on. There is one and only one reason Johnson wants ShotSpotter gone. The Chicago Teacher’s Union, his former employer and biggest cheer leader, wants it gone. Why? Adam Toledo. The 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer who with his partner responded to an accurate ShotSpotter alert of shots fired. Toledo’s older companion was shooting at cars before he handed off the gun to the teen, leading to Toledo’s death.
CTU has been lobbying the city from the day after the shooting to eliminate ShotSpotter. When Johnson ran for mayor, he made ending ShotSpotter a top priority. Apparently, he will cancel the contract to obey the orders of and satisfy the CTU who helped him get into office.
Mayor Johnson unveiled his safety plan for Chicago, “The People’s Plan for Community Safety.” Johnson has this proclivity for naming everything “The People’s This, the People’s That,” The People’s” Whatever. It reminds one of the old Soviet or Maoist appellations of programs, laws, and other things.
There is nothing about the “People” in this plan. The people, citizens did not vote on or approve of it. The alders, the representatives of the “People” did not approve of the plan. “The People” have no say in this new non-sensical boondoggle experiment. The plan reads more like his campaign speeches than a detailed plan. Johnson thinks he can wave a magic wand and undo decades of issues leading to the root problems of crime overnight. He will fail.