The War in Chicago

Written by ELLA

     Chicago’s children are being gunned down – right down the street from their homes. Right here on roads that were supposed to have been paved of gold.  Apparently, Honduran children are are fleeing from gang violence in their country and coming into to the U.S. illegally. To address this issue, Obama is asking for 3.7 billion dollars worth of humanitarian aid. So how much are we looking to give Chi-Town?  

          I’ve been trying to find “good” news, but it’s a lot harder to find positivity than it should be. But what I find more upsetting is when news is ignored. Almost a hundred people were shot in Chicago last weekend. I can only find information in The Chicago Tribune, so I’m hazy on the number of actual deaths. At this point, more default to asking “Is Gun Control the Answer?”, but I don’t understand how you can find an answer when we don’t understand the problem. I’ve written about gun control before (click here) and my question remains the same: What do you do when everyone has a gun? How do you protect yourself in a war zone? What the fuck is happening in Chicago?

       As I looked up the numbers for Chicago, I was mortified, pained and exhausted. If you read The New York Times, you’d think that the only people suffering from militant violence are over seas. But when 18 fatal shootings occur on a single day, some higher authority needs to take a look at the situation. I understand being a “global citizen” and I do hope that the world can, someday, be a better place, but I frequently feel degraded and almost defeated whenever I am reminded of the brutality that takes place on American soil. 

      I don’t have an answer… and things like this tear my heart apart. But this is nothing new. Might sound facetious but… Kanye’s been rapping about it.  I too am at fault for not understanding what’s going on with my fellow humans. As a Black woman, I find myself wanted to march, boycott and use whatever means are necessary, but I don’t even know what will work. Perhaps work will work. In my opinion and from my experience, people get wrapped up in this lifestyle because any legal option seems to difficult. Not only do we doubt ourselves, we’re told we can never be those things –the reason why I call myself PresidentELLA today. It’s not easy to chase dreams people say aren’t for you. But when you look like a rapper, and people grab their purses because you dress like a “gangsta”, then maybe that’s what you can and should be. Your pride has been hurt so you take the path of dolla dolla bills and fuck who has what to say. You’re forced to be stronger than the rest so you do what you have to do to survive. We become hunters and animals. 

        Societal changes are needed. More schools. More books. It’s hard to find people who actually care, but just like in any company, when people are paid well and feel like they make a difference, they cooperate better. When the best you can do is be a manager at a fast food restaurant, you can fuck up as much as you want as a youth. And if the best you can be is a manager at a fast food restaurant, I have to admit I understand aiming for the fast money. We need to show America’s children that there are more options for them. We need to turn our sites to our own and try to fix the problems here are home. There is a war going on right here, but nothing changes because revolution has never been televised. 

I don’t know what to do… but I’m thinking about it…