People prepare to release balloons in the 7100 block of South Woodlawn Avenue in Chicago on July 5, 2024, at a vigil for three people who were killed in a mass shooting in the block a day earlier. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)Chicago and the nation are in a pressing need for answers to halt the relentless gun violence that plagues our communities.
If citizens of Chicago were expecting a novel approach to reduce the violence that marred the July 4th holiday, their hope quickly waned as they witnessed Mayor Brandon Johnson and Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department Larry Snelling unveil traditional police strategies during last week’s press conference.
None of the strategies the mayor and superintendent presented to curtail future violence were new. We heard similar strategies from former mayors and their appointed police superintendents.
- They called for more state and federal support to fight the war on guns and get criminals off the streets.
- They enlisted additional police officers to protect popular tourist, shopping, and entertainment spots; they dispatched more officers to hot zones for violence and murder and increased their presence in neighborhoods where residents once felt safe.
- They challenged neighborhood organizations and citizens to step up and report the violence and help authorities identify the perpetrators.
- They promised to address the underlying problems leading to the violence.
We must change the culture of violence by promoting nonviolent alternatives, fostering empathy and understanding and challenging the normalization of violence in our society.
Our young people and children have been bombarded with the glamorization of violence. It is everywhere. Violence is found in music, television programs, movies, video games and social media platforms consumed by children and all citizens.