Chicago must go ‘all in’ to end gun violence
Prayers, demonstrations and waiting on gun control legislation are not enough. Without drastic measures, including harsh penalties for gun crimes, the city will be lost.
Sooner or later, Chicago, you will grow tired of burying children. You will grow tired of wailing mothers. You will grow tired of living in fear inside your own homes. You will realize that prayer, demonstrations and awaiting gun control legislation is not enough.
Chicago has lost both its sanity and its sense of sanctuary. Now is the time for action.
1. If you commit a crime with a gun, you will draw 25 years in prison without parole.
2. If you are involved in a crime in which a weapon was illegally discharged, or are a felon caught with a firearm, you will be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
3. If you are juvenile and you use a weapon, you will be incarcerated until age 18 (unless you are tried as an adult). A second gun offense after 18 will result in life without parole.
These legislative measures do not interfere with 2nd Amendment rights and could be passed tomorrow.
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In addition, there must be recognition of and an end to structural racism. Sterling Bay got $1 billion for Lincoln Yards on the North Side. A recent WBEZ study of bank home lending found that for every $1 loaned to white communities, just 12 cents went to Black neighborhoods and 13 cents to Latino areas. The South and West sides should demand billion dollar investments as well.
We also must invest in and rebuild our schools with smaller classes, desperately-needed teachers and support staff along with after-school programs. Further, we must rebuild our mental health centers. There must be greater police accountability. In turn, we need to support teachers and police, who cannot function without community support.
Without these measures, we will lose Chicago. Violence is a citywide issue, and it should be all in.
If liberals find some of these measures too draconian, my response is, move to Englewood for one week.
George Bridgeforth, M.D., Bartlett
Trump and abortion
As a Dominican Sister of Peace, who is pro-life in all its aspects (anti-war, anti-death penalty, anti-abortion), I am concerned about the 2020 election.
In a radio interview, Robert P. Jones stated that 60% of Catholics voted for Donald Trump. Add to that number, the many Evangelical Christians who continue to support Trump. Some of these voters are perhaps single-issue voters. That issue is abortion.
While I do not support abortion, I am concerned for the woman who has to make this difficult choice. I would like voters to consider what happens if our votes lead to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
Abortions would still be performed, as they have been for as long as I can remember. The big difference is that they would now be criminalized. Do you want a woman who has had an abortion to become a criminal? If you answer “yes,” what is the next step? What punishment will she get?
You need not be pro-abortion, but you need to consider this question as you vote.
Lois McGovern, OP, North Park