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Subscribe to RSSCHICAGO - Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and relatives of victims of fatal shootings in Chicago urged President Barack Obama on Saturday to come back to his hometown and address the gun violence plaguing the city.
Before a march on the city's South Side, Jackson, a former Democratic presidential candidate, said America's third most populous city needed more help than Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police superintendent Garry McCarthy could offer.
"When the president shows up, it shows ultimate national seriousness," said Jackson, a Chicago resident. He also called for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help patrol the streets of Chicago.
Gun violence in Chicago has been in the national spotlight over the past year, with 506 murders in 2012, an increase of 17 percent from the previous year. As of Thursday, there were 42 homicides and 157 shootings so far this year, according to Chicago police.
The issue received new urgency with the killing this week of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, an honors student who performed with her high school band at Obama's inauguration on January 21.
News of her death near Obama's old home in the Kenwood neighborhood came before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee began hearings on gun control on Wednesday. Obama's spokesman, Jay Carney, has said the Obamas are praying for Pendleton's family.
President Obama will meet with law enforcement leaders in Minneapolis on Monday, where a gunman killed five people in a workplace shooting last September. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
Anita Crittenden, who lost a nephew to gun violence last year, said Obama, by coming to Chicago, would "get the leaders to think and step up and make some changes."
A petition posted on the White House's "We the People" website calls for Obama and his family to attend Pendleton's funeral on February 9. The petition must have at least 100,000 signatures to receive an official response from the White House.
Jackson led nearly 150 people on a march from Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep High School, where Pendleton was a student, to the park where she died a few blocks away.
"My greatest fear about the gun violence in Chicago is that we're adjusting to it," he said.
Police said Pendleton was shot to death on Tuesday as she and her friends were shielding themselves from rain under a canopy in the park. Police have called it a case of mistaken identity and are offering a $40,000 award for information leading to her killer.
Emanuel announced plans on Thursday to take 200 police officers now serving in administrative positions and deploy them on the streets.
"Hadiya wanted to make a difference in the world," said Shatira Wilks, a spokeswoman for the family, and cousin of Cleopatra Cowley, Pendleton's mother. "It's unfortunate that it would be like this, but we still hope that this can make a difference."
Not everyone participating in the march agreed that Obama should come home. Matthew McGill said the president should address the violence issue, but need not single out Chicago, "because what you see in Chicago happens in other cities as well."
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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Most of the problem is, is that there are no jobs and its getting worse.
Lol, a black gangbanger shoots an innocent girl because because there aren't any jobs...
I think its far form innocent we haven't heard the reasons behind it yet. My guess is drugs.
Come on buddy -- who the hell needs or even WANTS a job when you've got all the food stamps you need, all the health care you need, free cell phones, free rides, free abortions, need I go on. There is no incentive to want to work when you can sit on your ass and do drugs. Get REAL !!
The people in Chicago should move to some place safer!
I found two choices for them.
A WND review of the Chicago Police Department Murder Analysis reports from 2003 to 2011 provides a statistical breakdown of the demographics of both the victims and offenders in the 4,265 murders in Chicago over that time period.
Of the victims of murder in Chicago from 2003 to 2011, an average of 77 percent had a prior arrest history, with a high of 79 percent of the 436 murdered in Chicago in 2010 having arrest histories.
For the same 2003-2011 period, blacks were the victims of 75 percent of 4,265 murders. Blacks also were the offenders in 75 percent of the murders.
…Operation Enduring Freedom, the name for the war in Afghanistan, which started Oct. 7, 2001, has seen a total of 2,166 killed. The war has been ongoing for 11 years, 3 months and one week.
Operation Iraqi Freedom, the name for the war in Iraq, which started March 20, 2003, and ended Dec. 15, 2011, saw a total of 4,422 killed.
In a city with some of the toughest gun control laws in America, where a handgun cannot be purchased, Fox News reported that Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy “acknowledged aiming at assault weapons misses the mark when dealing with Chicago’s gang violence.”
Hey, come on people--this is Chicago we are talking about! Does anyone honestly even care about this? Gang-bangers killing gang-bangers---that's a good thing, right? No expensive prison terms for these people!Everytime a gang-banger dies, that's probably at least 3 people saved from being a victim of some type of crime committed by the gang-banger.
At some point people became too irresponsible to own firearms.
Or, some people became too irresponsible to feed, shelter, and clothe themselves, or too irresponsible to bring MORE kids they can not support into this world.
Obama done got all he wants from Chicago. He dont care about Blacks in Chicago or Whites. But his BS has got him to where he wants to be while thoes who voted for him has nothing but hand outs. Definiately no Jobs but they are part of the 47% percent that the King controls. I feel fvery sorry for thoes that are stuck with him and no jobs. Thank God I am a worker and not a taker.
CWOCOL,
Please get your lazy ass out and get a second job!! My food stamps are late and my girl friend needs another abortion. You Lazy damn cracker !!
Any time Chicago wants something free from the federal government, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson show up. If Chicago wants something done about THEIR gun violence, let THEM do something about it! Too many people sit at home while their kids are out on the street at night meeting with their gang buddies, selling and using dope and terrorizing the town. Maybe it's time for the Chicago cops to enforce an early curfew and a shoot to kill order against gangs. Tighter gun control laws will only insure that the gangs who already have their illegal guns will not be outgunned on the streets.
Because Al and Jesse know that it is the white-man's laws about gun-control that are breaking down the inner cities into war zones. And they can't possibly do anything as long as whitey is to blame! I mean, why try to take any responsibility NOW? Isn't it much easier to blame black-on-black crime on the "MAN"?
Wayne Lapierre and the NRA cause black on black crime in Chicago
Wayne Lapierre and the NRA causes pyschos to shoot school kids
Ore. bakery says no to same-sex wedding
cake
Charter
bus hits overpass in Boston; 34 injured
Plane
veers off runway in Rome, injuring 6
All Wayne Lapierre and the NRA,its all their fault.
Now come on, man! Aren't you forgetting what every liberal knows to be true in their heart of hearts? It is Bush's fault!!!! LOL!!!!
maybe bush and wayne are one in the same like clark kent and superman
Time for search and seizures without advanced notice in these thug controlled neighborhoods. Random traffic stops and more neighborhood security cameras to witness these thugs running amuk on the innocent citizens of Chicago. The only way to make a difference is for the citizens to take a stand and routinely protect their children by paying attention in their neighborhoods and helping the police pin-point locations, suspicious behavior, gang related group houses and vehicles that offer these thugs their means of transportation.
Why do the bullets continue to fly in neighborhoods that where once quite or less hazardous 30 years ago? Why don't the local communities report gang related activities? Why don't the police do more under cover operations and more stake outs in high gang combat zones? Maybe Chicago should consider more concealed carry permits by the law abiding for personal protection in a city leading the Nation per capita on the murder rate? The police are armed, the criminals are armed but the innocent have to rely on a 911 call and the elapsed time it takes to receive adequate protection. Oops, too little to late, another innocent smart child is dead because the fear to speak out is overruled by time and distance of adequate protection. Nice!
if the police go out to combat these urban terrorists and kick some ass Jesse, Al and NAACP would be the first ones out there marching against them and whining in front of the cameras
Illinois is the only state that currently does not have a process by which an ordinary citizen can get a "right to carry" permit. They have been ordered to do so by a federal court.
In many ways nothing has really changed since the Al Capone days as far gangs and guns are concerned in the major cities. Chicago has always had a high crime rate with guns it doesn't solve the problem but msnbc acts like this is all new for Chicago and its not.
It would be nice,if New Orleans could be number ONE again.
Let the good times roll...........................................
The only logical solution is for the government to take a lesson from history when American cities were battle grounds for the Mob gangs when they were at war. Send in a special task force with instructions to destroy these gangs in ALL American cities across the nation as Hoover did in the 20s and 30s. Don't stop with Chicago. Blow them out of the water with the same ferocity as they use on everyone else. They have sold their souls and membership to humanity, so just destroy them as you would a rabid dog.
Lazarus
Finding solutions to the carnage shouldn't be difficult - if the politicans WANT solutions:
1. Compare the laws and enforcement of dangerous cities like Chicago, IL, D.C., etc. to see what they have in common.
2. Compare the laws and enforcement of America's safest cities like Kennesaw, Georgia, etc. and see what they have in common.
3. Repeal the laws enabling the violence and replace them with laws proven to reduce violence.
The real problem, however, is that a vast majority of gun-violence (and other violence as well) is gang-related; gangs are in every major city and most smaller cities and communities; gangs are primarily funded by illegal drugs which have been reported to turn-over up to 1,700% profit (!), enabling the corruption of some law-enforcement officers and politicians alike. The answer?
John Marshall, US Chief Justice: "An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy; because there is a limit beyond which no institution and no property can bear taxation." McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819 Look what taxing has done to smoking!
Problem is: so long as drugs are illegal they cannot be taxed. Which politicians are into that 1,700% profit?
Solutions are easy as pie.
Step 1; Arrest criminals with guns.
Step 2; Charge them with the crimes they are doing and deny them bail.
Step 3; Imprison them for the maximum time possible.
The hard part?
Trying to convince a democrat that the rights of a victim of a horrible crime are as important as the rights of the felon they adore and embrace.
I thi
In a country where we call out the National Guard routinely in respose to natual disasters to stop looting you would think that the Governor would consider using them to attempt to contro the violance in the streets of Chicago. Such a beautiful city under siege from thugs with guns is unacceptable to civiliszed society. Soon you will have the people who live in and love the city of Chicago pick up arms and begin to take matters into their own hands. When innocent children are slain in the parks and streets of their neighborhoods the pain and anger will soon erupt and good people filled with this pain and anger will respond inkind.
Just not in their nature,sorry to say.
I've always thought that Jackson was about inspiring the Black community and leading them to a higher sense of empowerment. The President coming to Chi Town to lead a pep rally against gun violence in the Hoods isn't going to accomplish one damn thing. Stopping it starts in the homes and then into the community - one small step at a time.
C'mon Jessie, get real!
Three dozen people go marching to ban guns and SUDDENLY everyone wants to ban guns. Why? cause Jessie showed up.
On the flipside, 250,000 people show up in support of gun rights and against an "Assault rifle ban" and they care ignored because hundreds of thousands of people are the "fringe" and a few hundred left-wing wack jobs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,are "main stream".
Who needs rights anyway?
Does This Mean..
ILLEGALS..Will No Longer get Free Firearms Licenses ..?
here's a thought jester jackson, try running this across your community.............. how about taking care of yourself..how about being a parent to your children..how about teaching your children to be decent members of society. how about stopping all the children having children. how about looking in the mirror and asking is there anything i can do to help my community..... nothing will change in the black community unless the black community changes..... do you really want to help ur community or just get ur face plastered on the news a few times a year........look deeply into the mirror jess
Have they listened the congressional hearing about gun control? President Obama has done what he can, and now it is about the Congress. Please when they march, they march to the congressional building, and they should call the congressional members to pass the bill, which they have refused to pass the bill.
President Obama and Vice President Biden have already sent to the Congress, but it is the politics still playing. Making sure the march presents the right voice, not just blindly marching, but watching carefully what really happens in Congress.
Call the congressional members' office and let them know to pass the bill.
Clear your head and tell me what law,passed at a national level, will end the black on black crime in Chicago?
They need to make a law that says you can only have one baby for every $100,000 you can save up and take the babies away or do something with them if poor people try to have babies they cant afford.
They already have his Chief of Staff WTH. But I agree..obama needs to go back to Chicago and stay there. Better yet, Kenya.
Chicago anti-gun peace march sound track- "blam, blam. blam, ratatatatatatt tat, kapow, kapow, aiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, muthaucker, pow, pow pow, blam blam blam."
Give them more food stamps. Tell them not to work. I'll take care of you.Wonder ho said all that.When you been taught that as a child. What do you expect.Obama is out of money.
This just in- 4 dead and 14 wounded in a fierce fire fight triggered by a driveby at the Chicago Anti-gun peace march when gang members in the crowd returned fire. Wounded in the exchange weere Wayne Lapierre, Mayors Bloomberg and Emanuel, Hannity, David Axelrod and Jesse Jackson Jr. Guns don't kill people. Douchebag politicians kill people. First reports indicate Farrakhan and Father Fliegel were laying in the street covered by sheets.
How many of these people make money from their family members via various criminal enterprises..How many Christmas presents were bought with illegal money.. Guns are NOT the problem in Chicago, it the LIFE STYLE of the people who live in Chicago...In 2008 Obama promised the Mayor of Chicago (as well as other corrupt Demoncrat City States about the Nation) that he would disarm America...that would leave only the Black gangsters in Chicago fully armed... SO what is the real goal of Obama, to garner the support to the various Black gangsters in America?? Apparently so.....So when Obama DISARMS ALL THE GANGS IN THE UNITED STATES, THE CRIPS, THE BLOODS, ETC. ETC. AND THE MEXICAN, CHINESE, FILIPINO GANGS ETC. ETC, then I will give up my Rights to Bear Arms..But until then Obama can go to hell...I'd have to be pretty stupid to leave myself wide open for these Criminal Enterprises...So is Obama on the "Take" from the Gangsters or what???
Obama's is on the take from gangsters but not the amatuers you mentioned. He's on the take from Big Pharma and the Medical Industrial Complex, the biggest, most sophisticated criminal enterprisers in World History.
Received this from a friend, a native of IL.
AND, it's ALL true!!!!!!
This is why we live in a northwestern suburb now. Looking back, we can't even understand why we lived in the city for as long as we did. We only visit the actual city to go to a museum. My husband's sister and her husband live in Lincoln Park, a fancy obscenely high real estate area. They had to buy a barking dog to keep an eye on the house & spend thousands on a security system. They're both young (late 30's) & have been trying to sell their house for 3 years without any luck. So many people are leaving Chicago........
Chicago, Chicago; what a wonderful town!
Body count:
In the last six months 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago; 221 killed in Iraq, and Chicago has one of the strictest gun laws in the entire United States. Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago!
Chicago politicians of late:
President of the United States of America:
Barack Hussein Obama (Democrat)
Senator: Dick Durbin (Democrat)
House Representative: Jesse Jackson Jr. (Democrat)
Governor: Pat Quinn (Democrat)
House leader: Mike Madigan (Democrat)
Atty. Gen.: Lisa Madigan (Democrat) [daughter of Mike]
Mayor: Rahm Emanuel (Democrat)
Past Mayors: The notorious Richard Daleys (Democrats); father and son who both served as Chicago mayors for a combined period of 43 years. They were considered to have run the most corrupt political machine in the nation’s history.
Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard Daley: Valerie Jarrett (Democrat); born in Shiraz, Iran, is presently serving as Senior Advisor to PresidentObama.
Past Illinois Governor from Chicago: Rod Blagojevich (Democrat) [presently in prison for extortion and racketeering]
Past Illinois Governor from Chicago: Daniel Walker (Democrat)[sentenced to four years imprisonment for bank fraud, three years for perjury, and probation for false financial statements]
Past Illinois Governor from Chicago: Otto Kerner (Democrat) [convicted on 17 counts of mail fraud, conspiracy, perjury, and related charges]
Past U.S. Congressman from Chicago: Mel Reynolds (Democrat) [convicted and was imprisoned on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography… also was convicted and imprisoned for 15 counts of bank fraudand lying to SECinvestigators. Bill Clinton commuted the sentence for bank fraud and released Reynolds early]
Past U.S. Congressman from Chicago: Dan Rostenkowski (Democrat) [convicted and imprisoned for corruption and mail fraud]
The leadership in Illinois; House and Senate: all Democrats.
The Chicago school system is rated as one of the worst in the country, but the teachers are the highest paid with a very strong union. (Arne Duncan served as Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer from June 2001 to Dec. 2008, when Barack Obama appointed him to the post of U.S. Secretary of Education… a post that he still holds).
State pension fund $78 Billion in debt, worst in country.
Cook County (Chicago) sales tax 10.25% highest in country.
There is more; much more, but I think that you get the picture!
And they can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois; this is his background.
And he is going to fix Washington politics for us?
How about cleaning up Chicago boys!
Maybe start with gun control right there!
WHAT A Pathetic MESS this country is in! Absolutely Unbelievable !
awesome