Chicago City Council Members Demand State of Emergency Declaration and Request National Guard

The city council cowards punted, voting to refer the resolution to the Committee on Public Safety. 

Chicago City Council held a special meeting on Friday, days after four alderman called for such a meeting to ask the governor to declare a state of emergency over recent violence and looting - a proposal the mayor previously said was "grandstanding" before apparently reversing course.

Four Chicago aldermen on Wednesday called for a special meeting of the City Council to consider a resolution asking Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to declare a state of emergency and deploy the Illinois National Guard to the city over recent unrest.

Alds. Leslie Hairston, Anthony Beale, Raymond Lopez and Anthony Napolitano issued the call in a letter to Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia. (from NBC5 Chicago)

Does Mayor Lightfoot even care about Chicago?

Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused the aldermen of "grandstanding." But after months of violence and destruction, is it really that? Or, more likely, is it a genuine attempt to get badly needed help?

"I implore each and every one of you. This is not personal. This is not grandstanding. This is a Hail Mary to save our community from the things that are happening every single day,” Alderman Beale said before the vote.

Mayor Lightfoot attacked the notion of bringing in National Guard troops. She recalled to the council the Kent State University shootings in May of 1970, where National Guard troops killed four students during a protest. But Lightfoot's analogy to Kent State is flawed: The Kent State students were not  looting, rioting, or committing aggravated assaults on people. Some windows were broken, but it was nothing like what Chicago has suffered for months now. 

"A group of Chicago City Council members requested that Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker immediately declare a state of emergency in Chicago and deploy the national guard in light of ongoing rioting and looting in the city." (from Daily Caller)

Lightfoot continues to refuse such action. Is this out of pure political stubbornness or some deep-seated hatred of her own city? 

Chicago's Mayor Continues Harmful Closure of Mag Mile

Chicago is a city under siege — from within. It breaks my heart to say it, but the majority of Chicagoans have made this possible by decades of voting for Democrats. Most of the City Council members have been more interested in buying votes with corrupt TIF money giveaways and being "liberal" and soft on crime, and now the proverbial chickens have come home to roost.

Rioting, mass looting, and wanton violence are the specters hovering over the city. This weekend, the so-far-ineffectual mayor Lori Lightfoot has ordered a 9:00 PM curfew

On Monday, August 10 there was an "orchestrated" invasion of the city's Magnificent Mile, which is a mixed neighborhood of residential and commercial buildings.  Much of it is within the zip code 60611, one of the nation's wealthiest. 

Mayor Lightfoot

The "Mag Mile" is an upscale strip of North Michigan Avenue that runs north from the Chicago River up to Oak Street Beach. Between N. Michigan Aven and Lake Michigan, a few blocks east is a neighborhood called "Streeterville." The greater Magnificent Mile area has been a major attraction for locals and international tourists for many years.

After the events of a week ago, however, businesses are hurt and many may never fully recover. Some businesses were badly damaged. Some have "merely" lost business. 

People who have enjoyed going into the Mag Mile district for years are now reluctant, afraid that violence could suddenly pop up out of nowhere like a summer storm in South Texas.

Much of the blame falls squarely in the laps of city and county officials, all well-entrenched Democrats. City Journal sums it up:

The sacking of Chicago’s North Side was more than a tactical failure. For months, key officials—the state’s attorney responsible for prosecution, the mayor, and the governor—have failed to condemn criminals sufficiently or act with necessary force against such violence. They have contributed to a culture of impunity that tolerates mobs and hoodlums.

Kim Foxx, the state’s attorney for Cook County, has already become nationally notorious for refusing to prosecute Jussie Smollett, the actor who lied to the police that he was a victim of racial violence. But her offenses against public order are far worse than her condoning of a provocateur who tried to fracture the city with a falsehood. Foxx has dismissed felony cases brought by the police at a rate 35 percent higher than her predecessor. She raised the threshold for felony shoplifting from $300 to $1,000—and as a result, thieves steal brazenly in broad daylight as well as under cover of darkness. Chicago police chief David Brown suggested that Foxx’s failure to prosecute looters from the previous sacking of the city in June was partly responsible for emboldening the current round of looting.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is also responsible. She has hardly been enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against lawless mobs. (Full article at City Journal)

The mayor, indeed the city, needs help from beyond its own ranks. It has been clearly demonstrated that they cannot protect the safety of residents and businesses without such help, yet Mayor Lightfoot has refused to ask for assistance from the federal or even from the Illinois National Guard. Such reinforcements could greatly help her police force to really get the situation under control.

Instead, Mayor Lightfoot makes speeches and decrees that will solve nothing.

Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge noted this today (my emphasis added):

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot desperately wants the world to believe that she has the situation in her city under control and that she doesn't need help from the federal government - nor would she ever need it from President Trump. 

But while she puts that facade on during interviews and press conferences with national media, the reality of constant looting, rioting and crime in Chicago continues to unfold; as do its consequences.

For example, this weekend, the city will shut down its Central Business District overnight, effective at 9PM each night. The decision comes "in the wake of looting and unrest downtown, on the Magnificent Mile, and in Streeterville, River North, and the area near North and Sheffield avenues," according to CBS Chicago. 

Durden detailed the specifics of what-and-where the shutdown would affect, such as river bridges being up to block traffic, blocking part of Lake Shore Drive, ramps on expressways, and interruptions of bus and train service to the area. This, however, is not exactly new: It is an extension of Lightfoot's virtual shutdown of the area.

On August 13, the Chicago Loop Alliance published this advisory:

Through Monday, August 17, at 6 a.m., access to the downtown area will be temporarily restricted from 9 p.m.–6 a.m. The restricted access to the downtown area is NOT a curfew. All residents, workers and employers whose businesses are located downtown will have access at all times. (Read full statement here)

The City of Chicago published this notice on August 12:

Restricted Access to Downtown will continue tonight and through the Weekend from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.–ending at 6 a.m. on Monday, August 17 (Read full statement here)

Rather than increasing police patrols or bringing in additional law enforcement personnel, Lightfoot has effectively surrendered to the chaos. The Mag Mile, along with the adjacent downtown "Loop," River North and River West are areas in which restaurants, bars and theaters are normally open until well after midnight. Stunting their business additionally will help nobody.

You can bet the police are not happy with Lightfoot. On August 12, the police union's president John Catanzara urged tougher measures. He suggested bringing in tow trucks to haul looters' cars away, thereby taking away their ability to escape arrest. Caravans of cars were seen bringing people into the Mag Mile to loot on August 10.

“Car caravans are the biggest problem. They can relocate all of their criminal behavior two miles away within five minutes. We can’t deploy 400 officers two miles away in that same amount of time. They can go where the police are not in a split second. By the time we show up there, we get the stragglers when the main force has already moved on to the next target,” Catanzara said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, agitators continue to urge chaos, and Black Lives Matter is openly endorsing looting.

BLM Chicago Leader on the looting of stores: "That is reparations.... anything they want to take, take it because these businesses have insurance..." pic.twitter.com/uB9GAGmkLu

— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) August 11, 2020

Related:

• When Authority Vanishes: Chicago’s leaders have surrendered to vandals. - City Journal, 14 Aug 2020
• Chicago restaurant owner on 'disturbing' looting and rioting: 'Business is terrible, the streets are empty' - Fox News, 11 Aug 2020
• Chicago politician calls mayor ‘unprepared,’ wants to call in the feds - New York Post, 11 Aug 2020
• Democrat Chicago alderman says city is in 'total unrest' and 'mayor has lost control' - Fox News, 12 Aug 2020
• Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at risk for massive store closures, alderman says - CBS-2 Chicago, 7 Aug 2020
• Democrats Can’t Stop the Monster They Created - BuckSexton.com, 11 Aug 2020
• CPD patrols stepped up as businesses hunker down for stay-at-home order - Chicago Sun-Times, 21 March 2020

Over 100 Arrests in Violent Chicago Looting Spree

The scope of last night's looting, violence and wanton destruction in Chicago is stunning.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

As I reported late last night, huge crowds of people overwhelmed the police and smashed their way into many of the city's finest retailers in the world-famous "Magnificent Mile" on N. Michigan Avenue. Chaos and confusion were the order of the moment.

Chicago's Mayor Lori Lightfoot held a press conference this morning.

“We are waking up in shock this morning,” she said, and referred to the looting as “brazen criminal looting and destruction.” Lightfoot has been harshly criticized as not doing enough to quell violence in Chicago. She added, "This was straight up, felony criminal conduct," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "This was an assault on our city."

"Widespread damage was reported throughout Chicago after looting and rioting began around midnight Monday," reported WGN-TV9. "Witnesses reported hundreds of people smashing their way into stores throughout Michigan Avenue, areas in the South Loop and the Near North Side."

Today we get a clearer picture of what went down. From the Chicago Tribune:

More than 100 people were arrested as of 9 a.m., according to Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown. Thirteen officers were injured during the unrest, including a sergeant who was hit by a bottle. A civilian and private security guard were shot and wounded. 

[...]  

City officials said the seeds for the violent crime spree were sown on social media Sunday afternoon following an officer involved shooting in the Englewood neighborhood. Officers shot and wounded a 20-year-old man Sunday after he fired shots at them while being chased, authorities said. 

The man was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center and is expected to survive, Brown said. 

The Civilian Office Police Accountability, the city agency that investigates all officer-involved shootings, released a statement confirming Brown’s assertion that the wounded male is an adult. Some social media accounts that authorities say fueled the unrest referred to him as a 15-year-old boy.

The Tribune report noted that there are renewed calls for the Illinois Nationa Guard to be called in to keep order. Many of the looters and rioters were spurred on by social media. The Trib has a related article worth reading: Live updates: Here’s the latest on the aftermath of overnight looting and vandalism in Chicago.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the police presence will be beefed up in response.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said police will not stand by and watch downtown Chicago become “someplace people fear.” He promised a “heavy police presence” to restore order, and said access to downtown will be restricted from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., effective Monday night.

Brown said “the seeds for the shameful destruction we saw last night” started in Englewood Sunday afternoon. About 2:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a man with a gun. He fled as they arrived, Brown said, and fired at officers. They returned fire, striking the man, who was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital and is expected to survive. The 20-year-old man had previously faced charges of domestic battery, reckless conduct and child endangerment, Brown said.

Shortly after that, police became aware of “several social media posts” about looting planned downtown, Brown said, and as a result, the department reacted by deploying 400 officers to the downtown area.

One of Chicago's most outspoken civil rights personalities, Michael Pfleger, actually said the looting seemed "orchestrated." The Associated Press has this (emphasis added):

Along the Magnificent Mile, people were seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise as well as at a bank, the Chicago Tribune reported, and as the crowd grew vehicles dropped off more people in the area. On streets throughout the downtown area, empty cash drawers from stores were strewn about and ATMs were ripped open. 

Stores miles from downtown were also ransacked, with parking lots littered with glass and items from inside the stores. Clothes hangers and boxes that once contained television sets and other electronics were seen — evidence that thieves had taken racks of clothes and removed them from the hangers. 

"This was obviously very orchestrated," the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a prominent Roman Catholic priest and activist on the city's South Side, told WBBM-TV as cameras panned the downtown area.

Pfleger's "orchestrated" statement is supported by many other accounts. Police Superintendent David Brown said that "caravans" of people were seen on their way to the Mag Mile and the Loop to loot.

Brown and Lightfoot both emphasized that the looting should not be mistaken for protesting. “This was not an organized protest,” Brown said. “This was an incident of pure criminality.”

Looter uses vehicle to break into a business at the Chicago BLM riot overnight. #BlackLivesMatter #ChicagoRiots pic.twitter.com/9CaddwItYO

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2020

ANARCHY IN CHICAGO, LOOTING, RIOTING

Video source: https://video.twimg.com/

Please see our follow-up post, "Pure Criminality" - Over 100 Arrests in Violent "Coordinated" Chicago Looting Spree Last Night

2:20 AM, August 10 - It's after midnight in Chicago and the city's crown jewel, the "Magnificent Mile" of North Michigan Avenue, in "the Gold Coast," is under assault by hundreds (if not thousands) of looters and rioters.

Much of this area is also known as "Streeterville" and has many residential buildings in it, including the iconic John Hancock Center (857 N. Michigan Avenue).

Police are overwhelmed and desperately calling for backup and assistance ("10-1").

At this point in time, it is impossible to say how widespread the looting is, but it seems certain that it is in multiple places. The looters are brazen. The cops are powerless.

The main target seems to be Nordstroms, but Macy's and other stores have been looted too. Some other looting locations (on or very near the Mag Mile area):

• Water Tower Place shopping mall
• The Jewel-Osco store at 540 S. Michigan 
• Louis Vuitton, Walton & Michigan
• Oak Street - ATM's reportedly targeted.
• Potash Market on State and Chestnut Street
• Vans shoes, clothing store at Cedar & Lake
• Walgreens at Clark and Ontario
• Walgreens at Adams and Michigan
• Best Buy, 555 W. Roosevelt
• Omega Store, Delaware & Michigan
• Others, which we will learn about on Monday

Newsweek is reporting that the looting and rioting may have been sparked by a police shooting on Sunday afternoon:

It is believed the clashes originally broke out after a suspect was shot by Chicago police in the city's Englewood neighborhood.

Chicago Police confirmed that an officer-involved shooting took place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 9 in the 5700 block of South Racine Avenue. Officers were dispatched to reports of a man with a gun, who then spotted a suspect matching the description.

Police say the suspect then fired at officers as they approached him in an alleyway. The suspect continued to fire as he attempted to flee on foot, hitting one officer.

Officers returned fire, striking the suspect. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in unknown condition. Three officers involved in the shooting were taken to the hospital for observation.

NOTE: This is a developing story and it is too early to know exact details. Twitter is way ahead of nearly all news media outlets on this. Lots of uploaded videos and tweets to be found under the hashtags #ChicagoScanner, #ChicagoLooting, #ChicagoPolice, #ChicagoRiots and others.

Bugged out. #CHICAGOScanner #ChicagoRiots pic.twitter.com/toiQZNxuyL

— Celebrity DJ-DJ Tek (@djtek) August 10, 2020

Police chase a couple guys out of the Macy’s and dozens more come in. #ChicagoScanner #Chicago pic.twitter.com/61wKHUMWmL

— Paige Fry (@paigexfry) August 10, 2020

Tonight’s violence, looting and future financial loss is on you, @chicagosmayor. Back the @Chicago_Police and stop this chaos, approve request for Federal assistance. Stop patrolling Montrose beach and end this destruction. https://t.co/Vk0WcvaDw1

— Lisa Sorenson (@lisaecook) August 10, 2020

Looters breaking into shopping center in downtown Chicago. #Looters #Chicago #BreakingNews #riot pic.twitter.com/gVFIU19NJD

— Chicago Critter (@0ddgasm) August 10, 2020

Operation LeGend: Trump Sending Fed Agents to Chicago, Albuquerque, Already In Kansas City

President Trump says he will send federal law enforcement agents to Chicago, IL and Albuquerque, NM in a federal effort to fight the violent crime by expanding "Operation LeGend." This comes after weeks of Trump's threats do to this. Both cities are controlled by Democrats.

This from KMBC News 9 in Kansas City, MO (emphasis added):

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday an expansion of a federal law enforcement operation currently underway in Kansas City to the cities of Chicago, Illinois, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The operation – called Operation LeGend for 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was killed when shots were fired into his Kansas City home as he slept – involves agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KMBC continued:

Authorities say that more than 225 federal law enforcement personnel have arrived in Kansas City to assist in curbing the violent crime that claimed [LeGend] Taliferro’s life.

[...]

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas welcomed federal help but also said it doesn’t diminish the role of the Kansas City Police Department.

"This operation is not tanks in the streets,” Lucas said. “This operation is not a substitute patrol force.”

Breitbart quotes a report from McClatchy (at kansascity.com), the title of which is "Trump expanding Justice Department’s Operation Legend to Chicago, Albuquerque."

Former CPD Commander Demoted, Sent To Rogers Park As Punishment

Former Cmdr. Ronald Kimble. Chicago Police Dept

Former Commander of Narcotics Ronald Kimble upset Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently and is being punished for not keeping his thoughts to himself. 

"A Chicago Police Department commander this week was reminded of a very important rule: Never get on the mayor’s bad side," reports CWB Chicago. "CPD is famous — or perhaps infamous — for giving 'soft landings' to connected leaders who go astray. Assigning the wayward executive to a do-nothing placeholder post is common."

Not so for Ronald Kimble. He's no longer a Commander. Demoted to lieutenant, they move him to the midnight shift. The demotion is bad enough, but the shift change isn't the end of the world. Unless you live 23 miles away. You see, Kimble resides on the Far South Side of Chicago. His midnight gig is in the 24th District in Rogers Park. CWB Chicago quotes an unnamed CPD source as noting that Kimble now has a 23-mile daily commute. Rogers Park is along Lake Michigan and borders Evanston.

But why, exactly, did this happen? Let's go back to CWB Chicago:

The source said Kimble was one of 21 police department executives who joined a conference call Monday with Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Manpower at CPD’s Organized Crime Division, which includes Kimble’s former narcotics unit, is being slashed from over 900 cops to 187.  

Kimble, the source said, went to bat for his unit, defending his performance and trying to justify runaway overtime expenses.

“He called her out,” the source said. “She launched him across the city.”

“He kept trying to tell everyone what narcotics had done,” according to the source. “It started getting loud.” Newly-appointed Police Supt. David Brown, who was on the call, “told him to shut up. It got out of hand.”

In short, Mayor Lightfoot is budget-cutting and feels the CPD can do with 713 fewer narcotics officers. That's a huge hit, and Kimble — the Commander of Narcotics — defended his unit's operations and spending.

But Lightfoot was having none of it. Exactly what Kimble said is unknown, but it sounds as though tempers flared and, as Brown said, "it got out of hand."

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces the firing Dec. 2, 2019
of Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson.
(Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Kimble was not the only one to suffer. Kimble's supervisor, William Bradley, was removed as Deputy Chief of the new Criminal Networks Group, according to department sources, says the Chicago Sun-Times.

Bradley was also demoted to the rank of lieutenant, and assigned to a patrol district on Chicago's Northwest side, sources said.

“We can’t keep living in a world where the police department blows its overtime budget year in and year out by $100 million,” the mayor said last month.

Also See: Lightfoot Fires Top Cop Eddie Johnson for ‘Intolerable Actions’ - WTTW

Is Illinois the Worst State in America?

May 1, 2014 - The Land of Lincoln is stinkin' in the minds of a lot of Illinois residents these days. Massive budget problems, high taxes, cold winters, over-regulation are among the reasons that half -- HALF -- of Illinois residents wish they could live in some other state.

"These findings are from a 50-state Gallup poll," says Gallup on their website, "conducted June-December 2013, which includes at least 600 representative interviews with residents aged 18 and older in each state. Gallup measured residents' interest in moving out of state by asking, "Regardless of whether you will move, if you had the opportunity, would you like to move to another state, or would you rather remain in your current state?"

Eager to Leave: The Chicago Tribune notes that Gallup "points out that Illinois has ranked at the bottom of recent polls gauging residents satisfaction with state taxes, state government and 'overall perceptions of how their state compares to others as a place to live'." About 19 percent of the polled Illinoisans "said they plan to move in the next 12 months, a rate that trailed only Nevada," said the Tribune.

The Facebook page "Illinois Sucks- Let's Move Out of State!" presents stories about the sad state of Illinois, along with brutally frank comments by those suffering there. "Enough of Illinois, and Chicago in particular," asks the page's authors. "Why do you continue to live there? The weather stinks, it's ugly, it's flat, the cost of living is high, the taxes are ungodly. The state government is broke, and so are the schools. The politicians and civic leaders are corrupt; the traffic is terrible. Major tax hikes are on the horizon to pay for the coming state pension bill. Not to mention the awful winters. In fact, I can't think of one good reason to live there. Stop complaining about much Illinois sucks- do something about it and vote with your feet!"

Also See:

• Which states have the most government taxing bodies? Reboot Illinois
• Illinois Emergency Management Agency fears the worst for budget Pekin Times
• Illinois Dems Drop Plans for Tax Surcharge, Progressive Income Tax Heartlander
• Illinois sucks life out of small business Illinois Watchdog
• Why Illinois Is Going Bankrupt Time

Woman Stabs Baby to Death, Then Stabs Herself, at Diplomat Motel, Chicago (Updated)

Diplomat Motel (Photo: A Chicago Sojourn)

May 30, 2013 - Half a dozen Chicago police vehicles and yellow crime scene tape indicated that something was wrong at the Diplomat Motel late this morning.

Police officers and their vehicles, some parked at crazy angles across the street from a Dominick's grocery story, guarded a quiet homicide scene at 5230 N. Lincoln Avenue.

"A 5-month-old baby boy was killed and his mother seriously wounded," reports the Chicago Tribune, quoting authorities, "in an apparent murder-suicide attempt at a motel on North Lincoln Avenue this morning."

UPDATED: Chicago, Defend Yourself

Update, July 2, 2012:  No arrest is known to have been made yet in any of the shootings during the weekend of June 24, 2012.

June 24, 2012 (Updated, Sunday, 3:30 pm) - So far, three people have died this weekend in Chicago's ongoing street violence. Despite having one of the strictest sets of anti-gun laws in the nation, gun violence in this city seems out of control. 

From last Friday night through this morning, three people have died and 26 were wounded by bullets in Chicago: 

The dead victims:

Antonio Davis, 14, of the 800 block of South Eberhart Avenue, who was fatally shot at approximately 8:40 p.m. near the intersection of South Union Avenue and West 69th Street, officials said. Tyquan Tyler, 13, of the 6500 block of South Rhodes Avenue, "died after being shot in the chest in a drive-by shooting about 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the 6200 block of South Rhodes Avenue. About 30 minutes later, 29-year-old Hansen Jackson was shot several times in the chest in the 3700 block of West Chicago Avenue, and later died at Mount Sinai Hospital." (More at CBS2)

The Chicago Tribune reported that Davis "was walking with at least one other person when a grey van pulled up and a passenger, a man wearing a dark-colored hoodie, exited with a gun." According to a police spokesman, the shooter fired at Davis, hitting him, then shot him several more times after he fell to the ground. "The shooter then got back into the van, which was driven by another man about the same age – between the ages of 20 and 25," said the Tribune.

NOTE:  Shortly after I posted this, I ran across a news story about a 14-year old boy in Arizona who saved his own life and the life of his siblings thanks to the fact that he had a gun. According to the Arizona Republic on June 22, "A man with a rifle had forced his way into the home. He aimed the gun at the boy, and the boy shot him, police said."

The Trib's list of the other shootings during the same period reveals what similar lists from the many violent weekends in Chicago always reveal: The shootings are most often gang-related or seemingly random in nature.

The shooters are almost exclusively criminals engaged in illegal activity. It is always interesting that the local media never seems to note whether the guns involved in these shootings were registered and legally possessed. I will go out on a limb, however, and guess that more than 99% of those guns are not registered and are, therefore, not legally owned. In other words, these gun crimes are not being committed by law-abiding, upstanding citizens who follow the rules.

You know, the kind of people for whom the state legislators of Illinois work so hard to make legal gun ownership so damned difficult. The folks for whom Chicago's Mayor and City Council work so hard to deny full Second Amendment rights.

This is in spite of the fact that outside of Illinois, 49 states have legalized concealed carry in some form, allowing citizens to possess a firearm outside of their homes for protection. For some reason, the Democrats who oppose their own constituents' right to bear arms cannot accept the fact that concealed carry actually lowers violent crime and makes the citizenry safer.

The Chicago's mayor and city council do not want its citizenry to be safer. If they did, they would allow us to carry guns (concealed carry).

Chicago aldermen are allowed to carry a concealed weapon if they choose to, and the mayor has armed bodyguards, but those hypocrites are either too stupid or too uncaring to allow you and me the same right to protect ourselves.

One of their lame "solutions" to the problem of criminals shooting the hell out of Chicago is to buy back guns. But that's a waste of time and of taxpayers' money.

"The city government has a great fondness for gun turn-in events," wrote Steve Chapman in The Chicago Tribune on June 17. "It's done six of them in the past six years, collecting more than 23,000 weapons. This one will be held at 23 churches, and anyone handing over a firearm will get a $100 gift card. The guns will then be destroyed. The motive behind these efforts is not hard to understand in a place that had 433 murders last year and has seen a spike this year. Dozens of shootings take place in Chicago every week."

Sure, the motive is easy to grasp. However, the logic is another matter. Chapman noted that in 2010, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley said, "We have just too many guns in our society. When someone has access to a gun, they use it." Mayor Rahm Emanuel, wrote Chapman, says that a gun buy-back is a way "we can reduce the number of guns on our streets." Idiots, both Daley and Emanuel. Do they really think that the dangerous lunatics are turning in their guns?

Chapman's brilliant commentary was right on the money. "Contrary to Daley," he wrote, "most people who own guns never use them for anything but legal purposes (hunting, target shooting, self-defense). Contrary to Emanuel, the weapons this sort of venture yields are probably not the ones carried in the streets or the ones used in crimes. The reduction also represents a minuscule share of the firearms in the city, which may number over a million. Think about it: Who is most likely to turn in a firearm for a $100 reward? Someone with 1) a cheap gun and 2) no criminal propensity — say, Aunt Millie disposing of a rusty revolver her late husband left in the nightstand."

Consider this bold statement: "Allowing citizens without criminal records or histories of significant mental illness to carry concealed handguns deters violent crimes and appears to produce an extremely small and statistically insignificant change in accidental deaths. If the rest country had adopted right-to-carry concealed handgun provisions in 1992, at least 1,570 murders and over 4,177 rapes would have been avoided." Source: "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns," written by John R. Lott., Jr. and David B. Mustard, published by the Law School at the University of Chicago.

In spite of the years-long propaganda by liberals, which falsely warned that concealed carry would result in a "wild west" scenario of frenzied gun slinging, the murder rate in the United States has gone down. In fact, it's the lowest it's been in a long time. Reuters recently reported that the FBI said on June 11 that "the number of murders dropped to the lowest in more than four decades." 

Most likely, none of the shootings that happened last Friday night into Saturday morning would not have been prevented even if Illinoisans had the same full Second Amendment rights as our fellow Americans have. That's not what I am suggesting. However, there are countless numbers of robberies and assaults every week in Chicago that might have been prevented had the victims been able to pull a legally possessed pistol out of their pocket to ward off - and shoot if need be - their assailants.

The old saying that "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is as true as always. It is also true of knives, baseball bats, hammers and a thousand other items that can be used to kill and injure. But not all people kill other people. Unless you're killing in self defense, you're a lunatic and/or a criminally minded person.

The gangsters and thrill seekers who commit violence without regard for human life are the products of a sick culture. That, however, is grist for a separate post. I will say now, though, that no gun buy-back stunts will change the fact that savages walk among us. The fact that they do only lends legitimacy to the arguments in favor of concealed carry.

Despite Chicago's restrictive gun laws - we can own one gun but only keep inside of our homes - the bad guys still have plenty of firepower. The laws have done nothing - nothing - to keep firearms out of the hands of the criminals. It is so difficult for law abiding people in Chicago to get a license for a gun that some who feel the need to own a gun just don't. And, even if they did, they would not be legally able to carry it with them as they walk, say, through their dangerous neighborhood at night on their way to or from work.

The Daily Gossip noted on June 18 that "Chicago has become more dangerous than Afghanistan," and they cited a report from WBEZ that said that since 2001 "more than 5,000 people have been killed by gun fire in Chicago," compared to 2,000 in Afghanistan. That Daily Gossip post had the headline "8 Killed And 37 Others Wounded In Chicago Shootings," about the violent weekend of Friday, June 15 -- a week before the violence that killed 14-year old Antonio Davis last Friday night.

There was a telling passage in the Daily Gossip post. "When Michael Shields, president of the Fraternal Order of Police,"  reported DG, "was asked where was the police when the killings happened, he answered the Chicago police department was short-staffed. 'Chicago police officers can’t be everywhere', said Shields. 'Because they’re racing from one 911 call to the next, and with manpower as it is right now, it’s very difficult to deter crime'."  The CPD has been short staffed for years, but  DG noted that "Some people said the violence spree wouldn’t have left so many wounded and dead if the Chicago police department wouldn’t have paid so much attention to the wedding Obama attended. 100 police officers were assigned for safety purposes at Laura Jarrett’s wedding."

I am not blaming Obama or Jarrett for the violence. However, it highlights the fact that there is only so much that any police force - even one with no manpower shortage - can do. If you are being attacked, whether at home or on the street, you basically have three choices of action. You can (A) try to run away from your attacker, (B) call 911 for help or (C) try to defend yourself.  Good luck with choice A, especially if you're elderly, out of shape, pregnant or disabled. Enjoy your wait if you choose B. If you go with C, you'd better be damned good with your fists because Mayor Emanuel and the idiots in the City Council (who are legally allowed to carry concealed guns) don't think you have the right to defend yourself with a firearm.

How many homicides caused by stabbing and assault would be prevented in Chicago if concealed carry was allowed? How many non-fatal incidents - so many of which we never hear about in the news - could be avoided? It is not possible to give a number, of course, but common sense says that plenty of would be attackers would think twice about preying on somebody that they fear might be packing heat. It might have helped the victims in these cases, in these cases, in these cases and many other cases.

Gun buy-back programs are a cynical, ineffective joke. Illinois does not have any concealed carry like the other 49 states do, and yet things are out of control here. The folks who should by rights be allowed to legally carry firearms for protection are left defenseless against uncivilized savages who have guns illegally. Does this really make sense to anybody other than the morons in Springfield? 49 states have seen the light on concealed carry, and look at the murder rates nationwide: Down, down, and down. But in Chicago it's up, up and up.

How can the liberals continue to hawk fearmongering about legal possession of firearms? Denying the good citizens of Illinois their full Second Amendment rights has done nothing to prevent thousands upon thousands of deaths in Chicago alone. In fact, because they are left defenseless, I would say that the restrictive gun laws of Chicago and Illinois have actually caused people to die unnecessarily. And that's criminal.

Chicago Media Flummoxed by Anti-Fascist Mob Attack In Tinley Park

May 20, 2012 - A bizarre attack in a restaurant left ten people injured after they were attacked by a group with baseball bats and hammers. Three people were hospitalized, but other victims declined treatment, according to Oak Lawn Patch. Tinley Park, Illinois is a normally quiet suburban town about 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago (see map), but at 12:45 p.m. yesterday all hell broke loose at the Ashford House Restaurant at 7959 W. 159th Street.

The apparent reason for the attack: The victims are neo-Nazis. The attackers are "Antifa," or Anti-Fascists. The meeting that was attacked was the annual White Nationalist Economic Summit and Illinois White Nationalist Meet-and-Greet.

Antifa is a brutal international Marxist group that has "staged violence attacks all over Europe. Antifa targets members of right-wing groups and its member frequently go from country to country to beat the hell out of people they don't like. "One of the ongoing projects of the gang in Germany is to vandalize Thor Steinar clothing stores," says Council of Conservative Citizens. "The group claims that the Arab-owned clothing line caters to 'Nazis' by putting Viking/Norse imagery on some of their t-shirts." In other words, Antifa is a composed of hypersensitive commie thugs who love to bang hammers over peoples heads.

Editor's Note: Before we continue, I want to make it clear that I am no fan of neo-Nazis or fascists. However, I am also no fan of violent leftists who take it upon themselves to beat people up as self appointed vigilante posses. The White nationalists were not attacking anybody; they were dining and discussing. The attackers were not acting in self defense, and their actions are inexcusable. In short, the "anti-fascists" were acting very much like fascist SS troopers.

Cute logo for vicious vigilantes

The white nationalist group numbered about 12 to 15 people. Witnesses say there were about 15 to 18 attackers, who wore hooded black jackets. The attackers wore black hoods and masks. The incident itself is confusing, but the media response to it, and coverage of it, is also confusing. None of the local media explained what Antifa is or mentioned that this was not the first time that Antifa has acted violently in Chicago.

MEDIA CONFUSION:

Amazingly, the Chicago Tribune story on May 19 made no use of the words "fascists," "antifa," "racist" or "Nazi."  Perhaps reporters Dennis Sullivan and Dawn Rhodes just completely missed this important aspect of the story or, perhaps, the Tribune's editors decided it would be safer to simply omit it.

Weird logo for weird assholes

Fox Detroit did a lot better. They led a May 20 report about the incident with reference to an "anti-racist organization," which they identified later in the story as a group that calls itself "Anti-Racist Action (ARA)," which claimed credit for the horrible attack. According to the Fox report, "ARA claimed that the activists were privy to "anonymous inside information" about the meeting, which it said was organized on the White Nationalist website Stormfront. The ARA website published photos of the alleged organizers and their contact information." (The ARA website is http://antiracistaction.org)

One of the more confusing reports came in waves from Patch. Their initial headline on May 19 was "Mob Attacked Specific Group of People Inside Tinley Park Restaurant."  The story appeared under the same headline in several local Patch sites, all near Tinley Park. With the recent spate of black-on-white mob attacks in the wake of the Trayvon Martin case, such a headline was immediately confusing to readers. "Specific Group?" What the hell does that mean? To Patch's credit, they did break the story. However, it was other news outlets that sorted out the facts and present them in a cohesive, easy-to-read manner. While Patch mentioned an "anti-racist website," they did not give the name of that website or a link to it, nor did they identity the ARA as the owner of the website - or as the perpetrators of the violence. The Patch team talked to people at the restaurant and to police, but did not do any very basic research on the Internet to learn anything - or tell anything to readers - about the ARA.

Patch logo: P in the grass

Palos Patch's story on May 19 started with, "At this time, it has been reported that a group of 15 to 18 people dressed in black entered the establishment and began an altercation with a specific group of people dining in the restaurant." However, Palos Patch gives no indication as to what was meant by "this time." Their story had no time stamp. They offered a link to "real time updates" from other Patch reporters at the Tinley Park Patch. While there is some good information there, it is a difficult read because the updates are in little chunks and in reverse chronological order, like a disjointed email conversation. It was, to put it crudely, a clusterpatch.

The absolute worst report, in my opinion, has to be from NBC Chicago. They completely missed the reality of the story, as indicated by their headline: "Men With Bats, Hammers Invade Wedding Shower." Wedding?!? Hey, NBC, this was not about a wedding shower. Sure, there was one going on at the Ashford House Restaurant, but the ARA was not there for that. NBC made no mention of the white nationalists, either.

Let's go back to Patch, this time the one in Oak Forest, Illinois. They posted an update on May 20 at 5:32 p.m. with the headline "Target of Saturday's Attack Believed to be White Supremacists, Mayor Says." Okay, fine, Patch has acknowledged the white supremacist angle of the story... more than 24 hours after most other reports did. In fact, Oak Forest Patch got that from the Chicago Tribune, in the story referred to above. The Trib posted that story at 1:16 p.m. today, four hours before Patch's update. Sadly, that Tribune story, as I already pointed out, made no mention of the ARA. Neither did the Patch "update."

Bottom line: All of the attackers are white. All of the victims are white. Police were holding five people as of the afternoon of May 19. For the best coverage of this Chicago-area story, go to Fox News Detroit.

Black Bloc Tactics Exposed: Yes, Anarchists Really Are Violent

INSIDE LOOK AT ANARCHIST TACTICS: "BLACK BLOC" AND VIOLENCE

Such nice kids.  Photo source: TheBlaze

"Black Bloc" Tactics are used by anarchists in the United States and worldwide. Dressed in all-black "uniforms," the black bloc thugs are out to vandalize and destroy both private and public property. Here is a look at how black bloc anarchists operate, with excerpts from a self-professed anarchist's online "pamphlet" that gives how-to advice to his violent comrades.

Black bloc wants violence. You can this clearly by the way a line of black bloc thugs, at 0:27 in the video below, walk right up to a line of police and deliberately shove into them. The cops reacted as they should have, and exactly as the black bloc'ers expected them to. If you are ever near a "peaceful" protest, keep your eyes open for people dressed in black, especially with their faces partially or fully covered. Put as much distance between you and them as you can, because their intention is to provoke the police to violent action. "Antifa" (so-called "anti-fascists") make frequent use of black bloc's violent methods and tactics.


If somebody gets hurt by their tactics, they feel no guilt. They advocate the injuring and even killing of police officers. While the majority of "Occupy" movement people do not support such tactics, the black blocs are tied to Occupy. Black bloc goons are in Chicago for the NATO Summit.

Here's an "inside look" at Antifa / Black bloc (VICE, 2017).


There is simply no equivalent of black bloc activity within - or even loosely associated with - the Tea Party movement. Although many Occupiers are peaceful protesters, videos show again and again that plenty of them join the black bloc thugs in their destructive actions, or simply stand aside and allow them to freely throw their Molotov cocktails, rocks, and whatever else is at hand. Some Occupiers, like those in the videos here, openly say that they support the "right" of some to use black bloc tactics.

MIKE CASTLE has a lot of insider info about black bloc tactics on his website. Castle, a self-described "technologist," says of himself, "I make software, mostly for the web and Android, as Roasted Vermicelli. I talk about stuff on Off the Hook. I also bike, cook, and agitate for a better world."

I suppose Castle's idea of a "better world" is one in which self-appointed SS-wannabe amateur storm troopers use anarchist methods to trash innocent merchants' storefront windows.

Of black bloc, Castle says that "The Black Bloc has gained alot of publicity in the past two years. What people dont understand is that the Black Bloc is not an organization or a group. It is a tactic. It helps reinforce security and execute our goal in the presence of high-profile demonstrations.

Typical black bloc "uniforms" 
Source: http://exile.wordpress.com/tag/black-bloc/

From Seattle WTO to the most recent action in Genoa, the Black Bloc has certainly been the main focus by the media and the police in major demonstrations. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce newer and better tactics into the struggle."  That, and more, can be found at one of Castle's web pages, where he presents "a pamphlet" for his fellow anarchists.

"In it's essential form," he wrote, "each participant of a Black Bloc wears somewhat of a uniform.... The idea of wearing this uniform is that if every single person in the Bloc looks relatively alike, it is hard for the police to determine which individual did what."

"For instance," Castle advised, "if a Black Bloc participant throws a brick at a store window and runs into the Bloc, she will easily blend in with everyone else.

However, if a person wearing normal street clothes happens to throw a brick and run into the Bloc, chances are that she will have been filmed or photographed and later caught by the police."

Anarchists are violent. Castle admits this. He advises his fellow black bloc'ing anarchists to "wear the uniform" to keep them from being identified by police.

"Law enforcement has been known to film and take photos of random activists and keep files on those individuals," wrote Castle. "This can lead to problems in the future. It's better to be safe than in jail."

"Be creative," he urges his fellow black-clad thugs. "Build off the info on this site and never give up."

Still not convinced that these people are bent on being destructive?

"This pamphlet is essential reading for anyone who is associated with groups that advocate and/or utilize sabotage, theft, arson and more militant tactics," Castle's "pamphlet" says. "The advice herein also applies to anyone who is associated with groups that practice civil disobedience, especially since membership often overlaps and gossip travels freely between groups."

I'm all for civil disobedience, as long as it is actually civil. Castle and his fellow hoodlums, though, don't seem to understand that utilizing sabotage, theft and arson is not civil. In case you're still not convinced that these people are dangerous - very dangerous - you need to read Castle's section about weapons. 

"Homemade explosives work very well in riots," he noted. "There is a huge history of the military using homemade explosives in war, so if it works for them, it can work against them. Click on the links for construction methods."  Those links lead to details about how to make the following items (descriptions are Castle's):

• Molotov Cocktails-The most popular choice in street fighting weaponry. A very useful and effective explosive, made purely of house hold items. 
• Smoke Bombs-These easily attainable or homemade items are great when dealing with illegal situations. It can shield any media or police cameras from catching anyone on film participating in an illegal act. It can also disorient the police when they are advancing on the crowd. For construction methods, click on the link. 
• Fuel-Fertilizer Explosives-These will create an overwhelmingly large explosion and should be practiced in large faraway places like the desert before using. Make sure that you will not injure anyone that you do not intend to injure. 
• Pipe Bombs-Not really the best explosive to use in a street fight but it still works. Causes lots of good damage. 
• Draino Bomb-A small bomb that is very risky to use. To be used on cars only. Be careful! 
• Soda Bottle Bomb-A somewhat biowarfare bomb made from aluminum foil and pool acid. The fumes should not be inhaled by anyone you do not want to inhale them. 
• Match Head Bomb-A small bomb of match heads. Not too fabulous. 

Mr. Castle is a compassionate advocate of terrorism, so he gives this loving advice to his readers: "Remember: Be careful and responsible with these explosives. Don't blow yourself up, or any of your comrades! Don't get caught!"

Three NATO Protesters Charged in Chicago Terror Plot, PLUS Special Insider Info About Black Bloc Anarchists (UPDATED)

See section below about "black bloc" anarchist tactics

May 19, 2012 - Three anti-NATO protesters in Chicago, arrested on Wednesday, have been formally charged with providing material support for terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possession of explosives.

Prosecutors allege that the trio was planning to attack Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home, Barack Obama's campaign headquarters and more. The three men are Brent Vincent Betterly, 24, of Oakland Park, Fla.; Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, N.H; Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Mugshots from Chicago Police Department
Left to Right:  Brent Vincent Betterly, 24, of Oakland Park, Fla.;
Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, N.H; Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

"The suspects were each being held on $1.5 million bond," reports USA Today. "They apparently came to Chicago late last month to take part in May Day protests. Six others arrested Wednesday in the raid were released Friday without being charged.

Chicago police Lt. Kenneth Stoppa declined to elaborate on the case beyond confirming the charges against the three who were still in custody. Police identified the suspects as Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, New Hampshire; and Brent Vincent Betterly, 24."

UPDATE, MAY 20: Fourth person arrested: Chicago-resident Sebastian Senakiewicz, 24, was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of terrorism/false threat...

Chicago Police say the three men are self-described anarchists, members of the "Black Bloc" movement, which, says The Guardian (UK), "that has disrupted international gatherings in the past, were arrested on Wednesday and charged on Friday with conspiracy to commit terrorism, providing material support for terrorism and possession of an explosive incendiary device."

"The men had been making Molotov cocktails out of empty beer bottles filled with gasoline and fitted with cut bandanas for fuses," Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said in a press conference. [See video, above.] "It is pretty clear from the evidence they were making the bombs," Alvarez said. "There was a lot of discussion about making these Molotov cocktails and what they were going to do with them."

However, The Guardian and many other media are getting the Black bloc (small "b") wrong. It's not a movement, it's a method of protest.

The Chicago Sun-Times got it right. They accurately reported that "Participants wear black clothes, bandanas, masks and anything else to conceal their identities from the police. Black blocs first drew the attention of mainstream America in 1999 during demonstrations against the World Trade Organization in Seattle. A black bloc went on the offensive, bashing windows of many businesses in downtown Seattle including Starbucks, Gap and other businesses with a global reach. Black bloc vandals also damaged property during the 2010 G-20 meeting in Toronto."

Black Bloc Tactics:

Typical black bloc "uniforms" 
Source: http://exile.wordpress.com/tag/black-bloc/

A guy named Mike Castle has a lot of insider info about black bloc tactics on his website. Castle, a self-described "technologist," says of himself, "I make software, mostly for the web and Android, as Roasted Vermicelli. I talk about stuff on Off the Hook. I also bike, cook, and agitate for a better world."

I suppose Castle's idea of a "better world" is one in which self-appointed SS-wannabe amateur storm troopers use anarchist methods to trash innocent merchants' storefront windows.

Of black bloc, Castle says that "The Black Bloc has gained a lot of publicity in the past two years. What people dont understand is that the Black Bloc is not an organization or a group. It is a tactic. It helps reinforce security and execute our goal in the presence of high-profile demonstrations."

They are worldwide, these destroyers. "From Seattle WTO to the most recent action in Genoa," said Castle, "the Black Bloc has certainly been the main focus by the media and the police in major demonstrations. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce newer and better tactics into the struggle." Still not convinced that these people are bent on being destructive?  READ MORE about Black Bloc here...

Related: An Intimate History of Antifa - New Yorker Magazine

Lonely Commie Protests In Chicago Ahead of NATO Summit

Click image to enlarge it

Click image to enlarge it

May 18, 2012 - I spotted this commie moron in downtown Chicago ("the Loop") yesterday afternoon.  A picture is worth a thousand words, and even moreso when there are words in the picture.

The lonely anti-capitalist drove two hours from his home in Indiana just to stand by himself on the corner of Jackson and LaSalle, across the street from the Chicago Board of Trade to the south and the friendly local Federal Reserve Bank to the west. I didn't even try to engage this useful idiot in conversation. I knew, and you know, what he would have said anyway. I snapped the photos and moved on. The Loop was quiet yesterday. The only other real protest action of note was a bunch of fools who spewed lies about the petroleum industry in front of the Canadian consulate. 

Chicago, Death Trap For Children

Chicago's streets are bloody
(Chicago News Bench photo)

The Homeless Patriot has some sharp comments about the high number of children who are killed in Chicago every year.

Says HP, "Chicago's overall murder rate is horrible. Recently, Chicago officials bragged that the local murder rate was down, but that's a bit like a pest control guy bragging that the dozen rats he killed today has reduced the local vermin population." HP goes on to quote two great articles.

Check it out at Homeless Patriot's post "Chicago Is Deadliest City for Children..."

Related articles

• Only 30 Percent Of Last Year's Murders Have Been Solved (chicago.cbslocal.com)
• Murder Rate Down Everywhere In Chicago But Englewood (chicago.cbslocal.com)

Union Rally Crowd Smaller Than Reported

February 26, 2011 - Chicago - CNB - Between 400 and 500 people attended a rally organized by unions and socialist groups at Noon today. The event took place at the James Thompson Center downtown. The well-attended event was peaceful but boisterous, with enthusiastic supporters of public sector unions chanting and cheering speakers. See our slideshow below. 

An attendance of 500 is good, especially considering the damp, cold weather that included some snow. Nevertheless, some feel it necessary to exaggerate the number. 

Bob Roman, writing for the DSA Labor Network's "Talking Union" blog, wrote that there were 2,000 people in attendance. My own count, as indicated above, was between 400 and 500. My photo here was taken just before Noon. Roman wrote, "By the time the rally began, the plaza was nearly full, and organizers announced about 2,000 people were present." 

It's not clear from Roman's post whether he was actually at the event. If he was, he's mistaken about the numbers. If he was not there, then he's accepting the false crowd estimate of "the organizers," and equally mistaken. Granted, more people poured into the plaza after I took this photo, but nowhere near 2,000. Roman is "editor of New Ground, the newsletter of Chicago Democratic Socialists of America."

Chicago Mayoral Election (Yawn)

February 22, 2011 - Chicago - Will Carol Moseley Braun be Chicago's next mayor? Hell, no. The "consensus candidate" selected by the self-appointed "leaders" of Black people in Chicago has been enjoying the taste of her own foot too much to win this election. Odds are that Rahm Emanuel will win. Jeepers, the suspense is killing me (not). 

Perhaps that Chico guy or that Del Valle fellow can force a run-off, but that's unlikely. The voting turnout so far is reportedly light, and that will probably help the Rahm Machine with its busloads of well paid voters. 

The stark reality that she doesn't have a chance in this election hasn't stopped her from uglifying the landscape with campaign signs, however. This one, photographed today near the Loyola CTA Red Line Station in Rogers Park this morning, is in violation of election laws. You can see that it's just past the blue cone, which advises "No Electioneering Beyond This Point!" 

I suppose this one sign won't make a difference and, in any case, Moseley Braun won't be electioneering for much of anything ever again after today.