In my quest to discern what is wisest and best, I stumbled upon a bit of a case study surrounding the \u201cWindy City.\u201d\u00a0 Love that town!\u00a0 As a young adult, many a day did we stroll the streets along Lake Michigan, somehow even embracing the cold, enjoying the sights, and taking advantage of Chicago\u2019s innumerable offerings.\u00a0 Chicago, so-to-speak, has always been \u2018my kind of town.\u2019<\/p>\n
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With the recent response to the shocking Sandy Hook shootings \u2014 and how that tragedy, for some, has created cause to ratchet up the gun control debate \u2014 I have perceived that far too many of us are unaware about the situation in Chicago.\u00a0 Now allow me to first share that I have no engrained partisan stance in the gun control conversation.\u00a0 I have no sword in this fight.\u00a0 I am neither an NRA card carrying member nor an anti-gun advocate.\u00a0 My what-I-believe-to-be common sense approach is that the Constitution allows for guns, and they should be responsibly utilized.\u00a0 Hence, I seek to discern what is wisest and best.\u00a0 That search leads me to Chicago, as society discusses prudent approaches to gun control.<\/p>\n
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Violent crime in Chicago \u2014 how should I say this respectfully \u2014 is awful.\u00a0 Let\u2019s be clear; that\u2019s the Intramuralist\u2019s opinion.\u00a0 Allow me to now share the facts.<\/p>\n
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According to the New York Times, the total number of illegal incidents in Chicago decreased by 9% in 2012.\u00a0 However, the murder rate rose<\/strong> 15%.\u00a0<\/strong> After 513 homicides in 2012, New Years Day 2013 was rung in with 3 more.*\u00a0 Among \u201calpha\u201d cities (municipalities considered significant in the global economic system),<\/em> Chicago has the highest murder rate \u2014 more than double that of New York City and Los Angeles \u2014 also higher than Mexico City and Sao Paolo.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A potential knee jerk response could be a cry for increased gun control.\u00a0 The irony is that Chicago already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Friends, I would encourage you not to overreact on either side of this debate.\u00a0 I would encourage you to refrain from adopting any engrained partisan stance; this is not a partisan issue.\u00a0 The presentation of the facts above does not clearly communicate that gun control is unnecessary; but it also shows that increased gun control is not necessarily effective.\u00a0 What the facts say to me \u2014 and again, in our pursuit of what is wisest and best \u2014 is that something else must be in play here; some other factor(s) is influencing crime in our country.\u00a0 Do we honestly believe that if we remove all guns, then we would remove all violent crime?\u00a0 That there would be no other way for the sick, perverse, or even evil mind to hurt innocent others?\u00a0 That sticks and stones would somehow no longer be able to break our bones?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And so I ask, similar to my initial response in the days immediately following the seemingly unthinkable in Connecticut, what else is in play?\u00a0 What else is a factor in why violent crime is far too prevalent in this country?\u00a0 Could it be…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n … the lack of complete care for the mentally ill?<\/p>\n … the muted attention and compassion for the mentally ill?<\/p>\n … the reasons for mental illness?<\/p>\n … the breakdown of the American family?<\/p>\n … the digression of societal values where sometimes \u201canything goes\u201d?<\/p>\n … the ambiguity of absolutes in regard to what is right and wrong?<\/p>\n … the dilution of giving credit to the divine?<\/p>\n … the temptation to rely more on self and do away with the divine?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What else?\u00a0 What else is in play?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are we courageous enough as a country to acknowledge that this might be something more?\u00a0 … that this might be something that increased legislation may be incapable of fixing? … that simply more or less gun control might not make a difference? … that we are actually talking about the wrong thing?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As seen, perhaps, in Chicago?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maybe even in our kind of town.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n * Note that the Chicago P.D. reported only 506 homicides in 2012; however, they base their statistics on the day the victim died, as opposed to the day the incident occurred.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In my quest to discern what is wisest and best, I stumbled upon a bit of a case study surrounding the \u201cWindy City.\u201d\u00a0 Love that town!\u00a0 As a young adult, many a day did we stroll the streets along Lake Michigan, somehow even embracing the cold, enjoying the sights, and taking advantage of Chicago\u2019s innumerable … <\/p>\n