Well, even though the temperature isn't that high, summer is here in the hood. Last night there must have been about 15 kids up at the north end of the block arguing loudly and semi-fighting with each other. At first I thought it was Jay-Z's family two doors up, so I ignored it, but it got really loud and there were so many voices I figured it had to be more serious. I peeked out the window and saw the mob of kids pushing somebody against a neighbor's wooden privacy fence, so I called 911. I'm not convinced the police ever came.
Eventually I heard a male adult voice telling people very calmly to go home, but I figured that might have been one of the neighbors either from this block or the next block up. Things calmed down after that, then got loud again, then subsided for the night.
Someone I know north of 47th had a much worse experience yesterday. She lives by 46th and Wood, near Seward Elementary and Holy Cross Church, and apparently the bulding next door to her is run by a negligent landlord who doesn't screen tenants and doesn't make repairs. There's a woman renting there who is dating a Latin King. My friend's husband was outside putting new license plates on the car when he was harassed by about 20 gangbangers. They are still not sure whether it was a case of mistaken identity or what, but someone flashed the husband a gang sign. He didn't respond and suddenly this giant group of guys were chasing him down. He ran in the house, locked the door, and told his wife to come upstairs. The guys smashed glass and broke through a steel door to get in the house. The couple called 911 three times and had to wait 20 minutes before police arrived at the scene. Fortunately, she and her husband are physically find--the cops did arrive before the gangbangers reached them, but just barely. And their house looks like it's been in a war zone, she tells me.
"How can that happen in a city?" she asked me. "We might as well not have police at all." She has been trying to contact her alderman's office--it's Willie Cochran, 20th Ward--without a response so far. After all the nice things I said about him recently I'm sorry to hear his office hasn't responded to her yet.
Showing posts with label youth violence. Back of the Yards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth violence. Back of the Yards. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
November 8 Community Forum to End Violence
State Representative Esther Golar is sponsoring a community forum on ending violence Saturday, November 8 at John Hope High School, 5515 S. Lowe. The flyer says there will be pizza, snacks and giveaways.
The event is cosponsored by The Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Seventh District CAPS, U.N.I.O.N Impact Center, For Kids' Sake and UCAN.
For more information, contact Chevelle Bailey at 312-738-5913 or baileyc@ucanchicago.org
The event is cosponsored by The Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Seventh District CAPS, U.N.I.O.N Impact Center, For Kids' Sake and UCAN.
For more information, contact Chevelle Bailey at 312-738-5913 or baileyc@ucanchicago.org
Monday, May 12, 2008
Violence Intervention
Catholic Charities, like CeaseFire, is facing budget cuts, and one program that may get the axe is their Street Intervention Program here in Back of the Yards.
I can say from personal experience that when I don't know who to talk with about problems of violence and safety here on Marshfield Aveune, Oscar Contreras is someone who could at least listen, and often provide real help. I don't think we can afford to lose him.
Joey's mom found his new knife in the house last week. At least he hadn't taken it to school. She took it away and he got mad and cried. I talked to him later and he told me he is still afraid. We even made a map of who controls which blocks around ours and he explained where he feels safe and where he doesn't. He continues to insist he does not want to join a gang and that he did not take the knife to school. He is willing to take a self-defense class with me; now I have to find a good one.
Also last week, CeaseFire received a positive evaluation at the same moment Springfield continues to wrangle about funding it. The House has proposed not only restoring but doubling state money to CeaseFire, but the measure is stalled and Blagojevich continues to tout his shiny new plan, despite its lack of a real funding source or a track record. You can here all about it on this clip from WBEZ's 848 show, broadcast May 9.
And of course, while all this hooh-hah goes on in Springfield, young men die on Marshfield Avenue and their families are left to grieve. Jason Gill's funeral will be held this coming Saturday in Woodlawn.
I can say from personal experience that when I don't know who to talk with about problems of violence and safety here on Marshfield Aveune, Oscar Contreras is someone who could at least listen, and often provide real help. I don't think we can afford to lose him.
Joey's mom found his new knife in the house last week. At least he hadn't taken it to school. She took it away and he got mad and cried. I talked to him later and he told me he is still afraid. We even made a map of who controls which blocks around ours and he explained where he feels safe and where he doesn't. He continues to insist he does not want to join a gang and that he did not take the knife to school. He is willing to take a self-defense class with me; now I have to find a good one.
Also last week, CeaseFire received a positive evaluation at the same moment Springfield continues to wrangle about funding it. The House has proposed not only restoring but doubling state money to CeaseFire, but the measure is stalled and Blagojevich continues to tout his shiny new plan, despite its lack of a real funding source or a track record. You can here all about it on this clip from WBEZ's 848 show, broadcast May 9.
And of course, while all this hooh-hah goes on in Springfield, young men die on Marshfield Avenue and their families are left to grieve. Jason Gill's funeral will be held this coming Saturday in Woodlawn.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Moms on the March
On Saturday morning, the Peace and Education Coalition of Back of the Yards held a peace march from 48th and Seeley, the block where Leticia Barrera was killed last Halloween, to Seward Elementary at 46th between Hermitage and Wood. About 125 people turned out. As usual, political representation was strong: Mayor Daley, Police Supt. Jody Weis, State Rep. Esther Golar, other state reps and senators, and Ald. George Cardenas.
Most importantly, Families for the Community came out to let those politicos know what it is like to be the parent of a child in our neighborhood. Many of these parents are single mothers working two jobs to support their families. They try hard to raise their kids right, but too often they are left alone to do the job by themselves. "We're not crackhead alcoholics," said Bridgeport mother Lisa Rivera, in a front-page Sun-Times story that ran last Friday.
Oscar Contreras of Catholic Charities Street Intervention wrote a reflection about these mothers' experience which Bridgeport mom Lisa Rivera read at the march. Here is an excerpt:
Yes we know what our sons and daughters have become but a mother will always love her child. Even when society says I've done a bad job and the time comes when, God forbid, they are taken from us whether by a judge or by their own bad choices, we will be the ones left to visit jail and graves. There isn't anything we wouldn't do to change what they have become but no matter what, we will never give up, just as God has never given up on us. His love and mercy are unconditional even though time after time we continue to disappoint him.
I have written before and will write again here about two-parent families who struggle to raise their children to be good people, only to see them slide down the slippery slope into gangs, drugs, jail and death. We talk a lot about how it takes a village to raise a child, but too often here I see the most successful families adopting a turtle-like strategy: keep your kids in the house, send them out of the neighborhood for school, keep your own nose clean and don't get involved. The problem is, that works.
Those who want to build a village have their work cut out for them. I wish
Most importantly, Families for the Community came out to let those politicos know what it is like to be the parent of a child in our neighborhood. Many of these parents are single mothers working two jobs to support their families. They try hard to raise their kids right, but too often they are left alone to do the job by themselves. "We're not crackhead alcoholics," said Bridgeport mother Lisa Rivera, in a front-page Sun-Times story that ran last Friday.
Oscar Contreras of Catholic Charities Street Intervention wrote a reflection about these mothers' experience which Bridgeport mom Lisa Rivera read at the march. Here is an excerpt:
Yes we know what our sons and daughters have become but a mother will always love her child. Even when society says I've done a bad job and the time comes when, God forbid, they are taken from us whether by a judge or by their own bad choices, we will be the ones left to visit jail and graves. There isn't anything we wouldn't do to change what they have become but no matter what, we will never give up, just as God has never given up on us. His love and mercy are unconditional even though time after time we continue to disappoint him.
I have written before and will write again here about two-parent families who struggle to raise their children to be good people, only to see them slide down the slippery slope into gangs, drugs, jail and death. We talk a lot about how it takes a village to raise a child, but too often here I see the most successful families adopting a turtle-like strategy: keep your kids in the house, send them out of the neighborhood for school, keep your own nose clean and don't get involved. The problem is, that works.
Those who want to build a village have their work cut out for them. I wish
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)