This weekend, the Illinois State Police closed Chicago’s busiest Interstate for a gun control demonstration. Obviously, Saturday morning’s publicity stunt did nothing but irritate commuters and travelers over a holiday weekend. Meanwhile, the rabidly anti-gun Catholic priest Fr. Michael Pfleger claimed “The people won today.” In reality, nothing changed in Murder City USA as over the weekend, violent criminals shot seventeen, killing three.
While the Illinois State Police initially threatened arrests at the protest event, they didn’t follow through. In the end, they tried to accommodate all with a partial closure. Not surprisingly, that didn’t satisfy the social justice warrior priest or his fellow malcontents.
From the Sun-Times:
Some protesters grew impatient, chanting “Shut it down!” while others danced to the rumblings of drums near the back of the group.
Aldermanic candidate Anthony Driver and another demonstrator threatened to force the closure of the two open lanes by breaking police barriers. They were warned they might be killed by a speeding car if they did so.
“They are killing us already!” Driver said. “There shouldn’t even be a negotiation. They knew we have been planning this march for over three weeks. These lanes should have already been shut down.”
In the end, the petulant priest and his protesting pals got their wish. Fearing demonstrators meeting Darwin, the ISP chose appeasement, closing all lanes of traffic on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Northbound traffic also ground to a halt as a result.
The reason for the protest in America’s heartland was to oppose “gun violence.” Of course, by gun violence, they really mean gang violence. But Father Pfleger, pastor of the south side’s St. Sabina church, doesn’t like to blame the criminals for the area’s chronic state of violence.
Furthermore, Chicago’s police superintendent, Eddie Johnson, marched arm-in-arm with Pfleger on the Interstate. By doing so, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s police chief violated not only Illinois state law, but Chicago Police Department rules (see #42) and provided the grandstanding priest implicit city approval of his tactics.
Later in the weekend, back on the Windy City’s surface streets, crime continued to run rampant.
HeyJackass.com, as always, kept up with the mayhem. Here’s a list of the times, addresses (including neighborhood) and the sex and age of the victims. All of these shootings happened after Pfleger’s media-driven Interstate parade. Bold listings indicate deaths.
4:30p 2700 W 25th, Little Village, M/62
6:45p 3200 W 55th, Gage Park, M/25
7:05p 4300 S Cottage Grove, Grand Boulevard, M/20
Sunday 7/8
12:20a 9000 S May, Washington Heights, M/37
12:35a 11000 S State, Roseland, M/22
12:45a 5400 S Prairie, Washington Park, M/39
1:30a 4400 A Lavergne, Garfield Ridge, M/22
2:15a 1500 N Milwaukee, West Town, M/37
3:30a 3000 W Jackson, Garfield Park, M/32
3:30a 3000 W Jackson, Garfield Park, M/33
12:20p 5500 W Haddon, Austin, M/23
12:20p 5500 W Haddon, Austin, M/19
6:35p 800 E 89th, Chatham, M/30
8:30p 2000 W 70th, Englewood, M/64
10:25p 200 E 61st, Washington Park, M/18
10:30p 8700 S King, Chatham, M/55
11:45p 5200 W Adams, Austin, M/35
Is this Father Pfleger’s idea of winning?
Blaming law-abiding gun owners for Chicago’s long-standing, persistent inner city problems will not save lives.
Cook County is more concerned with offering “affordable” bail to arrestees than keeping criminals off the streets and protecting the innocent. In Chicago, a bus driver charged with a series of sexual assaults – on a mentally handicapped woman – got out on $400 cash bail. Is it any wonder why Chicago has a crime problem?
Until Chicago finally decides to get tough on their violent predators, nothing will change. Organizing illegal marches on the Dan Ryan Expressway to protest other illegal acts serves as nothing but symbolism over substance.