Roy Exum
There are more than 13 cities that fell for the Black Lives Matter idea to ‘Defund the Police’ after last summer’s rioting and mayhem. If the truth be told they now wish they had never made such a colossal “mistake” after another one of the bloodiest July 4th weekends on record. The final count is 618 Americans shot and 233 dead. There is no room for doubt; gun violence is at an all-time high and the Democratic-controlled cities lead the rap sheets.
In Chicago, where now over 2,000 people have been shot in 2021 alone, this past weekend – from Friday at noon until Sunday at midnight -- there were 104 people shot and more than 18 were fatal, some dying in the hospital.
The shootings included 13 children, a 15-year-old, and a five-year-old fatality, and to cap it off two uniformed police officers were shot at 1:45 a.m. on Monday as they tried to break up a fireworks party.
In Chattanooga there have been five shootings in as many days, with two separate incidents on Monday and another yesterday. Chattanooga is by far the smallest among the “Most Dangerous Cities in the United States” but, per capita, “The Scenic City” can roll with the big boys.
New York City had 26 shot, with two killed, as violence is climbing. There have been 826 shootings in NYC since January 1st and it is now both entering the Mayor’s and the Governor’s re-election hopes, the words “They made a huge mistake” on the voter’s lips.
In Chicago Alderman Anthony Napolitano slammed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s repeated incompetence and labeled his city a “war zone.” Since January, mostly black-on-black gunfire has killed 380 within the Chicago city limits and in the last 30 days, 481 have been shot. “We’re over 6,000 for the last 18 months,” Napolitano cried.
Believe it or not, this weekend tally boggles the mind but a year ago, fueled by the death of George Floyd, the record was set with 314 dead and 751 shot during the pandemic. But unlike last year, overall crime is now escalating in the Democratic “Defund” cities.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports: “Both the number of fatal shootings and the number of shootings overall are highs for 2021, according to a Chicago Sun-Times database of shootings. Through July 4, the most recent city data available, 2,019 people have been shot in Chicago this year, an increase of almost 13 percent compared to the year before, and a 58 percent increase in shootings compared with 2019.”
Also, from the Sun-Times last night: “Last weekend, 10 people were killed, and 68 others wounded in shootings across Chicago. “Amid the notoriously violent weekend, the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition on Sunday hosted a Fourth of July cookout and party at the Concordia Place Apartments on the Far South Side.
At the event, Jackson urged people to put down their guns and called on city officials, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, to actively work together to tamp down gun violence. “The finger-pointing must end,” Jackson said. He later added that, “We need better, and we deserve better.”
Jackson’s comments come two days after City Council members spent six hours interrogating Brown over his plans to curb the latest surge in summertime gun violence. “We urge people... to put down their guns, stop the violence. Of course, when they see violence - (an) attempt to overthrow our government and they’re treated with kid gloves, it decreases the message: If you pick up a gun and shoot somebody, you’re not walking away,” Jackson said. “We deserve a better America.”
From the Guardian: “Democrat-led city councils all over the country have voted to defund the police. Last year, the Los Angeles city council cut the police budget by $150 million, Portland cut $15 million from its police budget, Minneapolis cut $8 million from its police budget, and Seattle cut its police budget by 18%.
Now, those Democrat-led cities are reaping what they sowed - crime rates are skyrocketing. The New York Times has reported that homicides in Los Angeles increased 36 percent, more than 82 percent in Portland, and almost 72 percent in Minneapolis last year, and it looks like those homicide spikes will continue this year.
And just last month, Democrats on the Oakland, California, city council voted to cut over $18 million from the police department, when Oakland is seeing a 90 percent increase in homicides over last year.
The New York Times has also reported data is showing that in 2020, homicide rates increased more than 30 percent in big cities and so far they’re increasing this year too. Some preliminary data shows there were 4,000 more murders in 2020 than there were in 2019, according to the Guardian.
Did you get that: 4,000 more murders in 2020 - nation wide - with this year on a rampage!
From CBS News: “In Cincinnati, two men are believed to have shot and killed each other, injuring three others, at the city's Smale Riverfront Park on Sunday night, according to CBS affiliate WKRC.
And in Dallas, five people were shot – three killed and one in critical condition – during a confrontation at a neighborhood block party on the Fourth of July, according to CBS Dallas.
According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been 22,662-gun violence deaths in 2021. This includes all causes, such as murder, unintentional killings, and suicide. There have been 336 mass shootings and 16 mass murders.
Finally, every gun that was used is just a tool. A gun never shot anyone. It is a human who pulls the trigger in each and every circumstance. Until society focuses on the shooter, how can anyone expect a different outcome? Read that again … 22,662 violent deaths in just over six months in 2021. It’s not about the tool, it is the user. And until the user is identified and dealt with, sternly, by our justice system, how can you expect a different outcome?
royexum@aol.com