Former Greek Orthodox Church, now Baptist
They say that integration is the period between which the first black family moves in and the last white family moves out.
It's been many, many years since the last white family moved out of this neighborhood. But they left their churches, which were promptly repurposed and renamed. Are they as much a part of the communities they're in as they were when they were white? That's debatable, especially considering the carnage in minority neighborhoods over this past Memorial Day weekend.
Of course, churches and other south and west side Chicago institutions are in damage control mode. Emergency meetings all over the place. But the people they're having the meetings about aren't going to church. They're not attending politicians' Town Hall meetings. They're out running the streets, stealing, dealing drugs, vandalizing and killing. And their parents, wives, girlfriends and other relatives cover for them left, right, and center. Prison is nothing but a bump in the road. They're in, they're back out. And so many of them aren't qualified for the jobs that do exist; they're functionally illiterate, and it isn't that the schools didn't try to teach them.
One new tool: a law in the works that would make it easier for Cook County States' Attorney Anita Alvarez to prosecute gang leaders under the RICO statute. Cut the Chimera's heads off, so to speak. Let's try it; we've tried reasoning with them, and that hasn't worked one bit.
Former Greek Orthodox Church, now Baptist
They say that integration is the period between which the first black family moves in and the last white family moves out.
It's been many, many years since the last white family moved out of this neighborhood. But they left their churches, which were promptly repurposed and renamed. Are they as much a part of the communities they're in as they were when they were white? That's debatable, especially considering the carnage in minority neighborhoods over this past Memorial Day weekend.
Of course, churches and other south and west side Chicago institutions are in damage control mode. Emergency meetings all over the place. But the people they're having the meetings about aren't going to church. They're not attending politicians' Town Hall meetings. They're out running the streets, stealing, dealing drugs, vandalizing and killing. And their parents, wives, girlfriends and other relatives cover for them left, right, and center. Prison is nothing but a bump in the road. They're in, they're back out. And so many of them aren't qualified for the jobs that do exist; they're functionally illiterate, and it isn't that the schools didn't try to teach them.
One new tool: a law in the works that would make it easier for Cook County States' Attorney Anita Alvarez to prosecute gang leaders under the RICO statute. Cut the Chimera's heads off, so to speak. Let's try it; we've tried reasoning with them, and that hasn't worked one bit.