Saturday, April 20, 2013

Gun Laws by Jonathan Jackson


         The violence in Chicago is terrible, and it keeps getting worse every year. In the year of 2012, more than 500 homicides were directly related to gun violence. This statistic shows that Chicago does not have sufficient gun controls.  These laws are not effective in controlling the gun violence. Therefore, I believe that the city should create gun control laws that focus on fully examining and clearing gun purchasers. When compared to 2011, shootings have increased by 12% and homicides are up 19% in 2012. In the city of Chicago, many people are concerned about how rising violence in their city could affect their children’s lives. Shirley Chambers, a Chicagoan and former resident of Cabrini Green, was a mother of four, but she lost all of her children to gun violence. This is an example of how families are affected by the violence.

 

       I believe most citizens would feel much safer if they knew who had guns in their local community. I am in favor of more intensive background checks which would include family interviews, history, background, neighbor interviews and inspection of the residence. After purchasing a gun, the gun owner would need to report quarterly, and if the gun were lost, the owner would have to report the loss immediately. If it were discovered that the owner did not report the missing gun, the owner would be fined and sentenced to jail. To support this increased background check, I recommend charging a fee for the background check. The price of the fee would depend on the damage that could be done by the weapon. Background checks are used in Virginia, and since 1989, the state has turned down 54,260 applications for gun permits. Even though Virginia is a different state, it proves my point that gun violence could be reduced by background checks. I know that putting a tool for protection in the wrong hands could lead to a tool for destruction.

Friday, April 19, 2013

CHICAGO VIOLENCE


                                                                    Chicago Violence


     Chicago is known to be one of the most dangerous places in the United States. Whether its gun violence, domestic violence, or even robbery violence is mostly of what Chicago is known for. Chicago has really gotten out of hand and in response we should do something memorable to stop these acts of violence. Achieving these goals would be considered a challenge but it is something we have to do. Some ways we need to do in order to stop the violence is by having anti- violence groups and gun ban laws . With these solutions we will likely turn Chicago into a better place.

       The first way to guarantee  better living environment in Chicago is by having anti violence groups. Anti violence groups that have made a huge impact in our community is the cease fire organization. Now the cease fire organization they try to get individuals from gang violence that is  costing them their lives. Now sometimes the cease fire organization does not exceed but sometimes they do and lead those they influenced into a better lifestyle. Many times they teach individuals in their neighborhoods to be interrupters to these violence acts to keep the neighborhood running smoothly. From these acts of help the Cease Fire organization helped many former gang members learn from their mistakes and move on to bigger and better things in life.

      The second solution to turn Chicago into a better environment, to live in, is by having a ban on gun violence. The reason I say this is because many people who carry guns have the right to bear arms but it doesn't say anything about  carrying a hand gun. In The Second Amendment of the US Constitution  it says " Citizens are allowed to to bear arms for well regulated militia, not for concealed personal carry" . The Second Amendment also says " a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed ". As you see the second Amendment says nothing of the ordinary  of having any handguns. With that being said guns should be ban from citizens due to the fact that some are breaking an amendment of our US Constitution.

            Chicago violence has made a destructive impact in our lives and is destroying the very place we live in. Violence has given us a bad reputation that we should want to abolish. So with these solutions I guarantee that we can put a stop to this issue. To abolish this problem we have to create gun ban laws as well as outreach programs to ensure that these allegations are nothing more than history. With that being said lets make a difference and lets put a stop to Chicago violence.















        

Violence In Chicago


Sunday, April 7, 2013

Chicago's Struggle Against Today's Gangs


Dear Rahm Emanuel,

Crime systems have changed, organized crime fall has led to new tactics of guerrilla attack involving many different gangs all over the city. We can no longer go about patrolling our city in the same way, crime is evolving and so must we to combat it.

           Mafioso used Government officials to accomplish crime instead of depending on it’s pure destructive muscle. During the time of mafia corruption was widespread throughout chicago government. Through these figurehead political officials, the mafia was able to much more efficiently execute criminal acts without excess killing. Today's gangs have no stable leaders, no central nerve, where information can be processed, examined and then acted upon. Instead gang crime resembles a endless war of every man for himself. Through this chaos many innocent bystander have been mercilessly wounded and killed.

Mafioso were essentially a family, joined under one leader they all shared similar goals along with a common background of being italian immigrants. Even though the mafia committed crimes the public feed of this sense of family loyalty and interpreted being a gangster as something resectable. Gangs now are filled with scores of high school dropouts, with each coming year thousands of children are continuously throw into this system. Each new child finds a home in a different gang, friends and enemies are established and soon you have a vicious killing spree between rival gangs. The shroud of respect that was once associated with mafioso has long been gone, replaced with a savage sense of fear in gang riddle communities.

Our police force sluanters along in it's fight against chicago's gun violence and continues to combat violence in ways that would only be affective with to the 1920's mafiasos. Chicago's police have cracked down on guns seizing more than 1,825 firearm off the street. Many see this as a succes but in result of this crackdown has just fuled more black marcket purchases. The police's push for justice has become a catalyst for econimic activity in this corrupt and illegal market. Something must change, the athorities need to understand that if a criminal wants a gun there is very little we can do to stop in and confiscating weapons already on the streets only furthers their cause. We need to attack with force and accuracy, trageting only the higerups of these organizations, by taking out the heads these gangs they will be left without a brain and with slowly tear eachother and themselves apart. 

          Crime in Chicago moves with no calculated plan and no hesitation. Gangs brings pain to everyone in it’s community and will never be controlled through our current action. Now gang member could be anyone and attack anyone. We must start early instilling strong and noble values in our young people befor gangs instill theirs.

Sincerely,
Icarus


Friday, March 15, 2013

Letter to The Mayor

Dear Mayor Rahm Emanuel,


     I will like to discuss the current issues dealing with violence in Chicago. The violence in Chicago is now running rapid due to the continuous acts of gang violence that is taking a major impact in our youths lives. For example, a man by the name of Raymond Tucker was shot and killed by a group of men jumped out of a vehicle and shot Tucker. Tucker was shot on the 1900 block East 79th of Jeffery. These sort of actions we need answers to. This particularly shows that incidents like this can happen at any moment. So my question to you is how you going to stop these actions. We need to have law enforcement be more strict or even have gun bans in Chicago. Either way it goes we need change and the only way to get that is to be united and make a difference for the place we love to live in.

                                                                                                                          Sincerely,
                                                                                                                        Gavin Davis

Sources

http://www.nytimes.com/
www.abc7.com

Friday, March 1, 2013

Past and Present


This whole idea of organized crime is an obsolete name to an industry that no longer operates with a systematic plan. During the heyday of Al Capone and the infamous mafia, illegal operations were keep  secret and isolated from the public eye.In addition to this, organizations also had relations with the highup of society, leading to many corrupt law enforcers along with political leaders. Though corruption was rampant, the average citizen who were not connected to any criminal actions were usually spared from any actions of the gang. When looking back on the mafia’s actions there is a slight air of respect, mafioso played by the rules and this coalition of italian natives stuck with each other.
Today's gangs have left all values with the 1902’s prohibition. Random spurts of violence hit all corners of the city. Gangs have sent their devastating blows throughout the chicago community, crippling many who had nothing to do with these gang’s activities. Instead of the family bonds which the mafioso valued, countless individuals have been poured into this system, each with their own individual views. This has lead to a mass of inter gang fighting . Todays organized crime, lacks sense and stability causing chaos wherever it goes.

Sources
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/chicago-school-closings-violence_n_2452293.html

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1596.html

Video Game Violence

                              Video Game Violence In Chicago

     

      Today I am going to discuss a major problem that is not just effecting Chicago but in other places as well. The Important subject I would like to discuss is Video Game Violence. The reason I believe Video Games are a big part of violence in the community is because during these days you have young youth that are killing others as of if they were playing call of duty. During this day of age Video Games are just another violent activity that has effected people lives today. Not only has this affected our lives but violent culture and real life shooting is making a return as of this day.

         Another way to get the point out that Video Games has made society different is through an experts opinion. Christopher Borrelli is a gamer in Chicago who has stated that he has had his fair share of gaming. Christopher has stated that in the game Battlefield he has over 43, 291 kills. Now even though he felt good with his accomplishment he did feel a little hesitant with the whole idea. Christopher stated the following quote " I will be lying if 43,291 kills didn't weigh on me down". This is proof that the violence of video games making a huge impact on our youths emotions.

           My next point towards Video Game Violence is from the governments point of view. Vice president Joe Biden met with Representatives at the White House offensive on gun violence. On that day the National Rifle Association denounced video games. While at a recent interview Mayor Rahm Emanuel put his feelings towards the issue by saying " Exposure to violent culture numbs people to the cost of life".

            In conclusion, video Game Violence has made a  rise in our society without a doubt. Video Games has had some good by relieving stress for others. But has caused problems such as gun violence in our communities today. But we can make a difference still if we work together to make video games as moral as they used to be. With that being said lets try to end the war of violence.

Sources

www.chicagotribune/videogameviolence.org