Chicago is well on its way to reaching historic lows in the area of for the first three months of 2013. For example, February and March of 2013 experienced a significant decrease in homicides compared to the same time period in 2012. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is very serious about protecting young people in the City of Chicago by organizing on a higher level with the corporate community, President Obama, and the community at large. Since the shooting death of and all of the national and international attention homicides have steadily declined. This is good news for all of the residents in Chicago, considering Chicago's history of being a very violent city. Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama visited Chicago to help motivate the Chicago corporate community along with Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
It is strange how the media covers all of the shootings and homicide stories but fail to provide the same coverage when homicides are down. If Chicago stays on the current pace there is a chance that Chicago will experience less than three hundred homicides this year. However, everybody has to play a valuable role in the overall effort to keep the violence down. Improving the quality of life by reducing homicides in Chicago would be well received by the many residents that live in some of Chicago's toughest communities like Austin, Englewood, Roseland, and many more.
What if Chicago could go several days and months without one homicide? This may be wishful thinking but anything is possible. With the recent and violence being covered in the media worldwide, it would be great to share a few positive stories highlighting how homicides are actually down in Chicago compared to the following years; 2010, 2011, and 2012. has never experienced a month where only 15 people or less have lost their life due to gun violence prior to February and March of 2013.
Imagine young people being in a position where they do not have to worry about being shot or killed for some petty reason because somebody decided to pick up a gun and end another person's life. Another question would be "How did Chicago get to the point where homicides have become the norm or acceptable behavior?" We have to uncover some of the root causes associated with high homicide rates in Chicago compared to other cities. Is it a question about lack of jobs, poverty, poor educational systems, dysfunctional families, drugs, or the wrong thinking? Maybe it's a combination of problems that lead people to a point where they feel like life is not important especially someone else's life. No matter what answers we come up with, Chicago is making progress one day at a time in the fight to reduce violence. There may be some bad days and bad months throughout the year but Chicago is well on its way to making history in the area of reducing homicides for the first time since the mid sixties. Let's continue to work together and help young people make positive choices in their life so they can live instead of being preoccupied with death. There is no way to take back the moment you make a decision to take a life. Stop the violence now!
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