There has been a recent rash of carjackings involving juvenile offenders. As the ages continue to decline, the silence of black leadership has been deafening. I can’t think of a single one who has harped on “law and order” while certain young people break the law amid utter chaos. Why?
Around Thanksgiving, a woman visiting from Minnesota had her car keys taken as she walked less than 50 feet to her front door. The criminals were young black males who decided that her vehicle was what they wanted. So they pulled out a gun and demanded her keys.
In almost every video that comes forth, the criminal is dressed to the nines in some “designer” clothes and shoes. Those items are usually very expensive and easily recognizable. In the case of the woman from Minnesota, one had on distinctive red Air Jordan gym shoes.
What are the origins of black youth resorting to crime and the corresponding need to do it wearing fashionable attire? Why is there a lack of moral value in some young people seeing when there are churches on every corner no matter the economic conditions of the neighborhood? We may have food deserts, but we’ll never have church deserts. Why is that? Who should be the one to take on the mantle of responsibility for the waywardness of our youth? Is it the educational system, or the emphasis on the recreational system, that is the bigger culprit?
I know a lot of black folks who never want the dirty laundry of our social ills to be aired in public. But when we have the sort of criminal behavior that is now occurring and the perpetrators are getting younger and younger, then silence is not the solution. For me, the first step in solving any problem is to recognize that there is a problem. That is one reality that many refuse to address.
Another problematic issue has come to the forefront this past week. A funeral leaving the West Side and going down the Eisenhower Expressway is alleged to have had individuals shooting from the vehicles during the procession. Those mourners driving in the procession were said to have been driving in a reckless fashion. I can attest to some of the craziness I have seen because the individuals have posted it to Facebook and YouTube.
In the most recent case, the Hillside police rammed the car that had been weaving in and out of traffic. Three males and one female jumped out of the car running from the police. One guy had on his fashionable pants saggin’ under his behind and it was hilarious to see him attempt to run.
Lastly, two “tourists” told the CPD they were robbed at knifepoint under lower Wacker Drive and had almost $20,000 in personnel possessions stolen. Par for the course, the two “victims” told the police that “three black men did it.” When I heard that story, I quickly said it didn’t pass my “sniff test.” Why? Because the thieves didn’t take the car! So it turns out the story was a complete fabrication by Ryan Reiersgaard and Katie Mager. They should be fined heavily and made to reimburse the police department for the time and effort they wasted on their lying butts!
Black folks have a hard enough time dealing with the real criminal elements. We don’t need folks coming here to lie on us!
Thankfully the police department investigated, as opposed to just taking their word.
