‘They can go after the looters, but can’t find the shooters,” is the current rallying cry by those who want to backhandedly defend the criminals who were out looting following the recent incident in Englewood.

Let me be clear, I don’t believe the looting truly had anything to do with the shooting.  It was the excuse by those within the black community who are criminal-minded to go out to Michigan Avenue, Oak Street and along North Avenue to high-end stores and steal what they wanted. Nobody can convince me that any of them had a need for Gucci or anything at Best Buy or Water Tower Place. Those Black folks who can mouth/key that phrase and see no difference between finding the looters and identifying a shooter are par for the course when it comes to the “excuse-filled” segment of folks within the community. And for me, their illogical comparisons come as no surprise.

Here’s a couple of major points regarding the difference: The majority of those businesses that were looted had cameras within. Those owners quickly shared the videos with the Chicago Police Department. When it comes to shootings, very few are actually caught on camera. And even if caught on a camera system, how many homeowners or cellphone tapers are quick to share the video with CPD? I won’t hold my breath for that response.

Far too many of us have become so accustomed to being in the victim role that some just refuse to believe in the criminality of our people. Even the young fool who has been accused of broadcasting his alleged attempt to break into an ATM using a hammer has his defenders claiming that he is not the brightest star in the sky. One even went so far as to claim trying to break into an ATM with a hammer is akin to going to a gunfight with a knife. I countered that he used the tools he had with him. Had he brought a blowtorch, he would have used it. But the tool of choice was a hammer, so that’s what he used. And to broadcast criminal activity over some streaming video service is called “confession.”

Which brings me to the conclusion that those folks gathering without masks and so intent on their dastardly deeds have become so disregardful of COVID-19 that they forget this is a real pandemic. As with a lot of the initial beliefs about the virus, like Black folks couldn’t get it, the truth is we can. Then children were having a hard time getting it, but guess what? Now reports are coming out saying they are getting it. If those who were out looting come down with it, so be it. That’s a consequence for the actions they took.

I want to live in a society where criminals are held accountable for their behaviors. My motto is: Jail the shooters and the looters!