Gun violence is a well-established issue for cities across the United States, exemplified by several Labor Day shootings in Chicago, in which a total of 55 people were shot, with 11 suffering lethal wounds. According to Chicago Sun Times, the deadliest individual incident occurred Sunday evening in a South Chicago neighborhood and resulted in the death of two young men, ages 18 and 20 and left two more wounded. In the video of the Tuesday news conference recording published by ABC Eyewitness News, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown reports that Chicago has had 600 fewer victims of gun violence so far this year than last year, but that’s still over a hundred more than by the same date in 2019 based on data provided by the Chicago Tribune. In the conference, Brown mentions other ongoing issues such as carjacking and, regarding perpetrators, ultimately proclaims that “We need more consequences for violent offenders regardless of your age.” While certainly actions should have repercussions, addressing only the crime is like slapping a bandage on a deep cut. As anyone familiar with first aid can tell you, you’ve got to actually stop the bleeding so that the wound can begin the healing process. Treating the symptoms is necessary, but is not the most effective means of preventing recurrence of an issue. This seems to be a motivating force for Pastor Chris Harris, who shares a brief message during the Tuesday news conference with the police department. In the meeting, Harris emphasizes that policing would not suffice to lift the city out of its situation, urging viewers to “say nothing about Chicago violence and trauma until you do something about Chicago violence and trauma” and highlighting how his Bright Star Community Outreach (BSCO) supports Chicago neighborhoods in receiving trauma support.
While organizations like BSCO provide invaluable resources for their areas, perhaps it’s time for cities to redistribute their wealth in order to reduce gun violence. How could that help? Well, the April article from The Brookings Institution, “Mapping gun violence: A closer look at the intersection between place and gun homicides in four cities”, which focuses in part on Chicago, highlights some crucial details of the communities which suffer the most due to gun violence. The article discusses recent low levels of gun homicide rates in wealthier regions, despite overall elevated firearm violence. Authors DW Rowlands and Hanna Love present that generally, neighborhoods that have experienced higher levels of gun murders share some common traits: these communities lie at “the interesection between poverty, racial segregation, and systemic disinvestment.” Cities can reinvest in at-risk areas and support individuals through methods like those suggested by Rowlands and Love, including by implementing “quality housing, youth workforce development and employment programs, green space, and civic and community-based organizations.” When cities allocate resources to support people in disadvantaged neighborhoods rather than focus exclusively on crime punishment, they will likely be addressing causal factors in gun violence, thereby reducing gun homicides. Ideally, programs like the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide resources beyond the scope of organizations like BSCO to communities overwhelmed with gun violence and effectively reduce these tendencies.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.