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VIEWS Boystown's ubiquitous race issue
by Mark Corece
2011-07-20

This article shared 3027 times since Wed Jul 20, 2011
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No one can say for sure why crime in Lakeview has become more visible in recent months, since crime isn't new in the area. It is a befitting question for those involved, whether or not racism has anything to do with the reaction of residents, police and the overall media coverage—where, often, sensationalism and facts collide.

The question, one of race, is valid because of the larger systemic ethno-social problems—in conjunction with class—we are aware of and cannot ignore in history or current situations on the south and west sides of Chicago now percolating in the north. As we see, such a dilemma causes disparities like homeless youth, quite frankly, and a lack of resources that can lead to petty crime and microcommunities like those seen formed on stoops and train stations ( also known as mobs and loiterers, to some ) around the Boystown area in order to survive when all else fails.

To be clear, according to ABC News, two isolated stabbings had been reported prior to the brutal Halsted brawl, where an outrageously large group of youth and young adults repeatedly jabbed, kicked and, eventually, stabbed one individual to the point of hospitalization—a sad sight to see. I don't think anyone disputes how unsettling it is to witness perpetrators of crime in a place that is supposed to be a universally safe zone for diverse groups of people whether it is for everyday living or the vibrant nightlife. However, we all know such a place does not exist anywhere.

On one hand, it's easy to lump the criminal activity with those we see convening in large groups because of the nature of the crime. Given the circumstance, why is it our first inclination to say "they" have to go elsewhere and it isn't our problem? I'd like to say it is our problem and we should do better than the police as citizens with at least some compassion. Now it is in our consciousness, so we must work towards a better understanding.

A non-age- or race-specific simple graph ( data from Chicago police ClearPath site ) was handed out at the July 6 Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy ( CAPS ) meeting at Inter-American Magnet School. The data is about Lakeview's Beat 2331, calling attention to the "Number of Incidents" between June 10 and July 5, 2010. The graph indicates that 50 different cases of theft had occurred while 26 undefined battery episodes happened.

This data is only a bar graph that gives us no comparison to previous months so for all we know last summer could have been the best summer in Beat 2331 crime history, or it could have been the worst. This summer, nevertheless, has a new set of incidents to be addressed.

Similarly to previous Lakeview community backlashes—like the August 2009 CAPS meeting at the Nookies restaurant in Boystown, which led to the first phase of the "Take Back Boystown" march in the streets—the July 3, 2011, stabbing invoked a new onset of fear and concerns about the wellbeing of the residents and frequent visitors.

Police are working hard—thanks to the videotape and informants—to find out just who was involved in the highly watched group beating as the victim, according to multiple news sources, has useful information. ( One arrest has been made but authorities are looking for others. )

At the July 6 CAPS meeting, the actual issues at hand were rarely addressed aside from the initial speeches given by 44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney and 23rd District Commander Kathleen Boehmer.

After sifting through testimonials and emotional outrage, resurfacing themes were flagrantly present—and were puzzling since race was supposedly not an issue. Upon entering, a sign printed for the meeting stated, "Diversity is welcome, crime is not." To me, diversity is an umbrella that encompasses a wide array of cultures, ages, religions, ethnicities and any identity that we may have. Boystown does not always reflect this claim, which is why I empathize with racial accusations. The meeting—according to the "Beat Community Meeting Agenda"—was to address violent incidents; discussing diversity was not on the docket.

As the line to speak grew, it became apparent that either race and age arose organically in people's statements or they have always been issues; I'm going to go with the latter. This was a perfect time to address the race piece healthily—as opposed to cheers and jeers for and against point of views that did or did not align with one's ideology—and would have helped eliminate the obvious tension. Why were there sides in the first place if the meeting was to, again, address the crimes?

Comments continued to fly. It felt like a clear face was put to the mile-long discussion threads on the "Boystown" Facebook page that's known to show photos and videos of the latest crime scene. It was a perfect forum to sound off with any racial slurs ( back and forth ) , engage in unnecessary name-calling and revel in rhetoric that indicates just how far a lot of us have moved from and any grassroots movement outside of our own lawns—not to mention racial sensitivity.

Lakeview residents feel unsafe. Yet, imagine how it may feel to those who do not have a place to lie down when shelters and food aren't available to them. We have a huge problem that is going to take a lot more work than our current binary framework will allow.

The CAPS meeting resulted in a couple of solutions. Alicia Ozier, of Taskforce Prevention and Community Services, offered her funding to help and suggested a community roundtable to really get down to the nitty-gritty of helping the youth. Also, like psychologist Dr. Steve Migalski suggests, some of this is related to mental health issues that seem invisible to the eye but very apparent to clinicians. In addition, I'm always down for getting to know those around me.

We need to continue to address the crime but we cannot let our youth down by plowing them from stoop to stoop because of a few incidents that have nothing to do with larger problem of race -relations in our own communities.

Mark Corece is a national freelance writer and creator based in Chicago. You can get updates on his work by following on twitter @markcorece or emailing markcoreceresponds@gmail.com .


This article shared 3027 times since Wed Jul 20, 2011
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