Living in a 'War Zone' -- reminders from some of the real Chicago... Gang wars are a bigger problem for most inner city residents than 'brutal' cops...
[Editor's Note: To read most of the news reports the past year, the problem facing Chicago's inner city communities is what has long been called "policy brutality." Based on my own experience as a teacher -- and during five years as "gang security coordinator" at Bowen High School -- most people living or teaching in Chicago's black and Latino communities are facing violence. This violence is usually at the hands of the city's drug gangs and it is on a regular basis. The major drug gang "nations" in Chicago -- the "People" and the "Folks" -- are now in their fourth or fifth generations, and every police officer and most inner city parents and children have to know the realities of these gangs no matter what protesters on North Michigan Avenue might be proclaiming this afternoon. "Under-policing" may be as big a problem as "police brutality" in some areas as well. Beginning this week, and regularly as 2016 begins, Substance will cover, first hand, some of the stories of what happens to the majority of people "Living in a War Zone." Marge Wilson is a retired Chicago public school teacher who worked, among other places, at Spalding and Clemente during her time with CPS. George N. Schmidt, Editor, Substance].
Living in a War Zone, by Marge Wilson
When I first moved to Auburn Gresham, it was a quiet neighborhood where I felt perfectly safe talking to people and walking four miles at a time three or more times a day. This continued for the first four years I lived here.
However, during the last year things have changed rapidly. I was attacked three times while walking my dog for no real reason. Twice, I ended up with bruises and a black eye and the last time, a man grabbed me at the park and I ended up with bruises on both arms. In the most recent attack, I was pushed down by someone who was running and hurt my left knee and ankle.Gradually, I cut back drastically, on the distance I walked Daizie.
We were called to pick up my ward early from school (Morgan Park) because of fights or guns being brought (occurring at the school). On another occasion, she was jumped by a group of girls and her cell phone was stolen.
Fortunately, one of the girl's parents called us. Over the summer, the police were in our back yard looking for some gang members who had attacked a girl about a half block away from where I live. The gang members had cut the fence between our yard and the house next door to get away from the police. The next day, I found her book bag and Ids on 77th. When I was working in the back yard (weeding), I saw a dark colored van open the side door and throw a book bag into the alley.
It seemed strange, so I called the police and tried to make sure no one touched it by standing by it until the police arrived. I found out a girl had been abducted, I don't think they were ever caught because I was never asked to come to the police station or go to court.
I did find out that a girl's body was found in a park near me and I believe that the two incidents were related.
About a month later, the police were all over the neighbor's two flat searching and going through the second floor apartment that he rents out. The police wouldn't tell us what was going on but most likely, they were searching for weapons or drugs.
Right now, the most recent problems appear to a series of retaliation between a gang in Chatam and the gangs in Auburn Gresham. In one of the most recent incidents, an eight-year-old boy was lured into an alley right after school and was shot several times by gang members (this occurred about two blocks from my house right after school).
I have been a member of the LSC at the school this boy was from for the past two terms.
Gang members are policing 79th Street for about a five-block radius (our office is on 79th) and one of the incidents that occurred while we were in the office was a man being beat up on the street and told to stay off 79th. The day before the 9 year old's funeral there was a message posted on Facebook to stay off of 79th because of there being retaliation over a two hour radius.
We believed that this was to direct the police to one area while they could take action on another which turned out to be the case.
The community has stepped up to try and contain the violence by posting parents and community members for five blocks west of the school and five blocks east. My business is trying to do its part by making our presence known in the community and right now, we are giving out hats, gloves and scarfs to the neighborhood children.
It seems like I go to sleep to sirens and wake up the next morning to other sirens. Since, I can't stay locked up in the house all day (especially with the dog), I am beginning to go out again and just varying my route. What I keep in my mind is the same thing that I told myself during the protests and violence of the 60s and early 70s that �if it's my time, it's going to happen no matter where I am because more people die at home then anywhere else.�
However, that doesn't mean you take foolish chances by being out in a war zone (at that time, the projects at 2:00 in the morning. The other precautions I'm taking is to attend the monthly community meeting at the Police Department so I meet other people who share the same goals of making the community safe.
