Thread by @StuLoren

1/ I'm at a loss when it comes to rising crime in Chicago and elsewhere across the country. I've spoken about it at length and don't need to cover the same grounds again. I think much of the blame falls on shoulders of proponents of lenient enforcement.

https://twitter.com/StuLoren/status/1468629648909156356?s=20

2/ I appreciate @chicagosmayor changing her tone on the subject this week, but unless we hire more police, a change in tone isn't going to change much. Especially when our county prosecutor @SAKimFoxx and court system maintain their light-touch approach to prosecution and bail.

3/ Yes, rehabilitation matters, but so does punishment and deterrence! To those who can't relate or think this isn't a big deal, all I can say is when violent crime happens in the vicinity of your kids it will stress you beyond comprehension. More today...
cwbchicago.com/2021/12/buckto…

4/ And all the focus on the plight of criminals doing this ignores the pain and suffering caused to their victims. Let's get our heads on straight: our sympathy should lie with those who are getting shot, not those who are shooting.

5/ Those who don’t value life – to the point they threaten the lives of others with guns – are not functional members of society. If we excuse their behavior, we will undermine the humanity for the rest of us who can appreciate it.

6/ This has reached the point where we just need to call it for what it is: domestic terrorism. The city isn’t mired in ordinary crime. When people no longer feel safe anywhere or anytime it’s a state of terror. This is no way to live and can't be the acceptable status quo.

7/ If state or county laws aren't strong enough to deter this criminal activity (or if the laws aren't being enforced by officials charged with upholding them), bring down the book at the federal level, which at least will take cases out of @SAKimFoxx's jurisdiction.

8/ The police have a hard enough job as it is - especially now that the city police force is understaffed and at low morale thanks to public animosity. Don't make their job harder by releasing violent offenders who will need to just get re-apprehended.
chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/10/11/chi…

9/ The economic and quality of life impact of all this crime is immense. It's contributing to Illinois losing about 114k residents last year. We can't let things stay this bad.

https://twitter.com/StuLoren/status/1473355973867843590?s=20

10/ To those who will cry fascist at reasonable public safety initiatives, you have no understanding of modern history. The irony is the attempted imposition of absurd “moral” purities based on a twisted “social justice” ideology is far truer to the authoritarian spirit.

10/ The two things that historically give rise to populist and fascist movements are economic disarray and lawlessness/public insecurity. If you truly don’t want to see fascism take hold in the US, you should have a strong interest in a stable and inclusive economy, and low crime

11/ This is my last and most controversial statement here: but what the hell do you do about young men - as young as 13 per today's shooting in Bucktown - walking around with guns and unafraid to use them?

12/ Kids who are in their early teens have no developed moral compass yet. The thought of a 13 year old pointing a gun at someone is beyond frightening. They don't appreciate what it will mean to pull the trigger.

13/ How are we failing so badly as a society that kids think this is ok - or just a fun adrenaline rush? I get that a lot of these kids are coming from really challenged backgrounds. But we have to be able to teach and instill a basic sense of right and wrong.

14/ I don't have any answers or even suggestions here. All I can say is it seems we're failing as a city and society on a lot of fronts: law enforcement, leadership, providing better opportunities in struggling communities and our moral compass. Hoping for a better 2022.