Friday, March 27, 2009
Spin Machine
Has anyone noted the sad irony in White House rhetoric around the buildup of American troops and funding to expand the war in Afghanistan? "The president has decided he is going to resource this war properly," says one administration official. Another says the President wants a sharp break from what one describes as "a directionless and under-resourced conflict inherited from the Bush administration." Is this the same President who won the election largely on a promise to bring our troops home and end the $10 billion-a-month drain on our economy? The Washington Post this morning notes that we are already spending $2 billion a month in Afghanistan - the President is increasing that spending by 60 percent this year alone. Swapping one war for another - that wasn't part of the campaign rhetoric. Ah, the spin machine ...
Friday, March 20, 2009
Tragedy - More Than a Number
News reports identified him as No. 28 in a string of high school students murdered in Chicago.
But, he has a name. And a story . . . a beautiful story with a tragic ending that has become all-too-familiar in our nation’s third largest urban center. The story stuns those of us who don’t have to live it – but has become a painfully common narrative to those calling the south side of Chicago home.
Fourteen-year-old Gregory Robinson died in a hail of bullets as he stretched his body across the back seat of the family automobile. He was shielding two young cousins – ages 10 months and four years - from danger as best he could. One bullet in the back ended his young life, the coroner says. One of 40 bullets spitting from an AK-47 automatic weapon and a .40 caliber handgun.
Gregory was not the target of what police believe was a gang-related shooting – he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, some would say. But, he wasn’t in the wrong place. His family car was just pulling up to the family home when the gunfire erupted. He was in his own space. He was very much where he was supposed to be. It was the hatred, the violence, and most importantly the guns that were where they are not supposed to be.
Feelings of anger, profound sadness, and a sense of helplessness overwhelmed me as I sat in Oakdale Covenant Church, a large Southside church that was packed to overflowing. The sorrow, the grief, and the senselessness of it all. Here was a young man who represented the image of what any parent would love to see in their child – considerate, committed to sports, committed to achieving, and with a great sense of humor. All of that and more was reflected in the many tributes from politicians, city, school, and church representatives, and family members and friends.
How much longer are we as a community – a country – going to sit by and watch this kind of violence continue to command our streets and undermine our safety? What will it take for folks to become angry enough to stand tall and do whatever it takes to reclaim our streets, and prevent No. 29 from becoming a reality?
Sadly, we’re too late – No. 29 made the headlines a few days later.
How long?
But, he has a name. And a story . . . a beautiful story with a tragic ending that has become all-too-familiar in our nation’s third largest urban center. The story stuns those of us who don’t have to live it – but has become a painfully common narrative to those calling the south side of Chicago home.
Fourteen-year-old Gregory Robinson died in a hail of bullets as he stretched his body across the back seat of the family automobile. He was shielding two young cousins – ages 10 months and four years - from danger as best he could. One bullet in the back ended his young life, the coroner says. One of 40 bullets spitting from an AK-47 automatic weapon and a .40 caliber handgun.
Gregory was not the target of what police believe was a gang-related shooting – he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, some would say. But, he wasn’t in the wrong place. His family car was just pulling up to the family home when the gunfire erupted. He was in his own space. He was very much where he was supposed to be. It was the hatred, the violence, and most importantly the guns that were where they are not supposed to be.
Feelings of anger, profound sadness, and a sense of helplessness overwhelmed me as I sat in Oakdale Covenant Church, a large Southside church that was packed to overflowing. The sorrow, the grief, and the senselessness of it all. Here was a young man who represented the image of what any parent would love to see in their child – considerate, committed to sports, committed to achieving, and with a great sense of humor. All of that and more was reflected in the many tributes from politicians, city, school, and church representatives, and family members and friends.
How much longer are we as a community – a country – going to sit by and watch this kind of violence continue to command our streets and undermine our safety? What will it take for folks to become angry enough to stand tall and do whatever it takes to reclaim our streets, and prevent No. 29 from becoming a reality?
Sadly, we’re too late – No. 29 made the headlines a few days later.
How long?
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