Murder Capital: “Chiraq, Drillinois” a City at War Essay

¨Gang members have been responsible for 61 percent of all homicides [in Chicago] in 2011, up from 58.7 percent in 2010¨ (Hidden America). These are some of the few disturbing statistics about gang violence in Chicago; however, as many people do not know, gangs have not always been about drugs and violence. In the early 19th century, gangs are not what people perceive them to be today. Gangs in the 19th century were volunteers with the fire department back in the Antebellum Period, which is the period before the civil war and after the War of 1812. As time went on and as the professional firemen forced the volunteers to break up, they started spreading apart. Then by the late 19th century, gangs started developing on the south side. This is

In the 1940s the black population grew onward and since there were now more blacks in Chicago, there were buildings that were being built for low-income and poverty families and since the blacks were just now coming into Chicago looking for better employment they had to move to where they could afford. Now these buildings were being built on the west and south sides of Chicago. These buildings became like forts to these gangs These gangs grew intense over time in Chicago as well in New York. Gang war erupted over drug trafficking turf, which made black gang problems explode in the 1960s. It got so bad that law enforcement said that it was too dangerous for them to patrol around that area. Gangs of Chicago controlled many things like drug distribution

Chapter Four is entitled, “[The] Scope and Nature of the Current Gang Problem.” It focuses on recent trends in number of gangs, gang members and gang-related crimes in each city. In Inglewood, almost all the neighborhoods were claimed by at least one gang, with gang-unit officers agreeing that the city was facing a major gang problem. In Albuquerque, gangs were involved in drug trafficking and property offenses, with 7 out of 8 gang-unit officers believing the city had a major gang problem. In Las Vegas, migration from other cities was thought to be the primary cause of an increase in gang members. 50% of crime in Las Vegas is attributed to gangs, with most officers believing they had a moderate to major gang problem. In Phoenix, the gang problem is described as wave-like, with 70% of gang-unit officers thinking the city had a major gang problem. These statistics were backed up through interviews with officers and city records.

When a neighborhood is gentrified it will not only change the image of it, but also the services available there (Al-Kodmany 2011, 62-63). In other words, gentrification does not only have an impact on the physical aspect of the land, but also the resources that lie there. During the 90s, the Near West Side neighborhood located near Loop, an up-scale neighborhood, sought drastic changes within the area. The changes in racial demographics in the Near West Side indicated that the health risks that affected minorities dropped in the past decade (1992-2002) (Al-Kodmany 2011,

There are hundreds of gangs all over Chicago. These gangs are reckless and try to show their superiority by shooting rival gang members. When committing such acts, these gang members fail to realize that they aren’t the only ones who live in this city. There are

Any reference to the ‘hood’ has negative connotations attached to its meaning. Modern reference to an area as the ‘hood,’ is analogous to the preceding term gangland. According to Thrasher, ganglands symbolize spatial and social interstitial areas. These interstitial areas consist of underlying conditions of social disorganization characterized by poverty, deteriorating neighborhoods, and the absence of both formal and informal social control mechanisms. As a result, interstitial areas cultivate interstitial groups, or gangs, that develop as an expression of the region’s socially disorganized state (Thrasher 1927/2000). In short, these regions are poverty-stricken, politically powerless, and socially marginalized.

Chicago’s Cabrini-Green public housing project is notorious in the United States for being the most impoverished and crime-ridden public housing development ever established. Originally established as inexpensive housing in the 1940’s, it soon became a vast complex of unsightly concrete low and high-rise apartment structures. Originally touted as a giant step forward in the development of public housing, it quickly changed from a racially and economically diverse housing complex to a predominantly black, extremely poor ghetto. As it was left to rot, so to speak, Cabrini-Green harbored drug dealers, gangs and prostitution. It continued its downward spiral of despair until the mid 1990’s when the Federal Government assumed control the

Chicago has the highest gang population in the United States (www.huffingtonpost.com) and the highest amount of gun related murders to boot. As an effect of these crimes, many of the targets are not the rich and the powerful but instead are the weak and the poor. Those that cannot defend themselves to a great extent, they are seen as easy targets that will soon give up if it has taken too long to find the culprits. Since the underclass is the primary target for crime from the underclass it is like they are just undermining themselves in order to gain some type or upper hand on the next man that holds no real bearing. Even when taking “good moral” individuals some have turned to crime because they see no other way to make means for themselves or their loved ones. Some of these people have been laid off and have no other source of income, their back is against a wall and they want out. They want so badly to have money again so that they survive and not live on the streets like they see others, so they commit crimes for others that will pay. It is because of this desperation that violent crimes still thrive and until people realize this then violent crime will still keep the underclass suppressed. (www.clombia.edu)

Chicago, the third-most populous city in the United States, has had a busy and diverse image since the start and the city has played a key location throughout American history. Throughout history, Chicago has always to attract people to the city by it’s charming, fascinating and exciting spirit and ___. Chicago has always been home to people from all over the world and different backgrounds. Race, has play a key factor in Chicago and last year CNN reported that Chicago remains among most segregated U.S cities. Chicago’s portrayal in the media has *** changed over time and in the case of race it has gotten worse, with the residential segregation and the increase of crime in the South.

Chicago is a very large city with a large amount of people whom live within the city. This could also be a cause of the violence in chicago. There are about 2.7 million people in Chicago which makes Chicago the third largest city in the United States, behind New York City and Los Angeles. Chicago is the largest city in Illinois and when you put a large group of different people in a large city there could be a problem. In the image below shows chicago's race data. Although the sheer size is a cause of the violence there are many other causes as well.

Since 2012 the homicide rate in Chicago has increased by 25% and is mainly caused by the increase of gangs in the city. Chicago has always had a high population of gangs and violence in its city, the most popular gang in Chicago is the black disciples and their rival gang the gangster disciples. Many of the people who are involved in these gangs are at first just looking for an easy way to make money but then they get caught up in it. It becomes a lifestyle and in order to escape it you have to do some crazy things.

Chicago is one of the most racially segregated cities in America with the north side being predominantly occupied by whites, the south and west sides being occupied by blacks and the southwest and northwest being dominated by Hispanics. Chicago’s minority dominated neighborhoods has been plagued with increasing homicide rates, violent crimes, and a growing drug and gang culture. The city has been considered one of America’s most gang infested cities which means that murders and shootings are a common occurrence in everyday life for the residents. The spiraling rise in violence means a greater concentration of police and law enforcement which instills fear and paranoia of the police and ultimately the government into the community. This creates an especially deleterious environment for kids growing up in these neighborhoods who are constantly drawn in to the allure of gangs, drugs, and violence.

Initially, violence will never end. Most gunmen and conspiracies occur in only 6% of a Chicago’s population

What is the reason for all the madness that’s going on in our city today? I thought we were stopping the lack of jobs, no motivation, no child left behind, violence, and death. The world is changing everyday are we strong enough to handle those changes? Sure we are, in this paper I will show the cause and effect for city violence.

Do you like American Cities? What if i told you that American cities are getting destroyed every day by gang violence. These cities are at the highest violence rates since the past twenty years due to gang violence (Trump, Donald J). Gang violence is on the rise in America due to many resonsons. One of the main problems in that our younger generations is persuaded by music. Rap and hip hop singers make our kids think it is cool to be in gangs play with weapons and do drugs. Everyday on the news you hear that people are being killed and if you look into the full story it usually related to gangs. This all started back in the 1920s, Gangs were established in California, New york and Chicago.(Jones, Jami). 6,500 homicides happened in the last year and known to be related to gang violence, this toll has risen 11% since the last year (Mecia, Tony). There is solutions to this problem but we must work together as Americans. Gang violence could be reduced by stronger police force, More extracurricular activities for the younger generation and decreasing the distributions of over the counter drugs and narcotics.