Tune In TODAY (Friday,
September 3 at 9:15 AM) To WVON-AM 1690 AM (www.wvon.com) and "The
Monique Carradine Show" and hear Veteran Black Activist/Journalist Mark
Allen Offers Analysis & Direction For Chicago Gang Leadership
Meeting, Media & Leadership Responses
Veteran Black Activist/Journalist Mark Allen Offers Analysis & Direction
For Chicago Gang Leadership Meeting, Media & Leadership Responses
Characterizations and Reporting Full Of Mixed Messages and Misinformation, but on this historic day of International Peace Talks, Chicago should be following that model locally with its own peace talks
"Today
on the one hand we watched national and international leadership and
media outlets providing live "team" coverage and "accolades" to
President Barack Obama and Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton bring
together various world leaders whose members and supporters have been
directly responsible for the killing of thousands and thousands of
innocent people, trying to get them to talk face-to-face with the others
leaders AND with our highest levels of United States Government
Officials to find peace and stop the killing -- This is being reported
as commendable??? --- That's National
While LOCALLY in Chicago,
we are now witnessing an absolute frenzy from the media, community
residents, our local government officials and political leaders when the
thought of duplicating what President Obama and Secretary Of State
Clinton are doing today trying to meet and communicate directly with
leaders trying to find peace for their history and current battles for
recognition and turf also result in unnecessary, senseless acts of
violence and death. The message is that this peace effort is
applaudable at the national level but out to be damned at the local
level?
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When
many of these same "gang" leadership and organizations obtained their
legitimate community development organization status, and further
obtained "green job" certification, yet they continue to FAIL at getting
the public and private support for their desire to take those same gang
members that are involved in illegal street economies and now support
them in creating local green jobs through using longtime vacant empty
lots and land in the Black and poor communities for community gardens,
landscaping businesses and jobs?? Gang leaders and at-risk youth have
identified a way to put a few thousand of their members and former
members away from the selling of drugs into the selling of fruits and
vegetables, and if these efforts to do something legal is not supported,
then that must mean that we would rather they continue with their
illegal and life-threatening economies.
If all those gang leaders
had a united message today that the root of their members street
battles and violence are the result of trying to resolve desperate
economic conditions, then why don't our Police Chief, Mayor, Federal and
others think outside of the box and figure out a way to resolve an
economic problem with an "economic" solution. Instead of the threats of
how many innovative ways can be found to lock people up, why not
innovative ways to put people to work? Do we want a solution or not? If
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can do this at
the national and international levels, then WHY can we not do the same
thing at the local level??
Many gang members have participated in
so many local community and political marches and other activities with
Chief Weis, Mayor Daley, Governor Quinn and ALL political leaders, so
it is silly for many of them to be issuing these press statements
disassociating themselves from gang members. During the recent Bud
Billiken Parade, some of these political leaders ask if those they
allowed to march with them in the parade if they had any gang
affiliations? Of course not for I and others watched many known gang
members trying to show they could be in something positive by joining
the marchers of many of the elected officials and politicians in the Bud
Billiken Parade, and they felt good that the elected officials and
politicians shook their hands and asked for their votes, BUT did NOT ask
their gang affiliation.
Known gang members attended the Governor
Quinn Bill Signing at Chicago's Cole Park. Known Gang members regularly
march and attend vigils with Chief Weis, news CAPS Director Ronald
Holt, and I know that I spoke directly with Ronald Holt about having a
street meeting and he agreed, and I know that Wallace "Gator" Bradley
spoke DIRECTLY to Mayor Daley about a meeting and Bradley said that
Mayor Daley looked him right in the eye and said he would be willing to
meet with our Stop The Violence Grassroots Leaders Coalition. So In
Chicago, Mayor Daley is President Obama and Ronald Holt is The Secretary
Of State, Wallace "Gator" Bradley is the "Urban Translator" that can
help convene current and former gang "street" organization leaders and
help them understand the process, and I will continue to provide my
leadership through The Black Leadership Development Institute, BLDI as
one who has rapport with street leaders as well as leaders of business,
civic, media, religious, and community organizations, so I am again
calling for an immediate meeting at the local level with leaders for
peace at the local level, just as President Obama and Hillary Clinton
are being applauded for today bringing together world leaders meeting
face-to-face trying to find peace.
Todays example should be the
model that is fitting to follow in Chicago today. Talking "to" each
other and not "at" each other. We are just an attitude away from common
ground for peace.
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HYPOCRITICAL MESSAGES
Why
does Chief Weis, Mayor Daley, and other leaders and media always issue
press statements after each march, prayer vigil, and after violence acts
saying "What Are The Solutions,?" and yet when programs ARE announced
that could help deter young people from the criminal elements,
ABSOLUTELY NO PRESS COVERAGE. We provide and watch "team" coverage of
the violence and death, but why not the same when the call is answered
with concrete proposals with "solutions.?" It's hypocritical to provide
media coverage of the calls for "What Are The Solutions,?" yet not
provide the same coverage when the solutions are presented."
We
are so accustomed to the convenient labeling of most Chicago violence as
"gang related" that Chief Weis is NOT listening to these gang leaders
who have repeatedly tried to tell Chief Weis and all that so much of
todays local violence if far beyond those who they try to labels as
these organizations membership or affiliations, and again, Wallace
"Gator" Bradley through his "urban translator" pieces and my regular
reports and blogs have also repeatedly reported that the desperate
economic conditions in Black and poor communities are generating so many
individuals and renegades groups that find themselves battling to
survive over illegal street economies, yet Weis and others continually
and unfairly report and people believe that so much of this crime, drugs
and other illegal street economies are NOT connected to the "gang"
leaders and organizations that Weis and others keep reporting and
holding people accountable for.
If Weis and the Mayor would just meet
and LISTEN, we would have a foundation for peace. Follow the lead of
President Obama and Hillary Clinton. Sit down, meet, listen, and come to
some innovative ways for peace.
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