"As gun violence continues to skyrocket in Chicago, authorities reported that over the weekend of May 20-May 22, one person was killed and nearly 23 others were wounded in shootings across the city.
Instead of being proactive in fighting gun violence, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is using tax dollars to fund the funerals of those who have become victims of this violent crime. According to the latest news:
Moultry Jr. was just four years old when he was killed while getting his hair braided inside an apartment in Woodlawn.
On Wednesday, May 18th, Pritzker signed a new state law that bans “ghost guns,” making it the first state in the midwest to block the sale, possession, transfer, and manufacture of ghost guns. Ghost guns are untraceable, unregistered, and require no background checks to buy.
The legislation was spearheaded by State Sen. Jacqueline Collins and State Rep. Kambium Buckner. Collins said in a statement:
“Firearm violence is a leading cause of death for children and teenagers in Illinois and among black Illinoisans, the rate is disproportionately high.”
Illinois first Midwestern state to try to crack down on 'ghost guns' | Washington Examiner
https://t.co/JoS4MrrZ7O
— No more mean tweets
(@AndrewDeikel) May 22, 2022
Buckner said that cracking down on gun violence is especially critical to keeping young people safe, noting 16-year-old Seandell Holliday who was fatally shot in Downtown. Buckner added:
“These dangerous weapons are not entering into our communities, they have entered and they are affecting children at a young age and making all of us much less safe. This law will help prevent those guns from getting into the hands of the wrong people — whether they be kids, whether they be criminals who shoot up our streets and recruit our children into violent activities.”
According to one report:
“As homicides in Chicago show no sign of stopping, the demand for funerals is now bigger than the demand for baby formula. Just like a war-torn country, Chicago has now introduced a curfew. It is safer for the kids to be on the streets of Ukraine or Afghanistan than take a walk in the South Side of Chicago.”
https://fundourpolice.com/
Reportedly, community leaders, violence prevention organizers, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office have praised the new legislation. Delphine Cherry, founder of the Tender Youth Foundation and a survivor of gun violence, lost two children to gun violence 20 years apart.
She said that the ghost gun law is a step toward ending “senseless and preventable gun violence that destroys too many families and communities.” She added:
“While no law will stop gun violence, stopping the sale of deadly, untraceable guns will save many lives and stop many others from experiencing the pain I have to live through every day.”
Even with the passing of the legislation, without increasing police presence or moving the National Guard in to help, Chicago seems to be taking a “compassionate” route of making it cheaper for parents to bury their children.
The governor thinks he is being proactive, but in reality the money being earmarked for funerals of young children could be utilized in ways to make the streets safer so that kids are not victims of gun violence in the first place."
