Genocide and Code of Silence are killing our youth

 Mom seeks justice for Deontae, offers $10,000 reward

 By Chinta Strausberg

 

The Code of Silence is preventing frightened South Side residents from identifying the killer of Deonate Smith, 19, who was fatally shot two-years ago Monday and genocide is taking out our children, Saint Sabina Father Michael L. Pfleger said Monday during a press conference held marking the second anniversary of the unsolved crime.

Pfleger joined Tonya Burch, the mother of Smith who was shot at an unauthorized Englewood block party on August 1, 2009 at 61st and Peoria, Minister Jonathan Banks from the Apostolic Faith Church, Theresa Broy, a retired city worker who prayed asking that the Code of Silence ends, Melech Thomas, a seminarian from Saint Sabina, and others stood in solidarity with Mrs. Burch who called on the killer to turn himself in.

Pfleger said, “It is a tragedy and a sadness that we have to be here today. Deonate was killed here two-years ago. Children have been killed two-months ago, two-weeks ago, two-days ago all throughout this city. There’s a genocide going on of our children.

“Superintendent McCarty can put police on every corner of this city and it’s not going to stop the crime until the community decides that the crime has to stop. There were hundreds of people out here the night that Deonate was killed,” said Pfleger.

“The neighborhood has to be the one that comes forward. The neighborhood has to be the one to talk. The neighborhood has to be the one to tell who did it because until criminals and murderers are afraid of the community, they will keep on doing it. “

Referring to criminals, Pfleger said, “They are not afraid of the police. That’s obvious, and they’ll never be afraid of the community until the community stands up and says this is unacceptable on our block and in our neghborhood,” said Pfleger.

He prayed that one day people across the city “will wake up as communities and decide we will not let our children be shot and killed and somebody goes home, sits up and eats McDonald’s and watches TV like nothing ever happen. That’s not acceptable in this city and in this nation.”

Referring to the intense debate involving the federal debt-ceiling controversy, Pfleger said, “We saw the whole world focus on the economic crisis for the last number of weeks. It got solved. Let’s ask the whole community and the nation to care about violence and let’s solve that too. 

“It doesn’t make any difference if we have a balanced budget and our children are dying in the streets. So, now let’s be focused on violence in America and let’s stop the killing of our children and the communities wake up, and come out of your houses, stop being afraid because as long as you don’t say anything, your children will be in danger of being shot tomorrow,” warned Pfleger.

Agreeing, Minister Banks said, “You have no idea what it’s like to go to bed every night knowing that your son’s killer is out in the streets and there are people out here with knowledge  (of who the killer is) but they choose not to come forward. She did not choose to be in this position….” He urged the community to come forward with information about the shooter.

Asked how did he feel about some youth telling Mrs. Burch she had better keep their names out of their mouth, he said, “There is a great way to end all of this and that is to bring forth information necessary to bring justice for Deonate. That is what we are asking for.

“This mother has already lost so much. What are we going to take from her further? We want to give her the peace of knowing that she can move forward…and the people of this community don’t have to fear for their safety and worse to add insult to injury fear that should something happen that people will keep it silent,” he stated.

Minister Banks linked hands with the family and with bowed heads prayed that God would “we pray for Deonate’s killer, God that you would stir their conscience, Lord, that they would desire to see justice for this grieving mother.” He prayed that the killer would be treated with dignity and fairly under the law. “God, let them know they must atone for this that you demand, Lord God, that they take accountability for their action..”

Melech Thomas, a seminarian from Saint Sabina, bowed his head and prayed saying “we bind up the spirit of violence in the name of Jesus…..” He prayed for commonsense gun laws and afterschool programs. He prayed that churches open their doors for children .

He prayed  “peace and His spirit reign, let your spirit reign in this place…. We believe that you can heal this land, God…. They can achieve academically. They can achieve careers. They can achieve spiritually, Lord, God, and most of all mothers will not have to bury their children prematurely….”

“My son was going to Daley College and to the Air Force,” said Mrs. Burch, but his dreams were shattered when a bullet pierced his chest.  A 17-year-old girl was shot but survived.

As a symbolic gesture, Mrs. Burch and her supporters released several red balloons. “This means Deonate is going to heaven,” she said wiping tears from her face.

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host.