Pfleger: Killings are “Epidemic,” Warns “Genocide” is Taking Out the Children

Calling the violence in Chicago and in America an “epidemic,” Father Michael L. Pfleger, who Friday night was flanked by Samaria Rice, the mother of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, Friday called the daily killing “genocide” he says “is taking out our children, families and our future” and that it appears the shootings are becoming the norm which is troubling.

With several dummies lying on the steps of Saint Sabina’s Rectory dressed in male clothing and splattered with red paint, Pfleger said the shootings “are an epidemic that I don’t think is being addressed. I look at all the violence going on in Chicago, and I don’t hear people talking about it” or the solutions. It makes me angry.”

On one of the dummies, the sign said, “Chicago spends $2 billion in reaction to gun violence, but funds very little for violence prevention. “Fund our lives instead of funding our death.”

Saying the violence that is going on occurs on many levels, Father Pfleger said, “Some of it happens in the hands of law enforcement…some in the hands of trigger-happy vigilantes like George Zimmerman” who killed black unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. “Some of it happens on black-on-black crime that takes place in our neighborhood.”

No matter where crime occurs, Pfleger said,  “We have to address it. We’ve got to eradicate it. We’ve got to stop it…. America cannot continue to turn its head and ignore the violence because it’s mostly black and brown people that are being killed.”

He warned if people are looking towards the government for an answer they “are delusional. We’re going to have to force America to deal with it because America has made it clear they are not going to deal with this,” said Pfleger. “We cannot get overwhelmed. We can’t get immune. That is why we’re out here every single Friday night during the summer.”

Looking at the current crime statistics, Pfleger said just the first 21-days of August there have been 28 people killed and 205 people shot. “That is more than one a day killed. We should be outraged.” Yet, he said there is more talk about Lolapaloza and the NFL coming back to Chicago and other downtown events, but there is killing going on in the West and South Sides of Chicago. “We’d better talk about that too.”

In introducing Rice, whose son did a Cleveland, Ohio policeman who described the shooting incident on his radio as “shots fired, male down, kill. Black male, maybe 20, black revolver, black handgun by him. Send EM.S. This way, and a roadblock,” Pfleger said Rice is here “because there is this growing group of family in America that keeps growing that nobody wants to grow—parents who lost their children.”

The irony the Tamir Rice incident is the “gun” he was playing with in the park was fake as Cleveland’s 911-system operator had explained. The operator clearly said it was “probably fake” and that the offender “was probably a juvenile.” However, the responding officer allegedly never received that message.

Rice said she came to Chicago “to connect the dots,” to build up national platforms she feels will help her find justice for her son. “It has been nine-months, and I don’t have justice for my son yet. She said life is still “a nightmare.”

The mother of three other children, Rice said, “I struggle every day, but I do know there is a God….” Rice vowed to start a foundation to mentor and educate youth as well as give out scholarships for college-bound students. “I’m also here to create policy and to create new laws.

“One thing about me is that I cannot be bought and sold and I know my voice means something,” she said. “I am the voice for my son.”

Pfleger was also joined on Friday night’s peace walk by Nation of Islam Brother Thomas Muhammad, Rev. Gregory Greer, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Chicago, Judge Robin D. Shoffner (5^th Judicial Subcircuit), Mark Walsh, campaign director for the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, Pam Bosley, with the Purpose Over Pain group who lost her son, Terrell, to gun violence, the Brave Youth Leaders, activist Camiella D. Williams, and a very large, diverse group of supporters.

Several youth leaders spoke about the violence including those who said, “We do not stand for black crime. Black lives matter….” “Every three-hours someone is murdered in Chicago. Every 18-hours someone is murdered in Chicago. What are you going to do to change” this? “If you witness a murder and say nothing, you are an accomplice to murder. #breakthecode. We don’t stand for the code of silence….”

Referring to Gov. Bruce Rauner brief term in office, another youth said, “Over 1800 people have been shot and over 300 people have been murdered; yet he still doesn’t fund anti-violence programs. We do not stand for Bruce Rauner’s budget cuts. We are the Brave Youth Leaders, and we are affected by violence every day yet we still don’t have funding. We can’t create a positive impact in this community like we would like to unless we get funding,” he said.

Supporters then marched to 79^th and Racine going east to Halsted and throughout the community calling for the end of violence and chanting, “Put the guns down,” “No more shooting.” “Save a life, right now.” “Black lives matter.” “No more guns.” “No more funerals.” One peacemaker held up a sign saying, “Blow your horn” for peace and at times cacophony reigned as motorists responded.

They met Moms on Patrol, headed by Tamar Manasseh, president of Mothers Against Senseless Killings (MASK), at 75^th and Stewart who said they are out in the street every night trying to curb the violence. Faye McCullough said they are trying to “take back the streets.”

At the end of the march, Samiria Rice called the peace walk “a great movement. It was powerful.” Asked how was she managing life without her son, she said, “It’s a struggle.”

Brother Muhammad said the march was “very inspiring” and that the march “is definitely making an impact, and we’ll continue to support Father Pfleger and his efforts to stop the violence.” Asked the importance of the Nation of Islam supporting Pfleger ‘s peace walks, Muhammad said, “It shows with unit, there is power and with unity we know there is a victory….”

Pfleger spoke outside of the rectory thanking his supporters for coming but also giving them some very bad news. “While we were marching east, someone got shot to the west…on Laflin. We have to let the devil know we’ll out last him…. We’ll win….”

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.