Kansas City has recorded 23 homicides so far in 2015 compared with 19 at this time last year.
The murder count continues to rise and local neighborhoods report increased gunfire, violence and property crimes.
Meanwhile, the warmer weather signals the start of "Kansas City Homicide Vigil Season" - One of our most horrific cowtown organizing efforts. While grieving is a natural and necessary part of the healing process, in this town homicide vigils have been politicized and turned into quasi-forms of protest. Critics often deride these vigils because they rarely elicit tips that lead to the capture of suspects and assailants.
However, in the case of a deadly shooting that left a child seriously injured last year . . . The community did, in fact, step up and turn in the suspect. Still, the damage remains.
In a recent vigil the Mayor repeated one of his anti-gun talking points while neighborhood activists hoped that this Spring/Summer season wouldn't escalate local violence.
Here's some of the reporting that's heartfelt but doesn't ask many critical questions . . .
Kansas City Gunfire Victim Memorial
ONE YEAR LATER: Family gather to mark one year after Kansas City, Missouri gas station shooting
Weekend Call To Action
Friends, family gather to pray for young shooting victim and end of violence
One Year Later
Vigil marks 1 year since shooting that paralyzed boy
Developing . . .
And the number of homicides would be much greater if even a quarter of the people shot hadn't been saved by the EMTs, and emergency room docs and nurses.
ReplyDeleteAfter all the celebrating and credit-taking by Aim4Peace, NoVa, Peters-Baker, the usual politicos, and the roster of nonprofit do-gooders and revs, it's been awfully quiet in 2015 as KCMO reverts to its usual eight murders-a-month routine.
And, as usual, there's not a peep from the self-appointed east side leaders who get so excited about what happens in other cities, but couldn't care less about their own neighborhoods.
Finding some program from an out-of-town college professor, bringing it home, and then walking away to pander, subsidize, and schmooze as usual really doesn't work very well, as we're finding out.
And there's been pretty much no mention of public safety so far in the mayoral/council campaigns.
How's the new taxpayer-subsidized downtown hotel project coming?
I hope it hits 10,000.
ReplyDeleteI in Chicago in 24 hours yesterday they shot 18.
I watched EMTs save one a year ago who had punched his are thru a glass window. I was standing there, he was a goner for sure. I kept praying for the scum bag to die. nope, they saved him.
two fire trucks, ambulance and a dozen people workimg like crazy to keep this maggot alive so he could continue to spread chaos and shit.
Bad day.