Visit: When Scars Don’t Heal

The massive amount of homicides in Chicago have given the city a new nickname, Chiraq—derived from the fact that more people were killed in Chicago than soldiers in Iraq in 2008.

Stephen Watts

Chicago has a problem with gun violence. That much is self-evident when the city’s worst neighborhoods have higher murder rates than any country in the world. The massive amount of homicides in Chicago have given the city a new nickname, Chiraq—derived from the fact that more people were killed in Chicago than soldiers in Iraq in 2008. If this problem is ever to be solved, we must recognize that this issue is more complex than murderers seeking to harm others. Instead, this is an issue that encapsulates problems that have been dominating the 2016 election such as racism, economic inequality, and gun control.

Gang activity is a major cause of the homicides in Chicago. However, many would argue that the cause of gang activity is racism. As the Black Lives Matter Movement has made clear, African-Americans and other minorities across the country do not feel that they are being served by law enforcement. Instead, they feel that the system is structured in a way that’s meant to oppress them. This has created a power void that is filled by gangs, which many people see as the only economic opportunity available. In this way, gang activity has taken a hold in Chicago in a way it hasn’t in any other American city.

The writers at Millennial Influx were able to interview a couple who is sadly all too familiar with gun violence in Chicago, as they give insights on the roots of Chicago’s sky-high murder rates and the trauma. To read more about gun violence in Chicago, visit our digital news project, When Scars Don’t Heal

MikeSpeakingInterviewGroup