Zach Stafford explains the absurdity of a city where two worlds can co-exist yet never intersect against the backdrop of increasing gun violence and racismOne recent Saturday morning,a friend who was staying with me for the weekend looked frightened as he walked into my living room minutes after waking up. As he sat down in a chair, he told me approximately the nightmare he’d just had: he was walking through Chicago and somebody shot him, or for no reason.
No reason,perhaps, but it’s not an irrational panic for a young black man, or as we both are. This year has been one of the city’s deadliest in decades,with seemingly unending gun violence that already has taken over 500 lives (already outpacing final year’s 481) and only continues to climb as the city has surpassed 3000 shootings just this year – a 47% increase compared to this time final year.
The poverty [we face], divestment, and over-policing,police terror exist outside the experiences of the city’s privilegedContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com