Chicago Death toll Double that of Iraq

This is another problem that can be partially blamed on the Media. A police officer gets shot and it makes the local news. A police officer gets rough with a person who they are trying to arrest and it is worth a national news flash and a million dollar law suit. I hate to bring it up but remember the Rodney King incident. When the jury heard all the facts they found the police used reasonable force necessary to control the situation. However four trials (or hearings) later one of the police officer was sent to jail for for violating some Federal Regulation. If I were a police officer I would be very careful who I arrested and would be quick to let them go if I thought my life would be ruined by doing my duty. In Minneapolis/St Paul there were protester there who said their only purpose was to document police brutally. They confronted police and refused to follow directions and had a video camera filming the event waiting for the police to fight back. The media would be more than willing to edit the tape and show the police brutally.

It certainly puts things into perspective doesn't it! Regardless of the comparison countries here, this is a strong indicator for the need for governments of all countries to pay more attention to their own backyards before taking the leap into other global problems.

Great thread. Just goes to prove we don't need anyone associated with Chicago or Chicago politics running the USA.

Yeh. not suprising, united states cities in general are more dangerous than Bahgdad or other larger Iraq cities. But then, we don't have soldiers on our streets either, I guess that does tend to curb over all crime in general. maybe some states, like Illinois, should deploy their national guard in to gang infested areas, do a little house cleaning. I don't actualy mean that, I don't really want a martial state in my state either.

maybe if a mere fraction of the energy and resources that have been diverted to a foreign country had been spent at home then the situation in Chicago would improve. I am a great believer that you fix problems in your own backyard before attempting to solve other peoples.

What does gang violence have to do with a presidential election? Obama is responsible for street gangs now? I must have missed the speech where he said he rooted out gang activity in that city along with helping displaced steel workers. Chicago isn't the only dangerous city in the nation. Maybe you'd like to take a look at this link and see where Chicago ranks among such respectable locations as Los Angeles, Houston, Baltimore, Detroit, and of course, Washington D.C. itself. http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/07/capital_killings.php