I am a teacher who lives and works on the South Side. All the talk about the “flash mob” incidents that occurred over the weekend just north of downtown made me wonder: why is it that when a person on the south or west side gets mugged is it not the talk of the city, the police, and the media?
Is this flash mob incident such a big deal because it took place near downtown?
Because the victims were white?
Because the assailants were black?
Because the victims had money?
Why is it that the injury of someone who is white on the North Side is much more newsworthy and gets the chief of police’s attention than when someone is mugged or injured on the south or west side?
Who decides that the life of one person is worth more than someone else’s?
As a teacher I am upset, hurt, and outraged that the flash mob incidents are getting so much press when instead we as a city should be asking what is making youth want to rob people in the first place. To solve the problem the city needs to start with the root cause instead of starting with the harshest punishment for the youth.
— David Stieber, Chicago
