A press conference with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Michael Pfleger and a group of Chicago aldermen gets my attention.
It’s safe to assume that when 15 of the city’s 18 African-American aldermen, members of the city’s Black Caucus, unite to talk about Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy’s job performance, it’s not a joyful occasion.
In spite of the aldermen’s disapproval with the superintendent and their request that Mayor Rahm Emanuel relieve McCarthy of his duties, the mayor refused, choosing instead to stand by his embattled police superintendent.
In defending McCarthy’s leadership and redirecting the focus to fighting violent crime, Emanuel said, “My focus — and I want everyone’s focus — is on gangs and guns, not on Garry.”
I don’t think that anyone is falling for Emanuel’s semipolished rhetoric about violent crime on Chicago’s streets, or for that matter, are being duped by the aldermen’s disingenuousness on the issue of violent crime.
For starters, the majority of the aldermen asking for McCarthy’s removal only six months ago backed Emanuel’s bid for a second term. It therefore begs the question, why didn’t the Black Caucus, when it had an opportunity to make McCarthy’s performance an issue, use it as leverage?
Calls for McCarthy’s ouster grew louder during a City Council budget hearing. The blistering condemnation came to a head when 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale and South Side alderman and budget committee Chairwoman Carrie Austin, 34th, went after McCarthy, in what struck some as an attempt to abscond their responsibility.
For instance, in criticizing McCarthy’s management style, Beale said, “Superintendent, you’ve been extremely disrespectful to every member in this body. You haven’t returned phone calls, and you haven’t listened to what we have to say to change the quality of life in our communities.”
Really, Ald. Beale, are you saying that because calls to McCarthy were not immediately returned, and because you felt disrespected, that McCarthy should be shown the door?
Talk about audacity.
Violence in some Chicago communities is the most urgent issue that people face, and while scores are dying, you’re in a huff because your ego is bruised.
Perhaps, the next time that members of the Black Caucus appear with Pfleger and Jackson, instead of showboating, they’ll use the opportunity to speak directly to their constituents about being responsible citizens.
Here’s hoping that they’ll tell their constituents that some of the gun-toting gangbangers contributing to the violence are their very own family members. Maybe they’ll stress how ridiculous it is to complain about gun violence, yet refuse to identify the perpetrators.
Mayor Emanuel’s recent attempt to offer an excuse for Chicago police officers, by saying that high-profile police shootings have caused officers to second-guess themselves, and the pathetic effort by the Black Caucus to blame McCarthy for the out-of-control violence, suggest that the next time around, the voters will seriously consider a change.
Anthony Stanford is an Aurora resident and Beacon News columnist.
