A CHECKERBOARD TRAP

I was driving across 79^th street the other day.  Most of you know by now that I recently moved back to Chicago and have already been stunned by the Saturday night free for all gunplay that’s so easy to come across.  But, then, it really doesn’t have to be a weekend.  For instance, Wednesday night my doorbell rang at 4:26 in the morning (so, technically, I guess it was really Thursday morning).  The dogs went ballistic so I was forced to jump up and answer it, though totally disoriented.

It was the police.  ANOTHER Black teen was just shot and killed just three blocks away.  The detective was canvassing the area, ringing EVERYBODY’S bell, to see if any of us heard anything…. Saw anything…  I was a little perplexed because I live on a block where admittedly, I’ve barely even SEEN any Black teens!  But then, Chicago is a city whose landscape changes dramatically, at a stones’ throw.  Thus, three blocks away, another young, Black life was gunned down.

So, the next day, I’m pondering this as I drive across  79^th street
from Stony Island to Damen, head north to Marquette, then drive from Damen to just PAST Midway airport.  For those of you not from here, just let me say, it’s a long drive, and largely through Black communities.  And, I noticed something quite distinct.  Quite systematic.

Approximately, every 4 to 6 blocks the gang colors would change… from blue to red… from red to blue… to the White T’s… and back to the red or blue.  It was a PATTERN!  Like a chessboard!

Young, black men, in their “groups”, in their colors, pretty much QUARANTINED within a few, crowded, filthy, city blocks, “imprisoned” there by territory lines too close, rival gangs on either side.

OF COURSE they aren’t going to school!  Unless the school’s in their backyard, they’ve got to risk their lives to go!  OF COURSE they aren’t going to look for a job… same thing.  So, they just better make their money off this square on “their” corner.  In fact, the number you frequently see tatted on the forearm of any young slinger is usually the BLOCK he is relegated to.  If you see a 67, he's "permitted" to stay on that 6700 street block.  83... 8300 street block and so on.  This single, city block is the only place you are "relatively" safe, for the rest of your foreseeable life.

And, don't fall for some girl in another block!  The majority of shootings THESE days, I'm told, are over GIRLS!  Usually, a young guy crossing into the wrong territory (which might be a single block, remember), to see a girl he likes.  So, you can't even express the normal yearnings and leanings of puberty without putting your life on the line!

Jacked up, huh?

And, this pattern is CONSISTENT!  To be sure, I took the same route going AND coming and there it was…. Red…. Blue…. Red….. Blue…. Oh!  There’s a “White T” crew…. Red…. Literally, every four blocks.

Does someone want me to believe that this is coincidental?

This is as coincidental as the U.S.’s lowered Credit rating and the Republican’s sabotage agenda.

When I was coming up, I remember gang territories were more along the lines of entire sides of town!  Major chunks of the West side were mostly “this”… Big chunks of the South side were mainly “that”…  It was still a wretched system, but the noose was nowhere near as tight as it is now.  NOW it has been tightened EXPONENTIALLY.

Once Chicago went on its’ land grab gentrification spree, and reclaimed all the prime real estate all those projects sat on, tens of thousands of their residents got thrown on the South side.  Evicted gang members thrown right in the middle of rival gang territories and then the murders began to skyrocket.

Many officials want to pretend that they have no idea why.

In answer to the overnight overcrowding, and in the interest of self preservation, these little “micro territories” must have formed.  Blue… Red… Blue… Red… and they’re imprisoned in a way that literally funnels them into prison.

…  if they survive.

It’s a Checkerboard trap.

What do you think?