“There is No Quick Fix, but there are Solutions” to Weekend’s Shootings, says Mayoral Candidate Amara Enyia

Photo by WIll Letcher

National coverage has talked a great deal about Chicago’s violence this past early August weekend, with the Tribune reporting that early Sunday 26 people were shot in separate attacks between midnight and 6:50 a.m.

The issue’s causes and factors are complicated, but much of the discourse is pointed towards current Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, especially by the wide range of candidates hopeful for the Mayor’s seat in 2019.

Both Lori Lightfoot and Amara Enyia posted publicly about the events over the weekend, and both noted that the work the city government does directly affects the situation at a foundational level.

“Rahm Emanuel cannot sit this out—he’s the mayor, and our city is facing a public health crisis,” Lightfoot said. “Taking on gun violence goes far beyond policing: it’s about ending poverty and reversing decades of disinvestment through quality schools, career training, social services, and jobs in neighborhoods that have been ignored for too long.”

Lori Lightfoot has significant experience as Chair of Chicago’s Police Accountability Task Force, as well as working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Law Firm Mayer Brown LLP.

Chicago Local and Public Policy expert Amara Enyia also made a statement publicly. She has been holding weekly “WE Run This City” events throughout the summer as a direct way to communicate her vision throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods.

“There is no quick fix, but there are solutions and we ALL, at every level, can play a role,” Enyia said. What we are experiencing is decades of refusal to address the root causes of violence (which manifest as public safety crises). We haven’t addressed it because the timing doesn’t fit neatly within the next press or election cycle.”

Mirroring Lightfoot’s experiences, Enyia also notes the role that police play in Chicago’s gun violence, as well asl what local government is responsible for with this issue at large.

“Immediately some will call for more police – but police are largely reactive,” Enyia said. “Without addressing the conditions that create the mentality to pick up a weapon and kill someone, our efforts will garner few results.”