You hear all the time from politicians talk about how bad things are in Chicago, whether it be about gun violence or the conditions of the schools or even the communities in general. But, yet you never hear any of them suggesting what to do to help make things better in Chicago. Why is that? I mean if you are going to point out the problems, shouldn’t you point out possible solutions as well?
Politicians talk about the gun violence of Chicago. Well, they could start by actually getting some common sense gun control into place across the country to help with the problem. Then use gun buyback programs to get the guns off the streets and keep them off the streets. As well as invest more heavily into education since they say that is an area that Chicago is failing at as well.
And, I don’t mean just for the kids either. There are adults that need a good education still, who might have dropped out for whatever reason. They could use vocational training to get into a higher paying job, for example. Mentor programs for young adults and kids could help with this as well, along with apprenticeship programs. This could help keep costs on rebuilding infrastructure down, as well as filling jobs down the road on keeping up with infrastructure as workers age out.
Politicians also need to get the community involved in the process and in taking pride as well as interacting with each other in their own community. And, it would help if people remembered that jail is for rehabilitating as well as punishing criminals. So, it would be a help in fighting crime if local businesses and the programs helping people get into the work force remembered that everyone deserves a second chance.
It also helps to have locally grown food to keep costs down as much as possible. So, use an apprenticeship approach with urban farmers to get more people farming in the city. Make spaces for community gardens and get the community involved in them; invest in Farmers’ Markets that help people sell their produce; and help people in the city get affordable food easier.
To help with the job market as well as the air quality, how about investing in public transportation, such as updating the train system and cleaning up some of the graffiti. Along with renovating the bus lines to function more efficiently as well as smoother, they could also find a way to give some sort of incentive to the citizens of Chicago for using public transportation to reduce traffic congestion as well as reduce the carbon footprint of the city as a whole.
Now even I know this is a lot to see accomplished, and I am not saying do all of this at once, but maybe getting it underway over the span of a couple years at most would be nice. It would go a long way towards giving those in the poorest areas of Chicago hope for the future, as well as inspiring city wide spirit for Chicago. You’d be surprised at what morale for one’s city can accomplish.
City leaders across the country should aim to inspire pride in their cities to help improve them overall. And, that means addressing the problems their cities face in a positive way instead of just sweeping them under the rug or into someone else’s yard. Not only because it is the right thing to do, but because the people are demanding it as well. And, if they take the initiative, the people will work with them as much as they can. So, let’s all come together starting with Chicago. *Tips his hat and walks out the door.*
