The Trump Twitter Chicago incident has sparked anger and fear among the people of the Windy City and around the nation hinting on more turbulent times ahead for everyone.
Donald Trump sparked the anger of many Chicagoans when he posted a message on Twitter that sounded much like a threat to their city.
Trump tweeted “If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible ‘carnage’ going on,” he wrote , “I will send in the Feds!”
If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible “carnage” going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017
The Trump Twitter Chicago incident was in reference to the many gun-related crimes that have plagued the people of the Windy City for quite some time.
According to CNN , there have been 762 murders in Chicago last year and in 2017 there have already been 182 shooting incidents and 38 homicides earning this city the top spot in the category of highest murder rate amongst large cities in America.
The Trump Twitter Chicago incident has brought to Mayor Rahm Emanuel the fact that the murder rate in his city has grown to epidemic proportions and that perhaps federal assistance is already needed to curb that surge.
But people in Chicago are wary of what exactly Donald Trump meant in his tweet because if it’s anything other than giving their people assistance in the form of funding and aid then they don’t want any help from him.
Father Michael Pfleger of the St. Sabina Church has been an outspoken advocate of gun control and when he saw Trump’s Twitter message on Chicago he was quick to say that what Chicagoans need are “jobs, economic development, and stopping illegal gun trafficking.”
According to ABC , a lot of people in Chicago do not believe that sending out troops, or whatever Trump intends on sending to them, will do anything to curb the killings brought about by gun violence in the city.
Most residents in Chicago are open to receiving federal assistance in the form of financial aid to create more jobs and provide funding for education because they believe that people with a steady paycheck and solid education won’t be coaxed into committing a crime.
Cynthia Sandifer of Austin, Chicago said, “Educated people do not go around committing crimes,” she added, “I think if we were educated and had access to resources that we need that the crime rates would go down.”
Austin is one of the most violent areas in Chicago according to the Chicago Police Department but some residents there say that what they need more is financial assistance rather than military presence.
Jonathan Todd, who is also an Austin resident, said that he’s open to receiving financial assistance from the president since they are in dire need of it to create job opportunities.
But what he doesn’t need is the presence of the National Guard, which based on the Trump Twitter Chicago incident could be what the president intends to use in order to solve the high crime rate in the Windy City.
Another person who is worried about Trump’s intention after the tweet is Senator Dick Durbin. Durbin tweeted a message in response to the Trump Twitter Chicago incident and he said that stopping the entry of guns into the city is the answer to solving Chicago’s crime rate.
He said, “Martial law isn’t an answer to Chicago gun violence—stopping flow of guns into dangerous hands & supporting local public safety efforts are.”
Martial law isn’t an answer to Chicago gun violence—stopping flow of guns into dangerous hands & supporting local public safety efforts are
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) January 25, 2017
So far, Senator Durbin is the only one to mention martial law in connection with the Trump Twitter Chicago incident but the implication is starting to send shivers down many people’s spines.
According to the Chicago Sun Times , White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer explained though that the president’s tweet was just an expression of his frustration over the high crime rate in the city and that he’s planning on meeting with Mayor Emanuel to discuss how they will solve Chicago’s alarming crime rate.
But despite Spicer’s reassurance, some people are still worried that the Trump Twitter Chicago incident could be an indication on how far the new commander-in-chief will go to in order to resolve the gun-related crimes in the Windy City.
[Featured Image by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Images]
