trying to tame the animals in Chicago or Iraq is folly. On Tuesday, August 27, 2013 6:16:41 AM UTC-5, Travis wrote: > > > > > > ** > DCG posted: " Daily Mail: Thousands of Chicago children whose > schools were shuttered last spring walked to new ones on the first day of > school today under the watchful eye of police officers. They were also > joined by newly hired safety guards - there to provide " Respond to > this post by replying above this line > New post on *Fellowship of the Minds* > <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/> It’s come to > this: Guards have to escort Chicago kids to new schools as they cross > gang > boundaries<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/its-come-to-this-guards-have-to-escort-chicago-kids-to-new-schools-as-they-cross-gang-boundaries/> > by > DCG <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/> > > [image: guard]<http://fellowshipofminds.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/guard.jpg> > > Daily > Mail<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2402320/Guards-escort-Chicago-kids-new-schools-cross-gang-boundaries.html>: > > Thousands of Chicago children whose schools were shuttered last spring > walked to new ones on the first day of school today *under the watchful > eye of police officers*. > > *They were also joined by newly hired safety guards* - there to provide > protection as the kids crossed unfamiliar streets, *many of them gang > boundaries*. No incidents of trouble were reported, police said. > > While that didn't surprise parents and randparents, they said they were > still concerned that *the city's obvious show of first-day force won't > keep their children safe in the weeks and months to come*. > > *'I think it's just show-and-tell right now,' * said Annie Stovall, who > walked her granddaughter, nine-year-old Kayla Porter, to Gresham Elementary > School, which is about five blocks farther from home than Kayla's previous > South Side school. 'Five, six weeks down the road, let's see what's going > to happen.' > > Kathy Miller stood in front of Gresham Elementary with her three > children, waiting for a bus that would take them to another school. She > scoffed at the Safe Passage program, in which guards clad in neon vests > line Chicago streets, saying it won't be long *before brightly colored > signs announcing the program's routes will be riddled with bullets*. > 'Those signs don't mean nothing,' she said. > > The preparation and show of force shows what's at stake for Chicago Public > Schools, the nation's third-largest school district, after it closed > almost 50 schools last spring in the hopes of improving academic > performance and saving millions of dollars. About 12,000 of the district's > 400,000 students were affected by the closures. > > [image: > guard2]<http://fellowshipofminds.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/guard2.jpg> > > For months, parents, teachers and community activists have warned that > forcing children to pass through some of the city's more impoverished and > dangerous neighborhoods — where some already walking in the middle of the > street to avoid being ambushed by gang members — *to get to school puts > them at undue risk*. > > Statistics suggest those concerns are valid. An analysis of Chicago crime > data by WBEZ-FM found that in 2013, *there have been 133 shootings and 38 > homicides in and around areas that have been newly marked as Safe Passage > routes*. > > And if the attention Chicago received after a 15-year-old honor student > was killed about a mile from President Barack Obama's home in January is > any indication, there is no doubt a similar media firestorm will occur if a > child is caught in gang crossfire on the way to or from school. > > *One officer standing outside Gresham Elementary summed up the pressure > the police department and City Hall are under this year*, joking that > children 'better not get a splinter or we'll all be out of a job.' > > With the hope of preventing problems, the financially strapped city hired > 600 workers at a rate of $10 an hour to supplement a Safe Passage program > that has existed since 2009, — launched the same year a Chicago honors > student's beating death was videotaped. > > Police worked with residents and CPS to map out routes near 52 of the > so-called 'welcoming schools' that are taking in students from the closed > schools. Along those routes, *the city has put up scores of 'Safe > Passage' signs*. > > Mayor Rahm Emanuel also deployed city departments to repair sidewalks, > replace street lights, paint over graffiti and board up nearly 300 > abandoned buildings. > > On Monday, Emanuel didn't mention Safe Passage, focusing instead on > changes that have been made for this school year, starting with a full day > of kindergarten. But last week, he told about 1,000 people at a training > session that the program is 'about more than just building a route to > school. 'It is about building a route to college, career and beyond...' he > said. > > Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said Monday he was pleased with how > things were going, particularly in what he saw as evidence of community > and parent involvement. 'I'm seeing small groups of kids being walked to > school by their parents, or their older brothers or sisters,' McCarthy > told reporters. > > 'This goes to the heart of what we've been talking about since I've been > here, which is to me, this is an opportunity. This is true community > policing.' > > But crime statistics and shootings, like the one in the Uptown > neighborhood last week along a Safe Passage route, only underline what > parents say is a fact of life: *Danger lurks.* > > 'They will ride to school for the rest of their life, as long as I'm in > Chicago,' Jennifer Press said, explaining her etermination to keep her > kids out of harm's way and from gangs from preying on them. > > She was at Gresham Elementary to register her four-year-old daughter > there because the pre-Kindergarten class at a school closer to her home is > full. > > For her part, nine-year-old Kayla professed she wasn't worried about all > the gangs and the dangers of the streets that she's heard her grandmother, > Annie Stovall, and other grown-ups talk about — as long as her grandmother > and aunt who walked with her to school are nearby. 'I'm going to be OK, as > long as they're with me,' she said. > > While I'm all for protecting the children, it's a shame it's come to this. > Gang activity is out of control in Chicago. > > Good job "Dead Fish <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel>" Emanuel! > > DCG > *DCG <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/>* | August > 27, 2013 at 3:45 am | Tags: > Chicago<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=chicago>| Categories: > Children <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=34928689>, > crime<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=34945349>, > Education <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=15005908>, Gun > Control/2nd Amendment<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=67540812>| > URL: > http://wp.me/pKuKY-n5H > > > Comment<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/its-come-to-this-guards-have-to-escort-chicago-kids-to-new-schools-as-they-cross-gang-boundaries/#respond> > > See all > comments<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/its-come-to-this-guards-have-to-escort-chicago-kids-to-new-schools-as-they-cross-gang-boundaries/#comments> > > > Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage > Subscriptions<https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=80d8873ee52adffe4e178d01c25562cf&email=goosepickles%40gmail.com>. > > > > *Trouble clicking?* Copy and paste this URL into your browser: > > http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/its-come-to-this-guards-have-to-escort-chicago-kids-to-new-schools-as-they-cross-gang-boundaries/ > > Thanks for flying with WordPress.com <http://wordpress.com> > > >
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