Dawn Breaks over Chicago

 

It appears to have finally penetrated to one Blue mayor the damage being done to the Blue brand and, maybe even, to her constituents. From Charles Love writing in the City Journal:

It started with a false story on social media about police shooting a black “child.” Within minutes, hundreds of young black men and women filled the streets, targeting businesses along the Magnificent Mile, in River North, and in the Central Business District. This was the scene playing out in Chicago on Sunday, August 9th and continued through the early part of Monday morning.

People sat in idling cars as looters calmly brought them merchandise. The thieves cleaned out high-end stores like Gucci, Dior, and Hermes, taking everything, including the mannequins. A woman livestreamed a video of herself running through a department store muttering that she couldn’t find a tool to detach expensive garments from their racks. “I can’t breathe!” she exclaimed, either in protest or fatigue.

Others set their sights on the police tasked to protect businesses and the city. By daybreak, the city had tallied more than 100 arrests, 13 officers injured, two shot, and countless businesses looted. “These individuals engaged in what can only be described as brazen and excessive criminal looting and destruction,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot at a press conference. “And to be clear, this has nothing to do with legitimate, protected First Amendment expression.” Lightfoot later called upon “our state’s attorney and our courts to make sure that these individuals who are arrested, and those to come, are held accountable. Put your best people on this.”

70+ days of malarkey about peaceful protesters and the First Amendment protections of arson and looting, and when the political repercussions become undeniable, suddenly standards of civil order are uttered and enforced.

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  1. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    Giulietta (View Comment):
    Why the hell are we reduced to these levels? I get it- I live there still. I need to move.

    Be safe,

    • #31
  2. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Aaron Miller (View Comment):

    Sisyphus: said Mayor Lori Lightfoot at a press conference. “And to be clear, this has nothing to do with legitimate, protected First Amendment expression.” Lightfoot later called upon “our state’s attorney and our courts to make sure that these individuals who are arrested, and those to come, are held accountable. Put your best people on this.”

    What does the state have to do with it? It is the mayor’s own city DA who must prosecute the felons.

    The office responsible for these prosecutions is a county office (Cook County) called the state’s attorney’s office.  It’s called that because prosecutions are in the name of the state, which is the sovereign, regardless of which municipal subdivision the crime occurs in.   In this case the relevant state’s attorney is none other than Kim Foxx, of Jussie Smollett fame.  She’s pretty much on record as wanting to prosecute as few crimes as possible.

    • #32
  3. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Some points. This is a rant. Apologies in advance.

    1. Macys is pulling out of their flagship location and Lightfoot swears that it has nothing to do with two thorough rounds of looting (because execs LOVE watching footage of police officers chasing thieves through their emptied and destroyed department stores- like a game of whack-a-mole)
    2. Lightfoot said in her press conference that the looting was perpetrated by “dozens” of people. I nearly fell off my chair. Dozens? There were hundreds. The city was swarming with looters (see whack-a-mole reference above). She can’t even use the right word. Where is the National Guard??
    3. I have been on vacation in Indianapolis with my family and am trying to figure out how to get back to Chicago, by car of course. BLM is taking over the Dan Ryan Expressway on Sat- they are actually allowed to MARCH on the federal highway. Why is this ok? why aren’t they being arrested? They have the whole city at their disposal for a protest, chock full of parks, a wrecked Mag Mile and they need the federal highway? Three organizations want 25,000 people to sign up to join but thus far only 1,800 people have committed. But this is enough to cause a massive traffic jam and inconvenience to all. More protests in the afternoon. Fingers crossed that a crack-of-dawn re-entry on Sunday will be safe and quiet.

    Why the hell are we reduced to these levels? I get it- I live there still. I need to move.

    Join the club.  I just did.  Sale closed today.  Woot! Woot!

    • #33
  4. Giulietta Inactive
    Giulietta
    @giuliettachicago

    Well done! Where are you moving to? Suburbs? New state altogether?

    • #34
  5. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Some points. This is a rant. Apologies in advance.

    1. Macys is pulling out of their flagship location and Lightfoot swears that it has nothing to do with two thorough rounds of looting (because execs LOVE watching footage of police officers chasing thieves through their emptied and destroyed department stores- like a game of whack-a-mole)
    2. Lightfoot said in her press conference that the looting was perpetrated by “dozens” of people. I nearly fell off my chair. Dozens? There were hundreds. The city was swarming with looters (see whack-a-mole reference above). She can’t even use the right word. Where is the National Guard??
    3. I have been on vacation in Indianapolis with my family and am trying to figure out how to get back to Chicago, by car of course. BLM is taking over the Dan Ryan Expressway on Sat- they are actually allowed to MARCH on the federal highway. Why is this ok? why aren’t they being arrested? They have the whole city at their disposal for a protest, chock full of parks, a wrecked Mag Mile and they need the federal highway? Three organizations want 25,000 people to sign up to join but thus far only 1,800 people have committed. But this is enough to cause a massive traffic jam and inconvenience to all. More protests in the afternoon. Fingers crossed that a crack-of-dawn re-entry on Sunday will be safe and quiet.

    Why the hell are we reduced to these levels? I get it- I live there still. I need to move.

    It is time force all big city mayors to choose between productive normals and ignorant jacka$$es. BLM and Antifa have made it so that policies of compromise and accommodation are no longer an option. Time for producers to (a) vote with their feet and (b) prevent Democrats from killing the suburbs or otherwise making non-residents pay for urban follies. 

    • #35
  6. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    Join the club. I just did. Sale closed today. Woot! Woot!

    I’m curious to know if your property value was hurt by events or if you got what you wanted out of it?

    • #36
  7. Giulietta Inactive
    Giulietta
    @giuliettachicago

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    Join the club. I just did. Sale closed today. Woot! Woot!

    I’m curious to know if your property value was hurt by events or if you got what you wanted out of it?

    I want to know as well. I’m *this* close to following suit especially with a Loop residence…

    • #37
  8. Housebroken Coolidge
    Housebroken
    @Chuckles

     

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Some points. This is a rant. Apologies in advance.

    1. Macys is pulling out of their flagship location and Lightfoot swears that it has nothing to do with two thorough rounds of looting (because execs LOVE watching footage of police officers chasing thieves through their emptied and destroyed department stores- like a game of whack-a-mole)
    2. Lightfoot said in her press conference that the looting was perpetrated by “dozens” of people. I nearly fell off my chair. Dozens? There were hundreds. The city was swarming with looters (see whack-a-mole reference above). She can’t even use the right word. Where is the National Guard??
    3. I have been on vacation in Indianapolis with my family and am trying to figure out how to get back to Chicago, by car of course. BLM is taking over the Dan Ryan Expressway on Sat- they are actually allowed to MARCH on the federal highway. Why is this ok? why aren’t they being arrested? They have the whole city at their disposal for a protest, chock full of parks, a wrecked Mag Mile and they need the federal highway? Three organizations want 25,000 people to sign up to join but thus far only 1,800 people have committed. But this is enough to cause a massive traffic jam and inconvenience to all. More protests in the afternoon. Fingers crossed that a crack-of-dawn re-entry on Sunday will be safe and quiet.

    Why the hell are we reduced to these levels? I get it- I live there still. I need to move.

    It is time force all big city mayors to choose between productive normals and ignorant jacka$$es. BLM and Antifa have made it so that policies of compromise and accommodation are no longer an option. Time for producers to (a) vote with their feet and (b) prevent Democrats from killing the suburbs or otherwise making non-residents pay for urban follies.

    So long as your”productive normals”acquiesce in protecting the ignorant from the consequences of their actions, deterioration will continue.  Moving out is probably a good move for most producers, although it may be hard to do, but if that just shifts the source of their sustenance it makes no difference.

    • #38
  9. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Some points. This is a rant. Apologies in advance.

    1. Macys is pulling out of their flagship location and Lightfoot swears that it has nothing to do with two thorough rounds of looting (because execs LOVE watching footage of police officers chasing thieves through their emptied and destroyed department stores- like a game of whack-a-mole)
    2. Lightfoot said in her press conference that the looting was perpetrated by “dozens” of people. I nearly fell off my chair. Dozens? There were hundreds. The city was swarming with looters (see whack-a-mole reference above). She can’t even use the right word. Where is the National Guard??
    3. I have been on vacation in Indianapolis with my family and am trying to figure out how to get back to Chicago, by car of course. BLM is taking over the Dan Ryan Expressway on Sat- they are actually allowed to MARCH on the federal highway. Why is this ok? why aren’t they being arrested? They have the whole city at their disposal for a protest, chock full of parks, a wrecked Mag Mile and they need the federal highway? Three organizations want 25,000 people to sign up to join but thus far only 1,800 people have committed. But this is enough to cause a massive traffic jam and inconvenience to all. More protests in the afternoon. Fingers crossed that a crack-of-dawn re-entry on Sunday will be safe and quiet.

    Why the hell are we reduced to these levels? I get it- I live there still. I need to move.

    The voters of Chicago have made their choices and now they are getting exactly what they voted for good and hard.

    • #39
  10. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Well done! Where are you moving to? Suburbs? New state altogether?

    We sold the house in Chicago and moved to our vacation home in western Michigan.  Several reasons.  The riots were only the icing on the cake.  

    • #40
  11. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    Join the club. I just did. Sale closed today. Woot! Woot!

    I’m curious to know if your property value was hurt by events or if you got what you wanted out of it?

    It’s hard to say the property value was hurt specifically by this year’s events.  I got a price that was in line with recent comps that predated the pandemic and riots.  But I wouldn’t say I got what I wanted out of it.  Purchase price was about 10% more than I paid 17 years ago for the home, despite being in an area that’s improved dramatically in the last few years (near Fulton Market if you know Chicago).  That’s disappointing, but I put it down more to the longer term fiscal problems of the city and state than recent events.

    • #41
  12. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    Join the club. I just did. Sale closed today. Woot! Woot!

    I’m curious to know if your property value was hurt by events or if you got what you wanted out of it?

    I want to know as well. I’m *this* close to following suit especially with a Loop residence…

    We were off Grand, just west of Halsted and a two block walk to Fulton Market – so what’s now pretty prime real estate in Chicago.  We got our money out, but it wasn’t what I’d call a good investment.  I’m curious what’s going on in the loop.  You’ve not only got riots, but the bigger question of whether people are still going to be working downtown in anything like historical numbers.  I’ve looked at condos in the loop over the years and always thought it would be nice (when I was working in loop law offices).  

    • #42
  13. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Well done! Where are you moving to? Suburbs? New state altogether?

    We sold the house in Chicago and moved to our vacation home in western Michigan. Several reasons. The riots were only the icing on the cake.

    I’m still in Edison Park which is almost like living in any northside collar suburb as far as crime and protests are concerned, which is to say nonexistent.

    During this time of rioting the only thing we notice is my CPD neighbors(there are as many as 10 active CPD on my block not including retired CPD) have to work 12 hour days for undefined extended periods of days or weeks to babysit these Moaist rioting imbeciles.

    • #43
  14. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    EDISONPARKS (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Well done! Where are you moving to? Suburbs? New state altogether?

    We sold the house in Chicago and moved to our vacation home in western Michigan. Several reasons. The riots were only the icing on the cake.

    I’m still in Edison Park which is almost like living in any northside collar suburb as far as crime and protests are concerned, which is to say nonexistent.

    During this time of rioting the only thing we notice is my CPD neighbors(there are as many as 10 active CPD on my block not including retired CPD) have to work 12 hour days for undefined extended periods of days or weeks to babysit these Moaist rioting imbeciles.

    I’m surprised there’s a cop left in America.  Certainly in any major city.  God bless ’em.

    • #44
  15. Giulietta Inactive
    Giulietta
    @giuliettachicago

    EDISONPARKS (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    Giulietta (View Comment):

    Well done! Where are you moving to? Suburbs? New state altogether?

    We sold the house in Chicago and moved to our vacation home in western Michigan. Several reasons. The riots were only the icing on the cake.

    I’m still in Edison Park which is almost like living in any northside collar suburb as far as crime and protests are concerned, which is to say nonexistent.

    During this time of rioting the only thing we notice is my CPD neighbors(there are as many as 10 active CPD on my block not including retired CPD) have to work 12 hour days for undefined extended periods of days or weeks to babysit these Moaist rioting imbeciles.

    The Loop situation is complicated right now. Where I am- Lakeshore East, just east of the Aon Building- is quiet and family-oriented, but close enough to the action that when the Floyd riots broke out, everyone stayed in. People didn’t even “walk” their dogs- they just stood in front of the building. You could hear the police and ambulance sirens all day long and multiple helicopters overhead all night. There are a few hotels nearby where a few scattered incidents (shootings/stabbings in front of the hotels) have occurred following parties in the rooms that can be rented cheaply b/c of covid. I don’t know what is being done about that. Apprehensive about going back tomorrow.

    • #45
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