Where Do We Go from Here?

She took charge and calmed the situation. So it is often what Black women do with little to no preparation. Yet, she stepped into the moment and stopped the violence. Meet Lenora Dennis.

Lenora Dennis (Photo Courtesy of Twitter)

Some Black youth are out of control, and the bedlam created in downtown Chicago on April 15 was scary and threatened Chicago’s safety, security, and pleasure. Nobody knows what to do, and downtown dwellers are afraid. Shoppers are scared, and the tourists are puzzled. Dinner downtown can be terrifying.

Police officers are afraid too. To shoot or not to shoot is the pressing police question. They don’t want to go too far; the camera is watching. The current mayor was measured with her comments, and the new mayor is NOT yet in control. Our clergy is confused and wants to help but is unsure.

So, what do you do with the out-of-control teen terrorists threatening violence as they jump and kick cars, burn cars, and jump on top of buses?

Mrs. Lenora Davis was interviewed by Chicago Speaks host Darryl Dennard last Sunday morning. This is what she revealed. She was shopping atMacy’s, came out, and acted like a Black mama. A Black woman of substance who said “STOP!” as she watched teenagers beat, kick, and hurt a young interracial couple. She stopped the beating and tried to stop a police car that ignored her. But she was persistent. She brought the beaten couple into the Macy’s store, and they were not helpful either. The point is that she took matters into her own hands and probably prevented a tragedy and perhaps even saved their lives. She jumped into the fray and risked her life as strangers were beaten for no apparent reason.

Mayor Brandon Johnson (Photo Courtesy of Instagram)

Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson‘s statement did not speak with legal leadership authority. Instead, he sounded like a super social worker. “Don’t give people false choices.” “It is well past due we end this dynamic – Look, demonizing children is wrong. We have to keep them safe as well.” The race card did not work, sir. The kids are not deficient. They are out of control.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot was not commanding. I trust they both are anxious about the incident and the cycle of violence as it reflects the beautiful city with an incredible skyline. The economics of our city are threatened as we all seek to enjoy a lovely warm evening. Summer is coming, a new mayor is in town, festivals are scheduled, and NASCAR racing is added to the schedule, which will shut down Lake Shore Drive for a month. Let’s not forget about Lollapalooza and the Taste of Chicago. And the forbidden popular thought is, “What if?”

We can’t continue to make excuses for the kids. We cannot conduct another study; we cannot continue the reason; we cannot pacify; we cannot justify. We cannot explain poverty or the broken home away and turn our heads. We must look reality in the face and give it a lesson of badass tough love. The bottom line is the mob needs to be disciplined. We keep giving the kids excuses for bad behavior, and it doesn’t work. Bad behavior requires discipline to change. If you let the rioters riot and create chaos, they will return for more. So when do the authorities say enough? The acting police chief, Eric Carter, announced retirement to go into effect the same day the new mayor and new aldermen are sworn into office. So where is the authentic leadership at the police department facing mayhem?

Where are the parents? Parents must assume responsibility for their teen children who have turned Chicago terrorists. Laws must be in place to penalize parents for their children’s behavior. Lock the kids up and fine the parents a hefty amount. Watch behavior change.

The truth is that kids have more opportunities now than ever. Jobs are available, internships are plentiful, scholarships exist, and education is yours for the asking. There are no excuses. The press was critical of Mayor-Elect Johnson’s lightweight statement. But my question is, what would he do as a father? If police officers brought his children home, what would the punishment be? That is more revealing than a mayoral-like statement.

We cannot ask police officers to be social workers or mental health providers. They are not. What do you say to the kid on the roof of the bus or to the kids who burned the car? What do you say to the young lady twerking on top of the vehicle? Do you pray them down, shoot them or turn your head? Do you study them and hand them over to the nearest therapist? Is therapy really the answer? What do you do with out of control young rioters? What do you do when they pick somebody on the street and begin to beat them? What do you do?

Downtown Chicago, like all neighborhoods, should be a place that welcomes residents and visitors. But what do you do if you eat in a restaurant and the owners lock the doors and interrupt the evening with police friends escorting you to your car? What do you do at the theater enjoying a show, and the theater announces to remain seated after the play is over because of bedlam in the streets? What do you do? What do you do after shopping, going to the bus to go home, and can’t board the bus because of the terror in the streets? What do you really do?

The following Saturday, April 22, ministers came together to walk Michigan Avenue from 12th Street to Wacker Drive to tell the kids they care. Really? You watch, and so what? What does it mean, and where do you go? Did any of the kids attend your church? What is the ministerial excuse? The march is unappreciated. The hecklers came to show their disrespect and cursed the clergy.

There is a new generation at the helm. People are afraid and are weaponizing themselves. Our youth are causing fear in people’s lives, and because of that, Chicagoans are moving out of town. People have second thoughts about going downtown.

There are no excuses. The new leaders need to assume new duties. Taxes are too high, and our city is too pretty for this mayhem. Chicago must look at the reality and meet with women like Mrs. Leonora Dennis to bring about change. We cannot afford failed leadership.

Step up and be a badass.