Has anyone checked on Chicago Mayor (and Clinton / Obama crony) Rahm Emanuel lately? I’m beginning to get a bit worried because the most recent headlines he’s generating seem to be more than a little out of touch with the desperate conditions in his city. He appears to be keeping busy these days with things like demanding more restrictions on gun shops and showing how vigorously he’s “fighting Trump” to preserve Chicago’s sanctuary city status. (That’s when he’s not cracking down on the scourge of, er… party buses.) But it seems as if the Windy City might have some other minor items on the agenda which could benefit from the Mayor’s attention. For one thing, they’re already up to almost 1,000 shootings this year and it’s not even May yet. (Chicago Tribune)

The number of people shot in Chicago this year is nearing 1,000 after a violent weekend left seven dead and 31 others wounded, according to data kept by the Tribune.

As of Monday morning, at least 992 people had been shot in Chicago this year. Last year, the city passed the 1,000 mark on April 20 and had reached 1,054 by this time, the Tribune data shows.

The pace of homicides is virtually the same as last year. There have been at least 179 homicides so far this year compared to 180 this time last year, according to the data.

That coverage in the Tribune was sparked by yet another horrid weekend. If this headline were coming from anywhere else in the country aside from Chicago, Baltimore or Houston the entire nation would be reeling, but in Chicago the real tragedy is that it’s just another Saturday night. In the space of seven hours there were four people killed and six more seriously wounded by gunfire, almost all concentrated in two areas of the city. One guy was just a food delivery driver taking an order to an address not far from one of the public schools. He escaped with his life, but just barely.

Is someone actually going to do something other than talk about the gang murder rate in Chicago at some point? I know the President has threatened to step in and take action but it may be a while before a plan like that can be drawn up and enacted, particularly when the Mayor is fighting you tooth and claw at every turn. But Emanuel seems to only be interested in blaming his own police, blaming the President, blaming sheer bad luck… whatever. He’s been in office for enough years now that he can’t simply pin it on his predecessor. He’s the chief executive of the city and at some point the responsibility has to fall on his shoulders. Do something or clear out and make room for someone who will.

Last year Chicago passed the 1,000 shooting mark on April 20th, so believe it or not this incredible toll of violence is marginally better than 2016. (That’s hard to believe for anyone paying attention, I know.) But if this is the level of “progress” that the citizens of Chicago can expect going forward it’s completely unacceptable. A single American city burying more than 800 victims of gang violence per year is a disgrace and Rahm Emanuel has to stop making excuses and get something done. Failing that, the voters need to wake up and stop electing the same politically popular and well funded clowns every four years and get somebody in there who will produce results.