Next Mag Mile riot just a police shooting away.

Reading coverage of Chicago’s plans to avoid a third round of rioting and looting, one gets no sense there are hundreds of thousands trapped in Chicago’s vast wastelands of poverty, crime and hopelessness. It’s largely about protecting the privileged enjoying the fruits of their privilege. That is valid as Job One of governance is public order. Mayor Lightfoot put it succinctly: “There can never be a place in Chicago where people are afraid to open; where residents and visitors are afraid to travel and shop; where employees are afraid to work”.

But there is more to public order than keeping the privileged enjoying their privilege. There has never been true public order in Chicago’s South and West Sides. Unlimited guns supplied by institutionally racist capitalism ensures that roughly 40 are shot, ten of whom die, week after week, even before the near 50 % bump due to pandemic economic catastrophe. Neither the Mayor, the Police Chief, the States Attorney nor the Governor can solve that problem. It has built up over four centuries of neglect, hate, disinvestment and ignoring every good impulse of a just society. It will take a coordinated local, state and federal effort to stop the avalanche of guns and restore jobs and vital structures like hospitals and food stores nurtuing a decent life. America doesn’t exert the will to achieve that; never has…possibly never will.

Chicago may not see another looting spree. Order has been restored. We privileged breathe easier enjoying the largesse of the world’s richest country. But the hopelessness, despair and anger remain bottled up where the privileged fear to tread. And the next riot may be just one police shooting, whether justified or not, away.