As February gets underway, it does so with a circumstance that is all too familiar for the people of Chicago. As of the 7th of the month, data provided by The Chicago Police Department reports a total of 58 homicides in 2022. That is 2 more than the same time last year, and . The first two months of the new year are continuing the trend seen in 2021, where the total number of recorded homicides was just shy of 800.
One of the victims receiving more media coverage than the others is the late Melissa Ortega. The 8 year old girl was shot in the head while walking with her mother in the Little Village section of Chicago. Caught in the middle of a gang conflict, this child had only recently moved to the United States with her family and was slain by a male who is still a minor himself.
The mourning that hangs in the air of this beautiful city is matched only by the anticipation of the next memorial that needs to be set up. Flowers and candles line streets as though they were a part of the landscape… but only in specific neighborhoods. A short drive and the narrative changes.
The words of Melissa’s family echo in my mind: “We came to live the American Dream and became victims of American Violence. Too often we hear news of shootings across Chicago, this continuous activity makes us habituated to these types of scenes. That is NOT something we should have to be accustomed to. Please don’t let her die in vain. No more innocent kids should be killed.”
The words of Melissa’s mother cause me to sit and reflect on how we move, how we need to move, and how we need to redefine movement: “To the aggressor, I forgive you. You were a victim, too. As a 16-year-old, the community failed you, just like it failed my precious baby.”
©Dr William “King Mission” Ross 2022
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2022/1/26/22901879/little-village-shooting-melissa-ortega
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-chicago-homicides-data-tracker-htmlstory.html