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  We asked what you think needs to be done to stop the gun violence in Chicago. Here are your responses:

To be honest I feel if it wasn't so many corrupted cops out here a lot more people would confide in police. The police could stop a lot more violence if people trusted in them. I believe a lot of murders could be prevented if the people felt the police would really do their job and serve and protect. Don't get me wrong no matter how many police officers u have on the streets all violence will not cease. I believe that if people had the confidence that they should have in the police if some of them weren't so corrupt. Then it would make some matters a lot more easier on the communities and fellow neighbors – Jeaneissa Watkins

Clearly, more gun restrictive laws won't work. Let's try putting money into enforcing the current laws in place. Perhaps the Governor could stop worring about people smoking in bars and tobocco stores, or giving seniors free rides on busses when the CTA is already having problems, and start concentrating on some more important issues. – Laura

What needs to done is a limit put on the number of BULLETS that can be purchased by a person who owns a gun. An identification number should be placed on all bullets. Then you would be able to identify who is purchasing and what type of bullets and the amount. - Catherine Hall-Wilson

Very easy solution to all these shootings. Let the cops be cops. Let them do their job. Forget all this claim of racial profillng. It's almost 100% BLACK on BLACK crime. I will call the police everytime I see these punks on the corner standing still. I grew up in Chatham. I am 43 yrs old. I do not remember haveing the police bother me and my friends growing up unless we were up to no go. Sweep every block and take the punks drugs and guns off the street for the weekend. Then the public might realize who is causing the problem. – David Matthews

You fight fire with fire. An eye for an eye. Sounds harsh doesn't it. I believe when gun control was put in place it eliminated guns from the good guys not the bad guys. The Bad guys don't follow the rules, so you leave the Good guys without protection. The right to bear arms is a right that when Good Americans know what it means, they can help protect themselves and help control the environment around them and the people they love. Teachng people the respect and responsibility behind a gun will help make this world a better place. – Sergo Cano

Get rid of the current gun laws in Illinois and Chicago, they don't work at all. Allow citizens that have no felony convictions the right own guns instead of creating criminals out of otherwise law abiding citizens who feel the need to own a gun for self protection. Make the punishment for use of a gun in a crime a mandatory prison sentence to be served in addition to the sentence for the crime, based on the severity of the crime. In other words use of a gun in commission of a felony would carry a longer mandatory sentence than that of a misdemeanor. – Carl Boll

Parents, Parents, Parents,Parents are the key to this gun violence. Parents are not asking children who there friends are, or what they are doing. The curfew laws on the books should be agressively enforced. Also more cameras everywhere. Thats what it has came to. Also lets start praying. – Belinda Jackson

I believe for the violence to stop the parents have to be more responsible and the charges have to be stronger. I think some people just don't care if they live or die. Maybe if there were more programs to help people out in different situations the streets maybe a little safer. People need to be responsible. – Lisa

Start holding parents of known delinquents accountable. Duh! Slap them with heavy fines, and jail time. They don't want the kids in the house -- that's why the youth run the streets. DEMAND trifling parents do their jobs. – A. Lacey

There needs to be more strict gun laws and police needs to be firm on curfew laws. If the see a person or group of people out past curfew ask for ID's. When they see a crowd standing around for no reason they need to break it up and if it continues lock them up for soliciting. Majority of the people who has gotten shot was people that was out after curfew, or were shot in a crowd. I also think that police needs to patrol more in high crime areas. Put up police lights in high crime areas not just high crim drug areas. Im a resident of Englewood, and if something dosnt get done real soon, more innocent lives are going to be taken. Everyday I pray that this kind of violence dont personally happen to me or one of my family members. I have a two year old son and afraid to let him outside to ride his bike its sad. – tamika whitaker

Force parents to parent their children. If children commit crimes during school hours or after curfew, the parents should receive the same consequences as the child. – Lorrie Grant

Chicago Police Gang Crime Unit need to obtain a city wide search warrant and conduct random searches in every gang infested neighborhood to confiscate all ilegal weapons they can find to disarm all of these gang bangers. – Gene Gibson

I think ALL guns should be melted down and made into playground equipment, benches or paper clips ! If you've ever been shot (I have) or seen anyone killed, it changes your life. If there were no guns I know men would find another way to kill but maybe children wouldn't be so quick to solve there problems with guns. If you can't get them all how about making the laws so strict that gangs go back to baseball bats. – Anonymous

I think everyone should be able to arm themselves and carry a gun unconcealed. If the gang knew everyone was on an equal footing you'd be less likely to shoot anyone. At first their would be alot of people getting shot. But then after a while people would start getting friendlier because they wouldn't want to get anyone mad enough to call them out. I'm all for getting back to the days of everyone packing heat. I have lost faith in law enforcement protecting anyone but themselves. – Gene


Maybe it's time to declare marshall law in Chicago, complete with a curfew and extra police. If that doesn't work, call in the national guard. It's time to stop the violence NOW. – Bobbi Walker

I think the need for Army Drafting should come about again and it's policy applies to criminals especially no matter what stage or age these people would have value for human life. They are afraid to fight for a real cause. Challenge it! and you will see. – Nette Smit

It is time for citizens to take back the streets. Stop being afraid of retaliation because if we don't start now this will NEVER end. ALSO: Parents!! Think less about YOUR needs and think about your childrens needs. Live in a smaller house/apartment/whatever in a better neighborhood. Go without that fancy car if it means you are not in the bad areas. MOST OF ALL: PUNISH YOUR KIDS!!! Slap them upside their head, don't let them be out at night. I am SICK of seeing babies out at all hours of the night!! --EO

Everyday I log onto the internet hoping to just check my mail, but in the back of my mind I know that I know better. When I first pull up the yahoo browser I go to my local news. I'm devastated every single day because it never fails; another teen has been shot. When will this stop? As an executive officer in many of the clubs at Kennedy King College I would like to work with activists and people in these communities to hold rallies and try to build programs to get these young kids off the streets. I was born in Chicago but raised in Georgia. I moved back three years ago and I've never seen so much violence in my life. I want to help. I need to help. It's sad to say that at the rate these crimes are being committed, I would not dare raise my kids in Chicago. --Naeemah


More police patrols. Swifter and broader enforcement of the death penalty for these ----heads. --Lance D. Boyle

Add common sense into the laws regulating gun purchases. We're no longer living in the militia-state our ancestors were living in when the constitution was created. The right to bear arms needs to better reflect the reprucssions that occur when everyone in a society is "bearing arms". Lastly, in a violent society such as ours, do we really need to compound and desensitize the issue with grotesquely violent films and shows? Can't we be a little more discriminating for future generation's sake? We need to be more socially responsible with what we consider "entertainment".
--Jodi


nothing. --"Ben Thinking"


More parenting to kids who have failed victim to parents that are not around. More mentoring programs and more activities for the children.
--Tanya


I have very strong opinions on this topic. We need more parental involvement with their children. We need a more visible Police presence in high crime neighborhoods. We need stonger gun laws. Parent involvement is the most important. I am tired of seeing Mother's grierving over their children, proclaiming how good they are when they are KILLERS. Get involved in their lives and make them good kids. There in not one good reason for any person to own an assault rifle. There is no reason for a person to own a hand gun either. Yet, the nut balls at the NRA get more protection from lawmakers than our young people who are at risk. It's disheatening. We need a good legislator to stand up and say "no more". No more kids killing kids and hold irresponsible parents accountable. Say no to the gun lobbyists and hold them accountable for providing weapons of death to people. I am sorry, I am starting to get mad. We talk this until we are blue in the face, but nothing works better than presence of parents and the Police. --Gerard Wagner


We should enact a martial law style government. Where every thing that is done can be scruitnized and trace back to its source. --Prince


Loosen the gun laws. Laws are only for law abiding citizens and it is pretty obvious that a person who has a gun with the sole intent to do harm is not thinking about the laws. The strict gun laws Chicago has just restricts law abiding citizens from protecting themselves from criminals and mentally ill people. --Stacey Shudick


Repeal the ban on handgun ownership by law abiding citizens. The city has disarmed law abiding citizens in Chicago and taken away their constitutional right to defend themselves. This has only increased violent crime against defensless citizens by the criminal element in our society that will always have guns no matter what laws are passed. Now only the "bad guys" have guns and can do as they please knowing that the law abiding citizens have been disarmed. Most police officers will tell you, off the record, that they can not prevent most violent crime and that they wish law abiding citizens were allowed to defend themselves. The way it is now the police just fill out the paperwork after the crime has been committed. --John Renaud


Daley's a politician. More gun laws are not the answer. This is a cultural problem that can only be handled by certain cultures refusing to put up with gangs and drugs. I haven't seen any TV reports on shootings in Lake Forest lately. --Pete

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