Let’s wait for the facts before judging FBI’s Comey
Perhaps it is me, but Imust admit that I amperplexed by a recent trend that has swept across the country— the rush to judgment before all the facts and circumstances are known. Case in point is Tuesday’s editorial about the FBI director, James Comey.
I have no ideawhat has motivated Mr. Comey to send a letter to Congress about the discovery of emails and to authorize his investigators to seek a federal searchwarrant, but then, I do not think most of us do. At this point, any theories about motivation or timing are pure speculation. I have been taught towait until all the facts have been revealed before assessing the information and making any conclusions. Perhaps we, as a nation, would be better served towait until all the facts are revealed before deeming anyone’s actions “inexcusable.” TedMachnik, Northfield
Target gangs before guns
What canwe do to bring peace and a reduction in violence to ganginfested neighborhoods? The first thingwe have to do is to get away from the notion that guns are the main cause of the problem. No doubt guns play amajor role in gang violence, but it’s much more than a gun problem, it’s a GANG problem.
Our country is saturated with guns, yet no other group commits as many shootings and killings as street gangs. Waiting for gun laws to solve the problem means the problem will not be solved in our lifetime.
We have a situation in areas of the citywhere gangs of teenagers and young adults are able to outsmart and outgun all levels of lawenforcement and literally thumb their noses at society. What can that say about the level of competence of law enforcement and local officialswhen young thugs control the neighborhood instead of the police?
For a gang to maintain control of their territories means that they wield more power than the citizens, the schools, the businesses, the churches, the politicians and the police. And these are young people.
And justwho are these young peoplewho have given Chicago a national reputation for violence? They are the product of an environment and upbringing that has so traumatized, dehumanized and desensitized them that they can snuff out God’s greatest creation without batting an eye.
What canwe do? Wemust first realize thatwe have a disease of the mind and soulwhenwe ignore the daily shootings and killings and continue to conduct business as usual.
Many of these gang members with blood on their hands are beyond counseling, schooling and jobs. They are amenace to society and must be treated harshly. Known gang leaders and membersmust be picked up and questioned about their gang involvement and livelihood. One goalwould be to get them to publicly disavow allegiance to the gangs.
The bottom line: stop treating gangswith kid gloves. Ned L. McCray, Tinley Park