By JERRY RILES
Heads or tails?
It can go either way.
My feelings about the 2016 Olympics here in Chicago that is.
I love the Olympics, sports, winning and definitely the City of Chicago. But I also love life and love my fellow brethren, although some of my close friends and family members may differ at times.
All in all, the life that God has given us is very precious and we should all cherish each and every day that we breathe the air and walk on this glorious planet we call home.
Unfortunately, there are too many young African American teens and young adults on the city’s South and West Sides that no longer have that chance to enjoy life anymore. They are no longer with us because someone felt that their lives weren’t important enough.
Derrion Albert became the fourth Chicago public School student to have his life snuffed out by violence this 2009 school year. Corey McClaurin, senior at Simeon High School on the city’s South Side, lost his life just five days before Albert fell victim to a senseless and brutal attack.
Mayor Richard Daley and the Chicago 2016 Olympic supporters are in Copenhagen this week in hopes of convincing the IOC to vote in favor of awarding the City of Chicago the bid. I think the city winning the bin would be an incredible honor. My question is at what expense? Better yet, at whose expense? The lives of young African American teens living on the South and West Sides? I hope not.
Chicago and the United States are being represented very well, and by very high profile and prominent African American supporters.
The list includes, Pres. Barack Obama and his lovely wife Michelle, Oprah Winfrey, an endorsement from Michael Jordan, Gold Medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee, sprinter Michael Johnson, triple-jumper Michael Conley Sr. just to name a few.
Too bad this prestigious group of leaders can’t or are not interested in finding time to help come up with a solution to the brutal violence that is taking place in the city. They’re more interested in traveling overseas to help the Mayor secure the 2016 Olympic games.
Again, I love the Olympics. My love began many years ago when I was cheering on Frank Shorter to win the marathon. I rooted for Mark Spitz before there was a Michael Phelps. I ran along with Edwin Moses as he pushed toward Olympic glory in the finals of the hurdles. Yes, I screamed at the television as Florence Griffith –Joyner, Jackie, Evelyn Ashford, Carl Lewis, Kristi Yamaguchi, Bart Conner, Bruce Jenner, and the many other Americans, who represented this country in the past Olympics, brought home the Gold medals.
I urge the Mayor to rally a group of these individuals to come back to Chicago and help rid the City of these ridiculous acts of violence that are destroying its image.
If Chicago receives the bid, jobs, programs, and better education must be implemented immediately to help those living in the community.
The killings of young males must cease. The numbers are astounding.
Before 2006, on average, 10-15 students were fatally shot each year. That climbed to 24 fatal shootings in the 2006-07 school year, 23 deaths and 211 shootings in the 2007-08 school year and 34 deaths and 290 shootings last school year.
Just this month, the city announced a $30 million project that targets 1,200 high school pupils identified as most at risk to become victims of gun violence, giving them full-time mentors and part-time jobs to keep them off the streets. Some money also will pay for more security guards and to provide safe passage for students forced to travel through areas with active street gangs.
Kudos to leaders like Fr. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina on the City’s South Side. May his hard work and dedication to the lives of these young individuals not go unnoticed.
So let the Games begin. But let’s not forget that life is more than just a game.
(Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)
Comments (4)
9YgVAI I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
Posted by dilandinga | October 4, 2009 4:59 PM
Posted on October 4, 2009 16:59
I'm glad we didn't get the olympics here. More houses and hospitals will be knocked down and its bad enough we don't have money for jobs, we going through an economic recession and we worrying about olympics when our kids in chicago are dying and killing one another. The olympics should be a later focus for chicago. We have a long way to go before we should think about any olympics here! I'm glad Rio won. That country deserved it. Chicago is not all that. Find a place for the poor and starving. Open up the list for low-income houses, let's talk about health care and better schools!
Posted by candace | October 4, 2009 2:17 AM
Posted on October 4, 2009 02:17
lot about you
Posted by Samoys | October 3, 2009 1:48 PM
Posted on October 3, 2009 13:48
I like to play the games on my pc my console and on my cell phone..
this article was not related to games but it related to technology and i had also hobby to search gadget and latest gadgets and many more so this article was really great in my opinion.
Posted by r4 carte | September 30, 2009 5:11 AM
Posted on September 30, 2009 05:11