Opinion: You Can Volunteer and Help Chicago

What reaction to the events in Chicago and Hyde Park of mid-day Monday February 11 ... will do the most good for those people and communities most affected by the cycle of poverty, schools that aren't as good as other schools, the misuse of guns, and a significant percentage of men who do not live past their 20s?

Here is a list of a few of programs that have been tried to varying degrees over the past 50 years, in Chicago (and elsewhere):

- The Black Muslim movement: This was a self-help movement which only about 1% (or less) of white America understood.

- Political efforts by mayors, governors, and the US Congress ...to improve all aspects of the life in the most-affected communities: The actual success of these programs ... C-/D is my grade.

- Voluntary efforts by individuals and non-profit organizations, including by whites and others from Chicago's communities. These have been most effective, and have had the best reaction from the public.

Statistics show that more programs and policies are needed to stop this gun violence. This gun violence is close to becoming an actual civic emergency ... in contrast with the very minimal "national emergency" that President Trump has declared for the US southern border. The shrinking by over 100,000 people, of the African-American population of Chicago in the past ten years, almost speaks for itself.

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This week in metropolitan Chicago there were two gun incidents that, although dissimilar in many ways, each demands new ideas from our political candidates and elected officials, as well as from each interested citizen:

What can you do, if you want to invest your time trying to stop the gun-violence epidemic; and then make things much better for all?

Some of us have a full schedule of our own work, school, and family, and time may not be as available as for some others. For you, you can study the candidates for Chicago Mayor, and for your Alderman, and vote for candidates whose programs you believe will help the city the most.

You can donate money to the candidates of your choice.

If you have more time, you can volunteer at one of the direct-action agencies that work with the young people of the surrounding poorer communities ... whether to tutor, lead activity groups, or whatever else seems useful to you.

If you passionately support a candidate for Mayor or Alderman, you can speak up for that candidate.

If you are a University of Chicago student, you can volunteer with the dozens of agencies or schools that work with the youth of our neighboring communities in their schools, after school, and on weekends.

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If you are interested generally in reducing the gun incidents that include both UChicago and the six people killed in Aurora on Friday, you can
- support any proposal that has a much more stringent background check for people purchasing guns. It has been reported, for example, that the gun in the hands of the person in Aurora, was not a legally-owned gun. More thorough background checks could have prevented him from having and using a gun to kill five people.
- support any political proposal that you feel will help reduce illegal use of guns
- support any law or constitutional amendment that you feel will reduce the frequency of gun crime. For example: If states could severely limit licensed gun ownership within their state, Illinois would do so. Perhaps you want to speak up for an alteration to the U.S. Second Amendment that would allow each state to add restrictions on gun ownership.

Although there was a great deal of protest about the Chicago Maroon having published that closeup photo of a young person being led away from campus ... and that is a useful debate: stopping at just that debate and not considering volunteering or learning-about or being a good citizen to help the poorest parts of Chicago ... is clearly an incomplete action . Your energy must go beyond the question of whether one photo of one arrested young person needs to be published; or now removed. If that is the only question ever debated or taking up everyone's time ... needed programs will be under-staffed and under-appreciated.

There are thousands of youth in the neighboring communities of Chicago who always report being appreciative of good after-school, tutoring, athletics or other programs for them. These programs need everyone, including Hyde Parkers and University people, as volunteers.

Here is one good list of some matchup agencies that you can go to if you wish to be a volunteer in a tutoring or athletics or other useful program, throughout Chicago. Other lists or referrals for you are readily available:

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/chicago/best-chicago-charities-volunteer-opportunities-organizations

Put your concern for all less-fortunate people into action by volunteering! You are likely to get as much out of your experience as is received by the people you help. And such action, little by little, can help reduce the types of crimes that were in the news on Monday and Thursday of this past week.

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Note: The chart at the top shows income for all residents of Chicago. It is from: http://www.city-data.com/income/income-Chicago-Illinois.html