Where ever body at?

A bit of a drizzle this morning in the pre-dawn as I rode alone through the streets of Chicago, while my fair weather fellow cyclists were riding their trains and sipping their lattes. I was energized and excited by the raw earliness of the day. I was greeted by a chorus from the Laramie newspaper crew-- "where ever body at?" but our friend at Kostner only gave me one weak "icecream?" I saw the Lanan Welder, deep in the shadows of the building, his welding torch glowing in the dim. The barrels were blazing and I thought about what it must have been like 40 years ago tomorrow when the west side went up in flames. It was 40 years ago today when Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated. I made up a song-- ode to the NRA-- guns are fun, watching our children kill each other, thinking about the anti-gun rally and the NRA spokesman who declared gun laws aren't working, everyone needs a gun to defend themselves-- yes and soon there would be no problem, everyone would be dead. Gun violence is at an all time high, yes the gun laws aren't working, they are useless, I say take away the guns! OK, go ahead shoot me you gun toting zealots, how dare I say such a thing. You have a gun, go ahead, that's what guns are for, to kill people. Or animals. No other purpose. Just to have them to oil them and rub their phallic shafts to gleaming blued perfection, dreaming about the sound, feeling the recoil, smelling the gunsmoke, watching your victim fall, that's what they are all about, that's what guns are for. The NRA is quick to say, guns don't kill people, people kill people. Yes, people with guns. More than 20 Chicago school children have been gunned down this year already. But who's counting? Who counts? They do. The kid with a gun, didn't mean to kill, just pointed it, and it went off, just meant to thrill, and now, he pays the bill. He joins the incarcerated masses and helps contribute to our national glory, the highest percentage of people in prison in the world. If the NRA had their way, this problem would also be solved. It would be great for business.

Ironically, the west side went up in flames, 29 blocks of west Madison were burned to the ground. K-town, Lawndale, Austin, still suffer the blight, but the gun violence is not happening here. Instead, the ghetto was preserved on the south side. The community banded together and prevented the burning and looting. Every day we hear about more violence, gang activity, death on the streets, and it always seems to be on the southside. People fear for me when I report my daily ride through the west side. I have nothing to fear, the sentinels look out for me as I dodge the glass and bricks and traffic. Riding has given me a great perspective and helped me see the citizens of the westside for who they are. Just folks. Rest in Peace Martin, we are sorry it is taking so long.