Amid the murders, Gangbangers' press event was just killing time
Young gang members "see us older guys who can't get jobs � and they don't listen," Reginald Akeem Berry Sr. said at the event. (Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune / September 1, 2010)
Depressingly familiar bit of theater offers usual answers: None
John Kass8:02 a.m. CDT, September 3, 2010
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I pulled through Columbus Park in the rain on Thursday, looking for a place to park and cover what had been billed as the big gang-leader news conference.
A Chicago police sergeant was driving the other way. He stopped and rolled down his window and we chatted, two dads with gray hair who've seen this play several times before.
"So you're going with the other media to glorify these gang 'leaders'?" he asked, saying "leaders" with all the dry sarcasm common to sergeants of police.
Sergeant, I'm going to hear what they have to say.
"Too bad you can't talk to the guy in the back here," he said, jerking his thumb toward the man in his back seat. "He was just robbed. Have a nice day."
The conference of current and former gang leaders was under way when I walked up. The subject was supposed to be about the gang killings on the streets and ways to stop them, and to condemn Police Superintendent Jody Weis.
It was somewhat disorganized, with conflicting messages, a lot of emotion, but no focus.
In the back of the room, there were three men standing quietly. They weren't talking. They weren't taking notes. They were watching. They wore suits and bow ties. I went up to them and asked what they thought.
"We have no comment at this time," the oldest one said.
If you're of a certain age — meaning if you've graduated from high school — and follow the progressions of the news, you've seen it before: the political theater that comes with violence in Chicago.
At the news conference, a few men held signs about joblessness and poverty. Others spoke with great emotion in criticizing the police brass. They said that Weis tricked gang leaders into attending a recent meeting and that the message was: Use your influence to stop the killings or we'll sic the feds on you.
A few condemned the corrupt politicians. They demanded jobs and contracts and access to power.
One of the more poignant statements came from Reginald Akeem Berry Sr., 48, who spent 18 years in the state penitentiary for murder.
He said he turned away from violence and began working with community groups to counsel the young.
They're not listening, I said.
"The kids respect finance, they respect the dollar," said Berry. "And they see us older guys who can't get jobs, we've been job-trained to death but we can't find work, and they don't listen."
Wallace "Gator" Bradley, a former enforcer for imprisoned street gang leader Larry Hoover, asked that President Barack Obama take an interest in his hometown once again.
"I mean, he sent federal money to Florida to protect the pelicans," Gator said. "Pelicans? But what about the kids dying in the streets of Chicago?"
Other reporters chimed in, playing their parts, asking questions indignantly, repeatedly, almost confrontationally — but not quite — with cameras rolling.
The questions were like this one:
"We know about the problems, but what are you doing to stop the street violence?"
But it's about poverty, said the gang leaders.
"Yes, but how do you stop the violence?" demanded the reporters.
The answer was jobs. So it was no answer. Jobs are all but impossible to find now, especially on the West Side and the South Side, unless you count selling rock and guarding the street corners where the rock is sold and killing people who try to sell it without permission.
"When the construction workers went on strike when they were working on the Eisenhower Expressway, we wanted to work," Berry said. "I'd have worked for half of what they were striking for. Give us the shovels. We'll pour that asphalt. Give us the shovels."
Berry said that before spending much of his life in prison, he was a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers. He understands muscle.
So he should understand that historically, the laborers and the asphalt kings have more muscle in Chicago than the gangs.
It went on like that for a while, everyone getting what they came for. The leaders got publicity. The reporters got to ask pointed questions to demonstrate that they're not pushovers.
Meanwhile, the politicians were busy playing their parts in the pageant, playing defense. Mayor Richard Daley defended Weis.
"Unfortunately, everybody complains about police," Daley told reporters. "But again, it's America. You can complain about anything."
Once again, the mayor is correct. In a few days, after the current and former gang leaders have had their turn complaining, the Fraternal Order of Police will get its chance.
Vastly undermanned, overstressed, mourning the killings of three comrades this summer and loathing the mayor, the cops are organizing a protest march for Sept. 15.
Don't be surprised if the mayor bumps up his scheduled fantastic voyage to China, which is set for later that week.
Even if he misses the police protest, Daley will get regular reports of who said what, and how.
Like the three quiet men in the back of the room on Thursday, in the suits and bow ties.
"I enjoy your columns, but I'm not here to comment," the elder bow-tied gentleman said to me.
Like police blue, the bow ties are uniforms, announcing wordlessly that the wearer follows Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
I'm sure they'll report to him what happened, which was not much. And we reporters will report on it too.
And the police sergeant? He'll be in his car tomorrow, perhaps with another victim in the back seat.
Haven't we seen this all before?
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Comments (39)
Add / View comments | Discussion FAQejhickey1 at 10:08 AM September 03, 2010Wonder if these Gangbangers had anything to say about the four people found shot to death in a garage on the south side yesterday? sure looks like a gang style killing to me. Guess those facts would no not fit too well with their message of "the violence is not our fault. give us a handout."
chrismk at 9:39 AM September 03, 2010Load them all into a boat, float it out into the middle of the ocean, and sink it.
These people are nothing more than a cancer on society. They do not want to work, they want to lay around all day drinking and playing with their guns. No benefit at all to society - eliminate them.
TownFlyer at 9:36 AM September 03, 2010So Weis has struck a nerve with the gangs? Good for him! Life means nothing to these thugs, but threaten to seize their money, their toys, belongings illegally bought, family possessions, and especially "their rides" and they call a press conference and hide behind a smokescreen of lies, sounding like they actually care about their neighbors. Birth control, education, hard work and obeying the law are a start, but ignorance, drugs, easy money and preying on the good people is much easier. Keep up the pressure, Weis and law enforcement. No mercy.
Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune
Friday, September 3, 2010
Kass: Gangbanger news conference part of a pageant we've seen before
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