Posted on 05/30/2013 6:35:06 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) is highly critical of a proposal by Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) for mass arrests of 18,000 Gangster Disciples, telling the Sun-Times on Wednesday that Kirk’s approach is “headline grabbing” and an “upper-middle-class, elitist white boy solution to a problem he knows nothing about.”
One of Kirk’s top priorities is targeting gangs; he has been meeting with law enforcement officials to devise a plan to execute the mass arrests.
Rush’s comments came as Kirk and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) huddled Wednesday with Zachary Fardon, the nominee for U.S. attorney in Chicago, and urged him to keep fighting public corruption and to redouble the battle against street gangs.
The senators asked Fardon, who is expected to be confirmed by the Senate in the coming months, to put the pressure on Chicago’s largest gang, the Gangster Disciples.
Kirk said at a press conference with Durbin at the Union League Club following the Fardon meeting that he will ask the Senate Appropriations Committee for $30 million “to go after gangs like the GDs . . . and pick the biggest and baddest for a federal effort.”
“I think it’s completely within the capability of the United States government to crush a major urban gang,” Kirk said. “Just think of what the greatest generation did here in Chicago, pretty much crushing the Capone organization.
Rush, asked by the Sun-Times to react to Kirk’s proposal said in a phone interview: “It’s a sensational, headline-grabbing, empty, simplistic, unworkable approach.”
If there is $30 million for Congress to spend, better most of it be allocated for “job creation and job training,” to address the gang problem, Rush said.
Rush’s House district includes communities plagued by gang violence. He said his criticism of Kirk is “not to excuse their activities.”
Rush said an arrest sweep “is not going to work. . . . It is not a law and order, lock ‘em up solution.”
Rush said he would like to talk to Kirk, to “get him to see the bigger picture.” He added, “I am really very upset with Mark” and that Kirk’s approach was an “upper-middle-class, elitist white boy solution to a problem he knows nothing about.”
Realizing those were very strong words, a short time later Rush issued a follow-up statement to the Sun-Times to put his remarks in context.
Kirk’s “current plan does not include the option to create jobs, provide affordable and safe housing, quality health care and improve schools in urban areas, BUT certainly a plan to incarcerate 18,000 black men is elitist. Why is incarceration the sole option instead of rehabilitation which is proven to work and not locking young men up,” Rush said in an email.
A Kirk spokesman, told of Rush’s comments, said Kirk’s “commitment to stopping gang violence in our communities goes back more than a decade. The senator will continue to work with Sen. Durbin, Mayor Emanuel, law enforcement and the entire congressional delegation to keep Illinois families safe.”
Finding the money to bankroll the mass arrests will be a major hurdle to clear in Congress, even though Kirk and Durbin are members of the appropriations panel in the Senate.
In the House, there is massive resistance to spending from Tea Party Republicans. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) sits on the House Appropriations Committee and told the Sun-Times, “it is not easy getting money out of the House, worthwhile or not.”
Quigley said he appreciates Kirk “going after a plague in Chicago” but believes the focus for federal prosecutors and police should be on “prosecuting the most serious gun traffickers who put weapons in the hands of gang members.”
On Tuesday, Kirk, trying to put pieces in place to implement his plan for the mass arrests, met with the Chicago chiefs of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Bobby Rush is a racist. Among other things.
dont arrest them just shoot them
The gangs are getting powerful enough to have their own representatives in the legislature.
jail them all, and let them out ONLY after they learn a skill or trade and they are on probation unless they keep a job
Bobby Rush is a former Black Panther (founding member). Nuf said.
The gangs are getting powerful enough to have their own representatives in the legislature.
Actually, Steely Tom, the gangs have had representatives in the legislature for years. It's just that no one called the Daleys gangsters aloud.
Arrest Bobby Rush first
Of course Rush is against it - it might work!
Well, would they rather we stick to the “I don’t care what they do as long as they are only killing each other” motto? (Because THAT’S not racist...)
White boy?
And Rush’s solution? More education(money) and programs(money). He’s probably got a string of “community-based non-profits” pumping money into his family.
...and we know how successful education and programs have been in curtailing gang membership.
So does Bobby.
BTW “white boy” is as derogative as the n word.
Allen West discussing this story on Fox News now.
White Boys have desire to solve the gang issue....while Black Racists like Bobby Rush do nothing....but blame White Boys
Another gun grabber shows hist real colors. Do nothing to stop the real mass murdering criminals who’ve butchered far more black males than the Klan ever dreamed of killing, but punish law abiding people who only want to defend themselves. Gun grabbing is criminal support and facilitation and gun grabbers are criminal accomplices.
The only thing that’s ever stopped gangs is arrests. Bobby Rush’s approach is condemning hundreds and maybe thousands of black people to die. This needs to be pointed out often.
Bobby Rush is obviously a homophobe!
I had the idea of going into places like south side Chicago or south central LA and start internment camps. It sounds brutal for the touchy feeling Utopians, but I would guarantee a massive drop in crime.
Think “Escape from New York” ;-)
Apr 2, 2013 – GOP Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois said Tuesday he supports same-sex marriage,
Jan 22, 2010 – My fellow Freepers, the biggest liberal in the Republican Party, Mark Kirk of Illinois, is less than two weeks away from winning the GOP Primary
Do we really want Kirk in the the US Senate. Let’s review who Kirk really is:
1) Kirk voted for Cap and Trade
2) Kirk is pro-abortion (got a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood and NARAL)
3) Kirk voted against the Surge in Iraq
4) Kirk got an “F” rating from the NRA
5) Kirk is a John McCain RINO - only more liberal
In case you didn’t hear the “BIG NEWS,” U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Illinois), serial prevaricator, has finally come out of the closet on marriage. He has announced his support for the elimination of sexual complementarity from the legal definition of marriage. I’m shocked.
It’s people like you who ignore Mark Kirk’s Voting record!
Mark Kirk’s “moderate” record, 2007-Present
LEFITST GROUPS
- Voted with Planned Parenthood 100% of the time
- Voted with NARAL Pro-Choice America 100% of the time
- Voted with Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence 100% of the time
- Voted with National Council of La Raza 100% of the time
- Voted with the Sierra Club 96% of the time, which is more often than Obama does
- Voted with the ACLU 50% of the time
- National Education Association gave Kirk a grade of A+
- Citizens for Global Solutions gave Kirk a grade of B+
CONSERVATIVE GROUPS
- Voted with Taxpayers for Common Sense 33% of the time
- Voted with The Club for Growth 19% of the time (9 / 48 votes) ,
- Voted with Citizens for Tax Justice 17% of the time
- Voted with The Family Research Council 12% of the time
- Voted with American Family Association 0% of the time
- Voted with GOPUSA 0% of the time
- Voted with FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) 0% of the time
- NRA gave Kirk an “F”
- Gun Owners of America gave Kirk a grade of “ F- “
JUST SAYIN!!
Every good democrat knows the best way to solve inner city and gang violence is with higher welfare payments.
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