Murder Capital: “Chiraq, Drillinois” a City at War

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Gang life exists as a lifestyle because of a lack of access to resources. Gangs are classically viewed as a by-product of social disorganization, the weakness of traditional institutions, like the schools, to replace the lost primary networks of the traditional world. Home of the Chicago Bulls and great players, such as, Michael Jordan and Derick Rose, who have won six rings and it is considered to host one of the greatest NBA teams of all times. It is the adopted hometown of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. The city has produced great musicians such as R. Kelly and Nat King Cole, who revolutionized the music industry during their time. It has been burnt down and rebuilt stronger than ever, with landmarks, such as the Sears Tower and John Hancock building dominating the skyline. It is known for its famous cuisines, such as the deep dish pizza and their famous hot dogs. Chicago is a remarkable city with a lot of great attributes, but in recent years the lethal combination of gangs and guns has turned Chicago into a war zone. The Windy City, now dubbed "Chiraq," had the country’s highest homicide rate in 2012 with 500 murders on record (Erbentraut). Chicago is a war zone, so much so that, in recent years, its younger citizens have taken to calling it “Chiraq,”after Iraq, the Middle Eastern nation the United States has been deadlocked in a war with since 2003 (“FBI: Chicago”). With good reason, 4,265 people have been killed in Chicago since 2001. This is 2.5 times more than in the Afghanistan war zone (Chi raq). The youth internalized their situation by proudly calling themselves soldiers or savages. They learn the violent and anti-social behavior whether for survival reasons or because their only role models ex...

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...hi raq. Dir. Will Robson- Scott. Perf. Will Robson-Scott. Protein TV , 2013. Film.
Erbentraut, Joseph. "Too Young To Die' Photo Project Documents Violence Still Plaguing Chicago's Streets." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 May 2013. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
"FBI: Chicago officially America's murder capital." Fox News. FOX News Network, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
Goetz, Edward G.. New Deal ruins: race, economic justice, and public housing policy. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2013. Print.
McClelland, Edward. "Chiraq, Drillinois." The Morning News. N.p., 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Tarm, Michael. "Chicago Violence: FBI To Look For New Ways To Stem Crime, Reduce Homicides In Windy City." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
"The Urban Portal." Urban Portal Issues RSS. N.p., 25 Dec. 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

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