Governor Pritzker of Illinois is quoted as saying it’s up to the police to enforce “THE RULES.” For cops it’s kind of new territory when you actually have someone thumbing their noses at RULES that say you have to wear a mask while out and about, but hey isn’t “OUT AND ABOUT” against the rules also? Imagine being a cop and now you have to start telling folks they are walking too close together, or to disburse, if folks are just doing what they have done all their lives, meeting and greeting friends and chewing the fat.

A few days ago on Chicago’s West side after a press conference announcing yet again, more rules to live by during the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Mayor decided to walk over to a nearby park where several youths were playing basketball and just kinda hanging around. From a distance, surrounded by her security detail she shouted at them to disburse and go home.  Almost immediately one of the young basketball players yelled back “Y’ALL GO FIND A CURE, AND SPEAKING OF GO HOME: YOU GO HOME.” Immediately the Mayor and her security team turned and left. Maybe she had a hair appointment. Within a few minutes life returned to normal in the park before her arrival.

Maybe a little eye opener for the Mayor — authority at times doesn’t mean crap to lots of folks. All cops, who up until these Pandemic rules started to appear, understand that even when enforcing LAWS, orders and those magic words YOU’RE UNDER ARREST at times mean nothing. I have had many, many arrestees say that they were not under arrest until we put them under. It’s why there is a law against resisting arrest.

While hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents and especially those who reside in large metropolitan areas like Chicago, folks are starting to learn what the meaning of “CABIN FEVER” means. In the last several weeks the press has highlighted multiple instances of large gatherings for parties and social get togethers. One particular individual, a 25-year-male who has access to his parents townhouse, has been featured in the media (SEE ABOVE PHOTO) for twice holding large gatherings a few weeks apart. When confronted by the press and the city authorities, his parents said they had no clue that he was doing this, but did admit he had a key. His statement to the press is worthy of a mention because of it’s breathtaking lack of any semblance of sanity, but it does fit into the NO MIRRORS HERE category of, “it’s always somebody else’s fault.”

The parents blamed him, (his mother is a Chicago Fire Department Commander) and in an astonishing statement to the press GET READY! Jr. Blamed, WHY THE POLICE OF COURSE. His statement was, and they actually printed it, was after the first party, the cops who were called to break it up were not STERN enough and did not fully explain what he did wrong. Try making shit like that up and still be walking outside of an asylum.

Here in Illinois the rumors are rampant that this stay at home order and mandatory masking up will continue until after July 4th. Now for cops who are sworn to enforce laws, and now facing rules made up on the fly by politicians, it’s going to be a challenge to say the least. Imagine trying to ENFORCE social distancing rules, imagine having to tell bored teenagers to stop playing basketball, imagine having to stop people out for walks, or telling people they are walking too close to each other. All we have heard in the last few years is how the cops and the community need to come together and learn to trust each other. We are looking at an impossible task. Of course one would have to be in a coma the last few months to not know that Chicago is also facing another epidemic that is killing off its people. In a 2 month period since all this has started Chicago has had an explosion of violence.

Over 400 people have been shot and over 80 have been murdered. The question is who the hell is staying at home while police resources are being used to enforce RULES. Murder is just as deadly as a Virus. For sure a disease is more powerful than armies, it is more arbitrary than terrorisim. It is crueler than human imagination, but it’s not murder. We are expending our only warriors left to fight murder, and using them to try and control human behavior. There simply has to be a better solution. The Governor says it’s up to the cops to enforce his rules.  Who is left to enforce the laws of MURDER and violence?  Ten people a day are being shot in Chicago.  The fight is being lost. The Governor has control over the National Guard.  Now is the time to put a face on those RULES and return the cops to enforcing laws.

Already around the country we are seeing one story after another of violent confrontations because people refuse to follow common sensical recommendations from professionals. As the weather gets hotter and hotter we are sure to see more escalation of ignoring basic rules and decency to defend ourselves against a killer virus. Using all our resources to control an unseen monster that kills indiscriminately, while virtually ignoring one that we can clearly see that prowls among us. Using local cops to control human behavior is a fools game and will ultimately have long term consequences. Cops are for enforcing laws, that’s what they are trained for.  Enforcing rules are for the heads of households, and if that fails, bring on the National Guard and stop using cops as scape goats. The gangs are having their way while we are losing ours.