May 5, 2008
CeaseFire: Treating Violence Like An Epidemic
Today's long read: Chicagoist fave Alex Kotlowitz's captivating portrait of CeaseFire, the anti-gun violence organization whose founder, epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, believes violence should be treated like an infectious disease.
In his book “The Bottom Billion,” Paul Collier argues that one of the characteristics of many developing countries that suffer from entrenched poverty is what he calls the conflict trap, the inability to escape a cycle of violence, usually in the guise of civil wars. Could the same be true in our inner cities, where the ubiquity of guns and gunplay pushes businesses and residents out and leaves behind those who can’t leave, the most impoverishedIn this, Slutkin sees a direct parallel to the early history of seemingly incurable infectious diseases. “Chinatown, San Francisco in the 1880s,” Slutkin says. “Three ghosts: malaria, smallpox and leprosy. No one wanted to go there. Everybody blamed the people. Dirty. Bad habits. Something about their race. Not only is everybody afraid to go there, but the people there themselves are afraid at all times because people are dying a lot and nobody really knows what to do about it. And people come up with all kinds of other ideas that are not scientifically grounded — like putting people away, closing the place down, pushing the people out of town. Sound familiar?”
|
Slutkin’s education and “back round” gives him the right to be able to play “Peace Commander and Chief" with his very own publicly funded army to deploy around the city like chess pieces.
I think this was an AMAZING article that put a fresh take on urban violence.
I especially like the part where they are talking about the difference between a moral problem i.e. viewing it in terms of "right versus wrong" and a public health issue "healthful versus unhealthful behavior".
Great read.
Damn Spav1
Does this mean that you're gonna cancel your subscription to People Magazine?
What's next the Paris Review?
@ Spook:
I mean, what?
People shooting each other is like totally horrible, but it doesn't happen at the Northbrook mall, so like, I really kind of dont. care.
But whatever.
Is that what you wanted asshole?
;-)
Spav, Spook:
Do the two of you have any idea what you're talking about?
No.
Rather than contribute anything of substance you just spray bombast while jumping up and down yelling "ME ME ME! I I I!"
This isn't even your own site. Must be very sad wherever you little boys are.
Now come back and make some vile and silly comments about me and so on and so on. How predictable. How sad.
...
That said, Ceasefire is attempting to address the problem in a way other than the broken method being used. It costs a pittance but since it's not as easy a sell as "more guns and more prisons" it gets gutted as "pork". It's fascinating work and it deserves funding and attention.
Thats it, your all going to the penalty box! I don't even have the authority of this order. Now its my turn for the "come back and make some vile and silly comments about me and so on and so on". Very predictable. Fun.
I know three of the people in this article. I work on the South Side.
CeaseFire has some decent points, but it is a program that wastes money on dumb marches and posters, while paying some people who are not doing anything effective. Race-baiting reverends and criminals have been making money from CeaseFire.
I would rather see this money go towards better law enforcement. With CeaseFire, maybe clean it up and keep the few good counselors and I would support it. About this Slutkin guy, take anything he says with a large grain of salt.
@Albany:
Please see my above comment. I think it is important to switch the convential thinking about violence in urban areas and I truly believe that it is a public health issue.
I also like that they are giving felons a job at something they are good at. It is really a win-win.
That being said, I think someone from Ceasefire better contact me, because I fucking hate you.
Dear AlbanyParkist
So sorry for the delay! Hope you're not too disappointed in the lag time for my vile comments soon to come. I hope that as commentator for the month of May-elect, ( the month of Mother’s day) they are exceptionally notable.
O.k. being the gooo gooo Lake front Lib. that you are, of course means that YOU certainly know what you’re talking about right??????
Which means that instead dealing with the fact that no matter how bombastic yer Spook is, generally I knows what I'm talking about, Which is the only reason why I'm tolerated.
But instead you assume that I have to be wrong because looking down from the mountain of your privilege, Slutkin and Kotlowitz fit nicely into your high white horse liberal missionary idiom that at its heart is nothing more than the liberal elite retaining and sharing power with the republicans and conservatives as opposed to questioning how power should be shared by all.
But heck as I don’t know what I’m talking about, perhaps you can explain the million dollars unaccounted for in the CEASEFIRE state audit report? Feel free to use your Google key.
Slukin’s response was to admit that he needed greater over site while Speaker Madigan( Then the Governor) arranged for him to get even more money. Oh and another big chunk for upscale office furniture. Only a liberal savior like Slutkin could get away with this. Ironic as so many local indigenous grassroots violence prevention organizations would kill for 25K and Slukin gets to toss away a million and some change. Needless to say Kotlowitz knew about this too, but Slutkin as the savior to the black and brown savages in the urban jungle, is not to be questioned.
Also how is this program- at best - not just a
expensive band aide to keep a lid on violence while gentrification does its work of ethnically cleansing the above population right out of the city? Perhaps there are other programs out there that also teach community empowerment?
Finally AlbanyParkist, perhaps you should get out of Albany Park sometime as the world is bigger than your beloved neighborhood farmer's market :-)
Fed, being the police supporter that you are, I was expecting a more hard line response, most of my Five-O friends can't stand Cease Fire. Not that I agree completely. I also find former Commander Jackson's comments interesting. Yes I know more than a few folks in the article as well, including the writer :-)
Sin.
Yer Me ME ME!! Spook
Didn't even read your replies. You're both little more than spambots.
But at least spambots are selling something that might be worth buying.
Albany Parkist,
In the immortal words of Tupac,
"I aint made at ya"
I know that the "examined life" is just too painful for you and will distract your enjoyment of the Albany Park Farmer’s Market. Do you wear Crocs or stocks -as in Birken- to the Market?
Spook, just checkin, but you're not confusing Albany Park with Lincoln Park, are ya? The farmers market and lakefront lib comments made me think.
You gotta get out of Logan Square more often.
;)
Well, truth be told, I'm not quite sure where Albany Park is, but I bet they have a farmer's market!