As a former resident of a Chicago suburb, I am an interested follower of Chicago news as reported here in the open spaces of southwestern Utah. A recent town-hall on MSNBC explored the high and rising homicide rate in parts of Chicago. A map showing the varying concentrations of deaths by murder showed the highest rates in what were and probably still are where poor blacks live. When I lived there, whites living in the suburbs avoided black areas of the city as much as possible and took little interest in black on black crime. Periodically the Chicago Police Department was involved in one scandal or another. Perhaps things have changed since I relocated to California in 1965, but I doubt it.

Now the Chicago PD is being investigated for the use of excessive force in the policing of blacks. Excessive force would never be used in the policing of well-groomed whites. Why do blacks shoot and kill other blacks? Is it because they have lost hope in the system and must earn a living selling drugs and by other illegal means? I think at least part of the answer is probably yes. Only those living in the area and studying the problem with an open mind can say for sure.