by John Boch

The black-on-black violence running rampant in Chicago, Baltimore and other big cities has certainly trickled down to smaller-town USA.  One needs to look no farther than the heartland of America – to Champaign-Urbana, IL (C-U) – to see how this pervasive problem of black violence is spreading far beyond the inner cities.

Champaign – Urbana is known to many outside of Illinois as the home of the University of Illinois, a Big Ten school. These twin cities have experienced an “unprecedented” number of shootings and homicides in the past year.

The News-Gazette reports:  “In response to eight fatal shootings — and frequent reports of shots fired — over the past year, local law enforcement officials today will unveil details of a new interagency unit designed to combat gun violence.”

It’s getting bad.  There are regular headlines in the local paper lamenting the violence.

There have been scores, if not hundreds of reports of shots fired since Ferguson blew up last year.  There have been scores of shootings – with injuries – since February.  While that’s merely a busy holiday weekend in Chicago, it’s unheard of in the relatively tame hometowns of the Fighting Illini.

Of course, the latest campaign against this violence wouldn’t be complete without a comment from the effectively irrelevant local leader of the NAACP, Patricia Avery:

Avery said ending gun violence is the No. 1 focus of the local NAACP chapter, and she is happy to see the police forces are taking it seriously.

“Until we work to stop the violence, it’s going to be a long hot summer, and we don’t want that,” she said.

Ending this gang violence is the No. 1 focus?  Really now.  So, Patricia:  What exactly has the Champaign County chapter of the NAACP done to reach that goal, aside from spending money and resources fighting against the Constitutional rights of all Illinoisans – including those who you purport to represent?

Yep, the local NAACP spends money and resources supporting Illinois’ primary anti-gun group in their efforts to ban the guns that are the most effective for self-defense.  One wonders if the NAACP is working harder to protect the criminal class or the law-abiding class.

Did they changed their name when I wasn’t looking to the “National Association for the Advancement of Criminal Perpetrators”?

‘We have to stop these shootings’

Champaign Police Chief Anthony Cobb appeared with Urbana Police Chief Pat Connolly, UI Chief Jeff Christensen, Sheriff Dan Walsh and other law-enforcement representatives in a symbolic show of unity against the latest black-on-black violence running rampant across Champaign-Urbana and Rantoul, as reported by the local paper, the News-Gazette.

I know many of these gents.  Champaign Police Chief Anthony Cobb is a really nice guy.  I’m not so sure he’s all that pro-gun as his department charges $50 per fingerprint card for non-resident carry licenses last time I checked.  I believe that to be a “eff” you rate to get printed – not exactly customer-service oriented.

Pat Connelly and Sheriff Walsh are staunchly pro-gun.  I don’t know the UI chief or Rantoul’s guy.

Once again…  how about encouraging the law-abiding members of the African-American community gun up to fight the criminal violence of both local wannabe gang-bangers and imports bringing Chicago’s criminal culture with them?

Let the criminal class know the law-abiding residents of these neighborhoods aren’t going to be intimidated into silence in reporting criminal behavior.  Let the criminal class’ bad apples know the decent people will shoot them dead if they prey on good people with their violent criminal acts.  Working together, the law-abiding decent folks can take care of the bad apples – either through the criminal justice system or through ballistic therapy – to put an end to the “wild west”.

If we are able to get guns in the hands of good people, I know some experienced firearm trainers who would cheerfully provide some high-quality training, free of charge, to those from these high-risk neighborhoods, regardless of race or sex.  You get them into gun ownership and we’ll provide the training on the safe and effective use of these firearms for self-defense – and the legal considerations of the justifiable use of deadly force.

Let’s end the useless symbolic acts and make meaningful changes to lessen the criminal violence in every neighborhood in America.

These local chiefs have my number.

I don’t expect my phone to ring off the hook from their calls.  Not until it gets a whole lot worse.