Rally celebrates those who reject violence

More than 500 people filled Humboldt Park on the West Side this past Saturday honoring the many lives that chose to turn away from violence, mostly with the help from CeaseFire, a violence prevention group.

Marchers, young and old, chanted, "What do we need? CeaseFire. When do we need them? Now," as many carried signs that read "Strong Hearts. Safe Streets" and "Stop Killing People."

The rally and march was about celebrating "what didn't happen," said Gary Slutkin, the executive director of CeaseFire Chicago, adding that there comes a time in someone's life when they realize that a change must come from within.

"Either you're going to be a statistic or part of the solution," Slutkin said.

Slutkin, who also is the founder of the Illinois Violence Prevention Project told the crowd, "Some people in this crowd today may have been in a different direction. It's possible that we've turned the corner on a problem that's been with us too long."

Stopping the violence on the "frontend" is CeaseFire's main goal, said Tio Hardiman, its director of gang mediation and community organizing.

Hardiman said that for many, mostly boys, when a conflict arises, they do not know how to resolve it by talking it out. Hardiman also called for more mentors to get involved.

Several city and state elected officials marched alongside the community and praised the young one who said "no" to criminal behavior, and expressed frustration about the guns that have saturated their neighborhoods and urged parents to be more accountable for their children's actions.

"Let's start with the people who run their households. The parents know where their children are and who they are involved with," said state Rep. Elga Jefferies (D-26th).

Since its inception seven years ago, CeaseFire has formed teams that have intervened in 14 communities throughout the city and has interceded in more than 700 incidents where individuals were susceptible to violence.

While shootings in Chicago have been steadily on a decline thanks in part to CeaseFire's work and other anti-gun rallies, murders in the city have not seen a vast decrease.

According to crime statistics recently released by the Chicago Police Department, there were 201 murders between January and June of this year, the same for the period in 2006.

[Author Affiliation]

by Kathy Chaney

Defender Staff Writer