In my younger years, I remember the body counts they used to do from our losses in Vietnam on the news every week. More than make a point, I think they just became numbers to people numbed by the war. Unless, of course, you knew one of the numbers, which we did.
Our little town lost 17 kids to that hellhole.

I still have the pages I tore out of Life magazine when they did what was considered shocking at the time – they ran a picture of every blessed one of those precious lost faces that week.

I’m starting to feel like the body counts coming out of Chicago every freakin’ weekend are numbing numbers anymore.

Is anyone paying attention to that place, besides the families who have to come identify a body?

The city of Chicago has experienced another bloody and violent weekend as six people were fatally shot and 27 others were wounded by gunfire.

Officers responded to two dozen separate shooting incidents from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, according to major incident notifications released Monday.

The incidents included the slaying of one man and wounding of four others early Saturday as they stood on a sidewalk and the wounding of three people, including two women, Saturday night on Chicago’s South Side when gunfire rang out from an alley at a group of people.

I don’t believe the new mayor is all that hep to keep tabs on what’s going on. He seems to have taken a dive into the social whirl of his position and forgotten to check the public servant part. That sure happens a lot with these big blue city Democrats, no?

Over the weekend, 6 were killed and 27 were shot.

Chicago is descending into a living hell, yet @ChicagosMayor tweeted all weekend like a flighty teen with his mouth open, agog at Beyoncé's presence.

Chicago will have to scrape and scramble to survive the next four years. pic.twitter.com/yl6rzWsVPU

— Chicago Contrarian (@ChicagoContrar1) July 24, 2023

Fan-girling is about right.

Hello, Beyonce. Chicago loves you, too! 👑 🐝

Have fun, stay safe and enjoy night two, everyone!!

Video: @PursuitDopeness pic.twitter.com/65xDjQiqLq

— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) July 23, 2023

Besides, Mayor Johnson knows he’s safe and sound. He can afford to head to a Beyonce concert. He doesn’t have to worry about being car-jacked or shot on his stoop as he unlocks his front door thanks to having basically a precinct’s worth of officers at his personal disposal.

Democrat equity. Mayor gets police protection. The people? Not so much https://t.co/jPAwzCDvaE

— John Kass (@John_Kass) July 23, 2023

Unlike your average Chicagoan inside…

Meanwhile, inside Wrigley Field: pic.twitter.com/5RkFJnO2Y1

— Damon (@damedonaldson) July 24, 2023

…or outside even Wrigley Field – who could tell the difference?

Disinvestment, poverty, and underfunded CPS schools are to blame for this brawl.

Video: @ChicagoCritter. pic.twitter.com/8DP8b7aH7q

— Chicago Contrarian (@ChicagoContrar1) July 24, 2023

Great night for a ballgame. Or just a bat to the head.

Whatever. Remember how I said the Life magazine issue with “One Week’s Dead” was so shocking? No worries about local media shocking anyone in ChiTown. It’s like the weekend didn’t happen for the Chicago Tribune Monday front page…

…although you can find one sad story buried in their Chicagoland section from yesterday. The violence can touch anyone and everyone. The pastor was prominent enough for the Tribune to make a note of his bereavement.

Prominent Chicago pastor, community activist remembers 16-year-old grandson who was shot and killed Friday

…Hood, a prominent Chicago pastor and community activist, recounted some of his favorite memories of his grandson, who was shot and killed Friday night. He also called for measures to stop gun violence, a cause he’s spent much of his career championing.

According to the paper, the violence is letting up…

…Chicago Police Department data shows that in the first half of 2023 Chicago recorded 304 killings — a 7% decrease compared with the first six months of 2022, when the city saw 328 killings. The city recorded another 844 nonfatal shootings in the first half of this year, down from the 904 in the first six months of 2022.

…but people surely don’t feel as if it is.

Why didn’t the VP address the violence when she was in Chicago last weekend? Total so far this year: 1717 people shot,of 330 killed. So far this weekend, 21 wounded & 6 killed. Where is the Democratic leadership?
⁦@VP⁩ ⁦@JBPritzker⁩ @ChicagosMayor⁩ pic.twitter.com/SLgYUeTkgj

— Bob Fioretti (@BobFiorettiChi) July 23, 2023

It’s only going to get better when the new no-cash bail law kicks in, not that the bail laws have been much help. They haven’t really impeded the Chicago violence…or slowed anyone down from completing contracted business. When you give your word to do a job and there’s money involved, some people follow through.

YOICKS

Hitman killed target while on bail for trying to disarm a cop, prosecutors say

Prosecutors this week charged a Chicago man with first-degree murder for what, according to the allegations, appears to be a hit-for-hire that claimed the life of a 34-year-old man in May.

Darius Jackson, 33, was held without bail on Friday by Judge Barbara Dawkins.

Jackson was on felony bail for a pending case of attempting to disarm a police officer at the time of the alleged murder. He’s the 15th person accused of shooting, killing, or trying to shoot or kill someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony. The cases involve at least 21 victims, eight of whom died.

I think this fellow’s a bit older than the “kids” the mayor was referring to when he said

WATCH: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson defends rioters who looted stores, shot into crowds & viciously beat innocent citizens:

"Demonizing children is wrong. […] pic.twitter.com/Kxue1JqDuG

— Gryphon (@Gryph911) April 20, 2023

…but this fellow obviously got his start somewhere. Lord knows there’s plenty of on-the-job training most anywhere a kid looks in that town.