Shirley Chambers had four wonderful children. Like all mothers she had hopes and dreams for every one of them. Today all four are dead, victims of America's Genocide, the epidemic we lack the honesty or courage to address.
Shirley's oldest boy, Carlos, was shot by a classmate when he was only 18 years old. The tragedy was almost too much to bear.
Shirley lived in the infamous Cabrini-Green welfare housing development, which thankfully has been torn down. But not before gang violence in the apartment complex claimed the life of Shirley's daughter, LaToya. LaToya was caught in the cross fire of gang warfare right in the Cabrini-Green lobby.
Only two months later LaToya's older brother Jerome was shot and killed, likely a victim of gang violence.
Shirley Chambers begged and pleaded for her only remaining child, Ronnie, to abandon the gang lifestyle and chose a different path in life. Ronnie, who was known by his nickname "Scoobie" did just that and turned into a mentor, helping other young men leave the gangs and explore other pathways, including music. He became a notable rap performer and recently appeared on Ricki Lake's Chicago television show.
He told Ricki that the murders of his two brothers and sister made him change his life.
"That right there, you know, me in and out of jail, let me know I had to do something different," Chambers said.
Just one month later Scoobie was dead, shot in the head as he sat in a parked car.
Shirley Chambers has lost all four children to gun violence. None were killed with so-called "assault weapons." None of the murders would be prevented by the gun control legislation President Obama has proposed.
And, in spite of Rev. Jesse Jackson's pleas yesterday, President Obama has no plans to visit Chicago or to propose any solutions to reduce the real gun violence destroying America.
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