My Block, My Porch and 15 Shots Heard Around the World!

Greetings fellow readers, 

I had to post something about the experience I had this week on my block....Typically, I highlight all the #goodinenglewood on this blog and believe me, I've been slacking lately because there is tons of #goodinenglewood stories to report!

From Alan Mather of Lindlom H.S. winning the Golden Apple Award, to a dynamic Teen Tennis Player from Englewood, to one of R.A.G.E. co-founders Rashanah Baldwin making the Front Page of the Tribune....See above.....It is exciting to see this narrative about Englewood slowly but surely making its way to the "mainstream" media! It's a start but of course the struggle continues.....

Let me paint you a picture of my afternoon on May 28th....I had an interview scheduled at 3:30pm with a reporter from NPR to talk about the newly created Large Lot Program....This is a program where homeowners like myself have the opportunity to purchased a city owned vacant lot anywhere on the block in which they reside...I am elated about this program and can't wait to see the different ideas residents will implement after they trick out these open spaces.... 

Interview with WTTW on my block in early in May

I personally want a communal space that everyone on the block can enjoy....And now that I have a puppy, I've been thinking about adding some dog park components to the space....Anyway, that was the REAL reason the reporter was here....

Courtesy of Chicago Tribune - On my block

In the last few weeks, I've conducted interviews with reporters from the Chicago Tribune, WTTW, and others on my block, my porch or at the open space I am looking to acquire....Well this day was no different....

About 10 mins. in the interview another member of RAGE who lives on the next block stopped by....We continued the interview and in a matter of 7 secs, 15 gun shots rang out.....My initial reaction was a mix of being stunned, nervous, embarrassed, and even fearful....I was literally in a daze....I have been on my block for over 10 years and unfortunately I have heard shots before, but have never witnessed a shooter in action....What I've noticed is that there are inexperienced shooters running around with faulty guns and these cowards run or drive quickly with no real aim to their intended target....These are typically the incidents where the wrong person is hit....Case in point the recent teacher who was shot and killed in the Chatham area while in a real estate office....This was such a sad story.....

However, this incident was different....This shooter or should I say the assassinator, calmly shot directly at his target walking slowly with the largest gun I ever seen....."Oh My Jesus" (the twitter quote around the world for this story) was the first words that slipped my lips....And other comments that were expressions of utterly shock...All while the recorder of this NPR reporter continues to roll...Demond, another RAGE co-founder and a frequent visitor of my porch, is equally stunned because this is his walking pathway to work, this is where we both ride our bikes, and the porch is where we frequently conduct strategic meetings....And now this is unfortunate incident is captured on national news....As hard as we work to change the narrative of Englewood, in a matter of seconds that negative, deadly, war zone perception was feeding into a recorder for the world to confirm this horrific story.....

I couldn't believe the space, where I consider my unofficial office was under attack....A community that I love; a block I cherish; in the midst of talking about the work I adore; was abruptly violated...

I was highly offended....This is not the norm for me or for whomever I invite to this sacred space, I call home...We work tirelessly at R.A.G.E. to shift the perception of our community and will continue to do so regardless of how many shootings are reported on the news....This is my block, my porch, my community and I know what happened here is a bigger problem that everyone is ignoring...I witnessed a killer in action....A "rare breed" who is dealing with issues beyond my capacity....However, the majority of the residents on my block know that this is NOT acceptable and if my voice in that interview, is what was needed for my city and country to recognized that this is bigger than gun control policies....Then so be it....I personally don't think this is just a gun control issue, this is a poverty control issue...

We know if the REAL issues are not addressed; we will continue to produce this "rare breed" of individuals, who will walk slowly towards their target, in broad daylight, on a safe passage route, with families and children out and about, for everyone to see and even record....These situations will become the NORM all over Chicago not just in Englewood.....This paints a deeper picture, a picture that is bigger than my block....This is structural violence, that is an element of our society; a society that takes pride in war and mayhem.  There has been a structure in place, where an entire race has been marginalized for years, stripped from core human values, taught to hate oneself and reacts with vicious attacks. This structure has produce a society that looks at a person life as worthless than a pair of gym shoes....

One day of ACTION in Chicago is not enough, a hashtag #putthegunsdown or #savechicago is not enough, 5000 men on a block is not enough, the anti-violent marches are not enough, a PSA on the same radio stations that promote violent songs is not enough...We need to deploy deeper strategies to keep our community safe as well as find a way to handle these "rare breeds"....

Please know this is NOT the NORM and nothing will make me believe that it is....This was my block, my porch, and 15 shots heard around the world....My question to you is how can you as a citizen of Chicago help to keep your block and your community safe? Because if you are like me, I am not equip to handle the "rare breeds"....But I am equip, ready and committed to create PEACE for the majority of us who just want to LIVE, LOVE, and LAUGH!! 

If you are ready to join forces you can either join RAGE or other groups who are working to have safe and livable communities....

My work won't stop and I hope if you are sitting on the sidelines hearing these stories on the news, you too will be inspired to do something to ensure this behavior does not become the NORM....Until next time....Don't just complain or feel sorry for residents like myself who live in Englewood...Find a way to TAKE ACTION to CREATE the block, community and CITY you truly desire....

Aysha Butler~ 


You can read my official statement here.