National Democrats are silent about the violence in Chicago, the skyrocketing increase in murders and shootings, and the mobs of looters who pillaged the city's finest shopping district the other day.
There is no political advantage for them to mention the violence in Democratic cities. All they care about is getting rid of President Donald Trump.
And the national media — meaning the Democratic Media Complex of the Washington Beltway — is also consumed by Trump. That's understandable. They loathe Trump, and there's a presidential election going on. If they think of Chicago at all, it is to bend Chicago to their narrative about Trump.
But let me tell you about a Chicago man who doesn't fit into any of the approved narratives.
Demisck Lomax.
I doubt Nancy Pelosi knows his name. And the Beltway media won't mention Lomax on those Sunday TV political talk shows. He's under their radar. They don't have to deal with him.
But Chicago has to deal with him. Because what happened to Lomax defines just about everything going on there lately.
Lomax was arrested in that giant mob of looters that descended on North Michigan Avenue early Monday. According to prosecutors, Lomax was outside the Burberry store around 12:30 a.m. About that time, caravans of looters were pouring into the wealthy and upper middle-class neighborhood, smashing windows, stealing from expensive shops, and causing an estimated tens of millions of dollars in damage.
Prosecutors say Lomax used a chunk of concrete to smash the Burberry store window. When two Chicago cops tried to arrest him, Lomax allegedly grabbed another chunk and whipped it at the head of a Chicago police sergeant. Then he allegedly ran off. The cops chased him down and caught him.
He was in court Monday, just hours after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot — clearly embarrassed about the latest crime wave — held a news conference to publicly plead with prosecutors and judges to keep looters behind bars. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, the darling of the social justice warriors, held her own news conference in response to Lightfoot to tell everyone about her emotions and complain that she was being picked on.
"It does not serve us to have dishonest blame games when all of our hearts are breaking by what we're seeing," Foxx said.
Worry more about the hearts of victims. They have feelings too, Kim.
It's clear, though, she's under stress. Lightfoot is ratcheting up the pressure on her but still hasn't called her out by name. And the media is holding Foxx to account for failing to be tough on crime. A Chicago Tribune analysis, showing how she's dropped more cases than her predecessor, adds to the pressure.
But let's not get distracted. Can we get back to Lomax?
There he was in bond court, awaiting judgment.
You might think that allegedly smashing a plate-glass window on Michigan Avenue, then grabbing trench coats and other stuff that didn't belong to him, then winding up and throwing a chunk at a sergeant, forcing the sergeant to block it with his hand (the sergeant getting that hand smashed in the process) might be enough to keep him behind bars. Especially with police body cameras, according to officials, showing the whole thing.
Lomax, 25, was charged with aggravated battery of a police officer. Prosecutors say he has previous narcotics convictions. You might expect him to sit in jail until trial.
And you'd be right, in that Chicago of old.
But this is the new Chicago, with social justice warriors running the prosecutors office and the judiciary.
So, what happened to Lomax, the (alleged) concrete chucker?
He walked out after paying $500 in bond. That's right.
Cook County Judge Mary Marubio set his bail at $5,000. Lomax only had to come up with $500.
I first read about this fascinating story on the Twitter feed of CWB Chicago, which covers a lot of crime news. Chicago Ald. Brendan Reilly, who represents much of the looted area, was furious with the bond for Lomax. So I confirmed the CWB account with law enforcement, then called Reilly.
"It has to change and change fast," said Reilly. "What we're seeing here with all the violence in Chicago is the result of a series of bad policy decisions, including the push for low bond and the criminal justice revolving door.
"I don't want people in jail for nonviolent crimes, but now, there aren't any consequences for committing any crime. Police catch a lot of the bad guys, but bond court is a joke, with prosecutors and judges releasing violent offenders. It's predictable that they're going to do the same thing once they're released. It all sends a message. This has to stop."
But will it?
No.
National media and national politicians look down on Chicago from 30,000 feet as they fly overhead to the coasts. But here, on the ground, the people of the city flinch, waiting for the next wave of mob violence they figure is coming.
Those with means, like those in the expensive condos looking down on the mobs of looters on North Michigan Avenue, make plans to leave. And those without means know they're stuck.
They don't figure into any of the approved political narratives. They're just collateral damage.
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