Kass on Chicago Dems: "For more than a century street gangs have been political muscle for the Democratic Party"

Chicago's South Side

Have you ever noticed that Chicago politicians regularly decry gun violence but rarely speak out against street gangs. These guns don't fire themselves.

After horrific mass shooting during a memorial service for a fatal shooting earlier in the day on Sunday in the Brighton Park neighborhood, Ald Ray Lopez (15th) spoke out against gangs--and now he's under police protection.

It's about time that an city official condemned gangs. But don't expect too many pols to follow his lead. In his Chicago Tribune column yesterday, John Kass brought up the dirtiest secret in Chicago, and yes, it involves street gangs.

It is an intergenerational problem, of grandfathers and fathers and sons and mothers and daughters wearing their gang colors. And it is woven into the history of Chicago politics, where for more than a century street gangs have been political muscle for the Democratic Party.

As I've mentioned on this blog several times, shortly before the 2011 citywide elections, there were a series of meetings between City Council candidates and gang leaders.

Of course there were other gatherings before 2011 and probably many more since.

Chicago has a street gang problem. Gun violence is only a symptom.

When will the feds investigate the ties between Chicago politicians and street gangs?