Jesse Jackson, a resident of Chicago, joined other Chicagoans who have lost relatives to gunfire in stating that in order for the deadly rate of shootings in Chicago to be abated, Barack Obama needs to pay a visit to his hometown.
Jackson said, “When the president shows up, it shows ultimate national seriousness. My greatest fear about the gun violence in Chicago is that we’re adjusting to it.”
Jackson was echoed by Anita Crittenden, the aunt of a murder victim, who added that a visit by Obama would “get the leaders to think and step up and make some changes.”
Some of the outbursts were triggered by the murder of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was a part of a high school band that performed at Obama’s January 17 inauguration. The White House’s “We The People” website features a petition that asks Obama to come to Pendleton’s funeral.
There were 506 murders in in Chicago in 2012, which was an increase of 17 percent from 2011.