Hundreds of people gathered on Chicago's West Side to talk with Mayor Lori Lightfoot about the city's most pressing problems, from gun violence to housing concerns. Community members and leaders representing a coalition of nearly 100 religious and civic groups gathered at DRW College Prep in Homan Square Sunday afternoon. 
United Power for Action and Justice is the coalition behind Sunday's meeting. The group emphasizes offering pragmatic solutions rather than "pie in the sky" ideals. While the coalition said they appreciated Lightfoot's words Sunday, the group said it's time to translate those remarks into results. MORE

Our approach is indirect, but it has proven to be effective. We propose rebuilding every inch of the South and West sides where violent crime is concentrated, where the overwhelming majority of innocent victims are harmed, and where the small minority of violent criminals roam free through more than one third of the city. The city will become less violent when the abandoned buildings and vacant lots, now numbering in the thousands, are occupied by scores of new affordable homes and decent affordable apartments. We intend to take back every square inch of the neighborhoods now dominated by benign neglect and sensational headlines about violent crime. The presence of hard-working homeowners and renters will do what no policing strategy or service program can ever do: It will create a new majority of peace-loving neighbors who will enforce different standards of behavior where chaos has held sway for so long.   More on Metro IAF proposal in Crain's Chicago Business here

How Mayor Lightfoot can use the power of Chicago’s purse to create safer guns​

​“She has a chance to help reduce gun-related suicides, accidental shootings and the violence caused by stolen guns.”
OpEd in Chicago Sun Times by Alec Harris, Renee Reilly and Rose Mabwa, leaders of United Power for Action and Justice, Metro IAF 

To our thinking, the lesson of Walmart is that substantial gun reform may eventually succeed in Congress, if enough puppets of the gun lobby are run out of office. Ordinary citizens can further the cause by putting pressure on corporate America.

​"The shareholders’ resolution was drafted by a group of religious leaders — the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility — and a grassroots advocacy group — the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation."   More from CST Editorial.
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