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Things have been quite interesting in the US the past few weeks. Of course being centered in Chicago (aka "the middle") my perspective is different - naturally. I am in awe of the way people treated the swine flu situation a few weeks ago.  With all respect that can possibly be due to those who were affected by the disease, Malaria has a running tote of 350 plus MILLION cases every YEAR. Over 1 MILLION people die from Malaria...I ain't sayin'...I'm just sayin'.

By definition a pandemic is -  occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population <pandemic malaria> .

With that in mind here in Chicago we are under the throws of a Pandemic. 36 children and teens have been murdered in Chicago. One crazy murder this past weekend and as I write this I am certain that there is a kid someplace in this city who is scared out of his shit thinking that he might get killed tonight. Roll that around in your mind. 36 kids murdered and it's only May. Scary stuff huh?

I tried to find stats for other US cities and their Teen Homicides but that is a hard find because Chicago is NUMBER ONE BABY! Somehow I do not feel like partying. I actually feel like crying. The usual suspects who seemingly appear with one poectic solution or a permed out hair-brained scheme to "stop the violence" are silent this go around. No noise from the afflent folk...too busy worrying about Olympic bids and the like. Even his honorless the Mayor is telling everybody to shut the fuck up! Olympics bitches...keep your mouth shut! 

Could it be because those 36 kids who died are of color? I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'.

It is so bad in Chicago that at one high school the students stay in the building until 6pm or later just so they can feel some form of safety. This is a pandemic too and it requires some attention too. Maybe if the number reaches 40 then people will care. Maybe if somebody dies in one of the mansions on the North Shore or downtown in Streeterville maybe someone will care, if something were to happen to an Aldermans son or daughter maybe then someone will care.

The biggest news out of Chicago this week? Oprah hooked up with KFC and gave away chicken dinners...which followed a low level riot around the US when Popeye's Chicken RAN OUT OF CHICKEN. 

Chicken is the new black...you dig?

pray for this city and its people.