Around 100 people gathered in the pews of the Chicago Temple building Monday night looking for faith-based answers to the gun violence that has ravaged the south and west sides of the city. The panel and conversation they came for portrayed the violence plaguing the city, and the nation, as multifaceted as the stained glass of the temple hall.
Though the conversation meandered—touching on everything from the bond system to the letters Dart has sent President Donald Trump—its main focus was the history of race, racism, and disinvestment in the city.
“I’ll ask them about the guns and the prevalence of them, and they without hesitation say to me, ‘Tom, if I’m walking on my street without a gun, I’m a fool,'” Dart said, attributing some of the fear to the dissolution of gang leadership and the disorder that has taken over. “They tell me over and over again, ‘Tom, if I’m going to come across three guys from another gang without a gun, I’m dead. If I get stopped with a gun, I’m still alive,’ and it’s hard to stop that logic.”
“In the beginning was the weapon, and the weapon was with God, and the weapon was God,” he said, using the opening words of John 1. “Grace and truth came from Jesus Christ—but control, power, and security come through the weapon.”
Moss suggested that she form a coalition with her former classmates and organize other like-minded people, not only to raise awareness, but to creatively engage people through a social media or art campaign related to issues of gun violence or resources for education.
