* I often think JB Pritzker plays things way too safe, but I gotta give the candidate credit for even doing this event. Emotions can get so raw that one wrong move could’ve knocked this thing horribly off the rails. I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the video, and it appears he had some help keeping things on track, but I also thought he handled himself well, particularly when he pointed to his history of involvement with the Center on Wrongful Convictions and other programs and causes. NBC 5 was there…
MARY ANN AHERN: Emotions raw today as these mothers met with Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker. They’ve lost children to gun violence or in a police shooting, moving on for their other children, far from easy.
MOTHER 2: What the effect is afterwards? Nah, nah. Nightmares, he can’t even go in his Daddy’s room ’cause he hears stuff.
MARY ANN AHERN: They explain there are few resources for them to turn to.
MOTHER 3: We have to come up with the monies to pay for these funerals. The state doesn’t help us. You know? Cause if we go to the Attorney General or they are involved with a crime they don’t help. The city doesn’t help. So we are left all alone.
MARY ANN AHERN: Pritzker notes these mothers might have found help but the state’s budget crisis depleted social service agencies.
J.B. PRITZKER: Agencies closed. Things that people really need on the ground closed. Violence prevention programs closed. And so now we got to rebuild all of that.
MOTHER 2: I wasn’t expecting to do this.
MARY ANN AHERN: Frustrations are high. As they say they have heard campaign promises from politicians before.
* Black Lives Matter posted the video on Facebook. It’s worth a look…
- LevivotedforJudy - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:16 pm:
Interesting that Black Lives Matter posted this. If the JB campaign starts to push Juliana Stratton more too, it could really help get the Democratic base out to the polls. Her election as Lt. Guv would be historic for Illinois. Not much that Rauner could do to combat it.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:18 pm:
Even the most seasoned would find navigating here treacherous. Also, real sympathy and understanding, and being engaged and listening, you can’t fake that real-ness in these settings. You can’t spout trained responses to emotional pleas and heart wrenching stories.
Pritzker held his own. Impressed he took this on, that’s good on him. It’s important.
- Idear - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:22 pm:
I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t we ban guns? I’m sure if guns were banned, these children would still be alive. Right?
- Real - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:23 pm:
Good on JB. If it were Rauner all he would do is lay blame on Madigan.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:29 pm:
Tough questions. Yes, people are hurting, but what assistance should be provided to the families of people shot by police when they turn out to have been committing a crime and the shooting is found to be justified? And how do you maintain the support of good cops while doing so? Should we do more to assist those who lose relatives to gun violence in general through no fault of their own? Absolutely we should. It’s the murkier cases that are really, really tough. Even those are tragedies in their own right.
- Ike - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:30 pm:
Idear - got it. You like to repeat conservative talking points. You probably think that more guns is the only real solution to gun violence, as well. /s
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:33 pm:
JB already tried to ban sales of handguns to citizens in his last failed campaign.
- ChrisB - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:39 pm:
Rahm was there too, but promptly left.
https://splinternews.com/rahm-emanuel-ditches-meeting-in-cafe-when-confronted-by-1827738926
- Mike K - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 3:42 pm:
Thanks, Pritzker. You got me thinking you will matter.
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 4:07 pm:
I don’t really see how bankrupting the families of these people is helpful, Ron.