Retired General Suggests National Guard Should Patrol Chicago

Lt. Gen. (ret.) Russel L. Honore

A story that hasn't gained much traction outside the Midwest is Chicago's uptick in shootings and other violent crimes. It's startling to read about homicides as a nearly routine weekend Second City story. Why Chicago has not exactly heard the message from Newtown should give both sides on the gun rights/gun control issue something to consider.

It's gotten to the point where people are contemplating dramatic remedies to the atmosphere of violence. To that end, a retired lieutenant general, formerly in charge of the military's response to Hurricane Katrina, suggested Chicago municipal authorities ask for a National Guard presence on Windy City streets.

A recent Chicago Tribune report noted the officer in question, Russel L. Honore, raised the issue during a news conference connected to The HistoryMakers project. (The initiative's goal is "to record and archive the stories of African-American military leaders," according to the Tribune.) Honore's call out for effective action against gun violence strongly resonates in Chicago's African-American neighborhoods, where the majority of crimes of foul play take place.