Upper middle-class, white boy, bashed by former Black Panther

By Robert Tornabene

Senator Bobby Rush and Congressman Mark Kirk, got into a very heated dispute over Senator Mark Kirk's request to the incoming Illinois U.S. Attorney to target the Gangster Disciples. Senator Bobby Rush's comment which fueled the fire was, “upper middle-class, elitist, white boy solution to a problem he knows

nothing about.", referring to Congressman Kirk's request. 

Now regardless of Congressman Kirk's intentions or beliefs, Congressman Kirk was looking to help the City of Chicago by utilizing the vast resources of the United States Attorney's Office to attack the gang problem. Whether the reality of arresting approximately 18,000 gang members or just a percentage is a good idea, it is what our elected officials are supposed to do, propose solutions. Aren't they?

After reviewing Bobby Rush's Congressional record, which is available off of his Congressional website, especially for someone whom lost his son "Huey" in 1999 to a shooting in Chicago. One would believe his actions would be to address the violence with a vim and vigor that would surely want to find a solution, so no other parent has to suffer the loss of a child or loved one. 

But in the last two years, including the highest homicide rate in 2012 in Chicago. But in the 111th congress, just two legislative sessions ago, Senator Rush 

The bills listed below were listed on Congressman Rush's website under his Public Safety action page: In the 111th Congress this is what he proposed to congress:

• Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 (H.R. 45): A bill that gives us sensible
  
  gun control legislation. Died (Referred to Committee)
• The CAN DO Act of 2009 (H.R. 1303): A bill that focuses on reducing youth homicides and gun violence. Died (Referred to Committee)
• The Conflict Resolution and Mediation Act of 2009 (H.R. 4000): A bill that would provide funds to schools most affected by conflict and violence with the tools to teach other ways of resolving differences.Died (Referred to Committee)
• The Families Beyond Bars Act of 2010 (H.R. 5747): A bill that seeks to help develop and maintain family ties between children and their incarcerated parents.  It is designed to help children cope with the trauma of having an incarcerated parent and
•  break the cycle of violence and prison. Died (Referred to Committee)

In the 113th Congress, Bobby Rush sponsored the following:

• H.R. 955: Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2013 (Referred to Committee 3/15/2013) 1% chance of being enacted. 
• H.R. 34: Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2013  (Referred to Committee 1/3/2013) 2% chance of passing committee

It would seem in the area of Crime and Violence prevention Congressman Bobby Rush's record just over the last two congressional sessions that he has a habit of proposing legislation, that has no possible point of passing. It would appear that his attack on those who propose action, simply to deflect the fact that he has failed to address the very crime, violence and death that is facing the constituents that he serves.   As a point of fact, his page listed bills he is sponsoring include one act that he has little or no chance of passing and has failed to leave committee in three congressional sessions.

•  H.R.34 : Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2013
• 2. H.R.955 : Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2013
• 3. H.R.1403 : Family Telephone Connection Protection Act of 2013
• 4. H.R.1917 : United States-Cuba Normalization Act of 2013
• 5. H.RES.155 : Expressing the necessity for the Members of the House of Representatives to use the term "undocumented" instead of the term "illegal" when referring to foreign nationals which are working in the United States without proper documentation.

It would appear that Congressman Rush's is a reactionary elected official, he has not initiated any legislation that has any hopes of passing. Congressman Rush says he wants to help the community and his press releases talk about what a great job he is doing, but his congressional activity record should be a wake up call for his constituency. But Congressmen Rush relies on low information voters to continue to re-elect and support his inaction and failure to address quality of life issues facing the communities he is supposed to represent.  

Updated... 

Protesters lead by Fred Hampton, went to Senator Mark Kirk's downtown offices, their goal to support Bobby Rush and accuse Senator Kirk of specifically targeting African Americans with his request to target the Gangster Disciples.

According to the Chicago Tribune..."Fred Hampton Jr., the son of slain Black Panther Fred Hampton Sr., led a handful of other activists who condemned the Republican senator's idea, which he floated last month."

"Hampton Jr., 43, called the proposal a war on the African-American community and charged it would encourage police to stop, question, harass and arrest young black men."

"This is nothing other than a euphemism for an intense war to be waged against the black community," said Hampton Jr., who chairs the Prisoners of Conscience Committee and the Black Panther Party Cubs, both African-American grassroots groups."  

Hampton went on to say..."Take into account the history of how the City of Chicago has used such language," Hampton Jr. said. "What we've seen is, there was the war on drugs and guns. That war made it justified … to shoot young brothers in the back, to close public schools, to make mass arrests under the umbrella of a war on gangs or guns."

However, history has surpassed both of these gentlemen and the times that we live in include an African American President, something neither of them thought they would ever see in their life time. 

Now the two Mark Kirk and Bobby Rush will meet with a mediator, Dick Durbin to help smooth over their differences so that they can move on to the business of serving the people. 

We shall see.