Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You could make the argument that If Richard Daley and John F Kennedy were alive today, they would be considered Republican.
A bit far from that for Daley for sure and why....
- By the 1960’s Chicago had the last big urban political machine. At least 20,000 people holding city and county jobs were expected to "turn out the vote." The first day of the 68' Democratic Convention, delegates were greeted by 20,000 patronage employees holding signs reading "We love Mayor Daley." Daley used virtually every city and county dept. -- to control jobs that in turn guaranteed Daley hundreds of thousands of votes on Election Day.
- The whole world watched Daley’s cops beat anti-war protesters during the 68' convention. Chicago had a police "red squad" that was as large as New York City's. There was vast corruption really stolen from the Middle-Working-Class then too from all those still employed by the Manufacturing plants that would then leave our inner cities.
- After every election .... the Chicago Tribune ran a full-page containing pictures of graveyards and abandoned buildings where "ghost voters" had been registered by the Machine. But no Republicans were demanding Voter ID laws then. Daley's machine election war chest had much came back to them in the form of huge bond issues, inflated construction contracts, tax abatements and the like ... so what is so Republican about that?
- Since the Depression, African Americans in the North have voted for the Democratics. But in Chicago, one's job was often tied to making sure family members -- and even neighbors voted "the straight Democratic ticket. In Chicago following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr the city had some rioting .... Daley issued "shoot to kill" orders for rioters and looters.
- Throughout the weekend, police in the Lawndale, Austin and Woodlawn neighborhood mobs of men, women and children moved from store to store, busting storfronts and taking what they found from largely white-owned businesses that lined Madison St and Homan and Kedzie Ave's. Fires blazed out of control across the West Side.
- No official death toll was given for the tragedy, although published accounts say nine to 11 people died during the rioting and 350 people were arrested for looting and 162 buildings were destroyed by arson. Then Bulldozers moved in to clean up after the rioters, leaving behind vacant lots.
Some of the above came from this FAR RIGHT LINK of the TOWNHALL.
Though as SOME IN THIS THREAD it claims this is what Chicago needs now in Daley's SHOOT TO KILL orders and such. So many of you will no doubt agree with the commentary.
*** CHICAGO DID HAVE LOOTING IN 68' and even more. Just apparently less of the looting was centered downtown as this time sadly. STILL NOT BURNED DOWN or burned in any degree even close to then blocks as occurred on the South and West sides.
SOME OF YOU DENIED THERE WAS LOOTING THEN <<< BUT THERE WAS. Still Daley did refer to Black Activist and probably the anti-Vietnam protesters included who were a large part --- what he called "The Far Left" and even Democrats basically see BLM and other groups as Far Left in their Party and Bernie Sanders side of the Party.
A bit far from that for Daley for sure and why....
- Since the Depression, African Americans in the North have voted for the Democratics. But in Chicago, one's job was often tied to making sure family members -- and even neighbors voted "the straight Democratic ticket. In Chicago following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr the city had some rioting .... Daley issued "shoot to kill" orders for rioters and looters.
One quick clarification (but an important one), Chicago rioting was WIDESPREAD following the assassination of MLK, but Daley only ordered "Shoot to kill" for ARSONISTS. Because, arson is a terrible and potentially deadly crime, it really isn't much different from shooting a rifle wildly into the air in a populated area - it's only a matter of time before you kill someone - setting fire to a closed bank can easily spread to a nursing home. Arsonists SHOULD be shot on sight center-mass as far as I'm concerned. "Looters and rioters", not so much, although Daley did include looters in his "shoot to maim" decree. Does a guy stealing a TV deserve to be knee-capped? Not sure - if it's my store and my TV, then yeah, but if it's YOUR TV, then I guess that's up to you. Rubber bullets? All day, every day. A nice grapefruit-sized bruise on your thigh is the cost of a new TV, as long as you can avoid dropping it on the way out of the broken window.
Issuing I-bonds and refusing to charge, especially for repeat offenders, and more especially for gun crimes, is fueling much of the current rioting, and every Democratic mayor and prosecutor in the affected cities is as culpable for the damage as if they were buying gasoline for the peaceful protesters with their personal credit cards. Barr has considered charges against them, and to be honest, it needs to be given much more consideration. At the very least, they are guilty of dereliction of duty.
One quick clarification (but an important one), Chicago rioting was WIDESPREAD following the assassination of MLK, but Daley only ordered "Shoot to kill" for ARSONISTS. Because, arson is a terrible and potentially deadly crime, it really isn't much different from shooting a rifle wildly into the air in a populated area - it's only a matter of time before you kill someone - setting fire to a closed bank can easily spread to a nursing home. Arsonists SHOULD be shot on sight center-mass as far as I'm concerned. "Looters and rioters", not so much, although Daley did include looters in his "shoot to maim" decree. Does a guy stealing a TV deserve to be knee-capped? Not sure - if it's my store and my TV, then yeah, but if it's YOUR TV, then I guess that's up to you. Rubber bullets? All day, every day. A nice grapefruit-sized bruise on your thigh is the cost of a new TV, as long as you can avoid dropping it on the way out of the broken window.
Issuing I-bonds and refusing to charge, especially for repeat offenders, and more especially for gun crimes, is fueling much of the current rioting, and every Democratic mayor and prosecutor in the affected cities is as culpable for the damage as if they were buying gasoline for the peaceful protesters with their personal credit cards. Barr has considered charges against them, and to be honest, it needs to be given much more consideration. At the very least, they are guilty of dereliction of duty.
My point was.... looting DID occur as some said it did no. Also is Daley really a Republican? Guess it was that if today to infer he would be? That would be a topic for a new thread perhaps? So I even used a Far Right link to prove the case for looting occurred and especially with MLK's death. Chicago was not spared as inferred as if Daley Prevented it....
Just Wikipedia has a historic lesson on the 68 riots alone. What it says in link.
- Rioters and police in Chicago - ironically a place of which King himself said “I’ve been in many demonstrations all across the South, but I can say that I have never seen, even in Mississippi and Alabama, mobs as hostile and as hate-filled as I’m seeing in Chicago” - were particularly aggressive, and the damage was severe.
- Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. experienced some of the worst riots following King's assassination. In Chicago itself, more than 48 hours of rioting left 11 Chicago citizens dead, 48 wounded by police gunfire, 90 policemen injured, and 2,150 people arrested. Three miles of East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park on West Madison Street were left in a state of rubble.
- On April 5, 1968, violence sparked on the West side of Chicago, gradually expanding to consume a 28-block stretch of West Madison Street and leading to additional damage on Roosevelt Road. The Austin and Lawndale neighborhoods on the West Side, and the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side experienced the majority of the destruction and chaos.
The rioters broke windows, looted stores, and set buildings (both abandoned and occupied) on fire. Firefighters quickly flooded the neighborhood, and Chicago's off-duty firefighters were told to report to work. There were 36 major fires reported between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm alone.
- The next day, Mayor Richard J. Daley imposed a curfew on anyone under the age of 21, closed the streets to automobile traffic, and halted the sale of guns or ammunition.
- Approximately 10,500 police were sent in, and by April 6,
- more than 6,700 Illinois National Guard troops had arrived in Chicago
- with 5,000 soldiers from the 1st Armored and 5th Infantry Divisions being ordered into the city by President Johnson.
- The general in charge declared that no one was allowed to have gatherings in the riot areas and authorized the use of tear gas.
- Mayor Richard J. Daley gave police the authority "to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand ... and ... to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting any stores in our city."
Daley did as the MACHINE KINGPIN did act as such with his orders before CELL-PHONE RECORDINGS. What we have from them is NEWS RECORDINGS BASICALLY and accounts released and what the result was in numbers shot and injured and blocks burned.
All that is left is in comparison to today as being worst in any aspect vs the two major events of MLK Killed and days of looting and the Dem Convention still making DOWNTOWN CHICAGO a WAR-ZONE. Just that time was centered on S Michigan Av and Grant Park. I do not know if State Street was spared or no?
If state street was spared....great. Still within the next decade it basically STILL LOST MOST ITS RETAIL and not till the later 80s 90s began to come back. Sears, Montgomery Ward, Webolts, Carson Perrie Scot finally then even after the street was bouncing back. Most of the small businesses did fold in the 70s and XXX shops made it on South State St. I remember the LATE 70s yet with some and those UGLY FLUORESCENT OVERHANING end-of-the World's looking aqua street-lights. Starkly bright and could frighten even my LOL like the giant telescoping eyes of the War of the Worlds originally move.
Marshall Fields I still remember in two buildings. The one was for just men. That went early along with Sears Monkey Wards and years till that location got a new skyscraper. Most of you are too young to realize the fall State Street took even after millions were spent to make it into a a mall only for Spewing black smoke CTA buses of the era and great octogon dreary tiles my old home town in PA still has them ugly things on its sidewalks in need to be gone after decades. So State St still lost its retail RIOTS OR NOT in the next few years. The RIOTS were SEEN The WORLD OVER. and certainly tarnished America and CHICAGO ESPECIALLY. Moreso IMO then currently. Unless it gets worst by the time this election is over.
This Order or Daley to SHOOT to KILL and MAME .... was not using RUBBER BULLETS.
Realize Tanks WERE by Grant Park in the 60s riots too. White Young men were herded and beaten also in a large degree being anti-Vietnam protesters too as the war was ongoing for 8 years already. Even in the Democratic Leadership what OCCURRED IN CHICAGO IN THE 60s WAS CALLED GESTAPO TACTICS. Chicago had the ADDITION OF THE DEM CONVENTION TURMOIL THAT CULMINATED IN A VIRTUAL WAR-ZONE ----- DOWNTOWN.
Yes some say.... the looting of N Mich was far worst???? Was it really when that is replaceable by insurance a lot and it takes just money to replace that pain and suffering that is not a human body of ones Sons and Daughters.
Richard Nixon ran on a "law and order" platform, and won the presidency in a close election. And at the end of 1968, a special commission called what happened that night on the streets of Chicago a "police riot."
Richard J. Daley would be re-elected twice after 1968. But Daley's actions at the Democratic convention he brought home that year would stain his image in history, and the party and city he loved.
But things seemed dire in '68. The Vietnam war claimed the lives of 16,899 American military personnel that year, the highest number of casualties of any year during the war, an average of 46 per day, according to the Washington Post. (The total number of U.S. military personnel killed in the Vietnam war would exceed 58,000.) It finally ended with American withdrawal and the victory of North Vietnam and its Viet Cong allies in the south.
In the summer of '68, anti-Vietnam sentiment burned with increasing ferocity. It was fueled not only by the high casualty rates but also because the military draft insured that millions of young American men could be called to serve. By August of '68, a majority of Americans for the first time said the Vietnam War had been a mistake, according to the Gallup Poll.
Haynes Johnson, who covered the convention for the Washington Star, wrote later in Smithsonian Magazine that there was "a sense of impending disaster" as the delegates and the protesters gathered. "The weather was oppressively hot and humid," Johnson wrote. "The air conditioning, the elevators and the phones were operating erratically. Taxis weren't operating at all because the drivers had called a strike before the convention began.
The National Guard had been mobilized and ordered to shoot to kill, if necessary.
- Even as delegates began entering this encampment, an army of protesters from across the country flowed into the city, camping in parks and filling churches, coffee shops, homes and storefront offices....
- What followed was worse than even the most dire pessimist could have envisioned.
The Chicago convention became a lacerating event,
- a distillation of a year of heartbreak, assassinations, riots and a breakdown in law and order that made it seem as if the country were coming apart,
- destroying faith in politicians, in the political system, in the country and its institutions.
No one who was there, or who watched it on television, could escape the memory of what took place before their eyes.
For eight days the protesters were met by the Chicago Police Department in the streets and parks of Chicago while the U.S. Democratic Party met at the convention in the International Amphitheater, with the protests climaxing in what a major report later said was a "police riot" on the night of August 28, 1968.
My point was.... looting DID occur as some said it did no. Also is Daley really a Republican? Guess it was that if today to infer he would be? That would be a topic for a new thread perhaps? So I even used a Far Right link to prove the case for looting occurred and especially with MLK's death. Chicago was not spared as inferred as if Daley Prevented it....
....For eight days the protesters were met by the Chicago Police Department in the streets and parks of Chicago while the U.S. Democratic Party met at the convention in the International Amphitheater, with the protests climaxing in what a major report later said was a "police riot" on the night of August 28, 1968.
Lots of good history in your post, but it kind of sounds like you're arguing largely with yourself - if you are making the case that Chicago has been the scene of riots in the past and survived them, no argument here (but I don't see anyone else making that case, BTW). If you are also making the argument that Democratic politicians have been bad for Chicago going back to Daley the First, again no argument here, LOL (except to add that Daley's response was better than Lightfoot's IMHO - downtown was definitely a safer place in the 1960's than it is today). The Democratic party was split in half in the 1960's, and the "conservative" half of it was defeated by what it has become today - apologists (and outright supporters) for the likes of BLM and Antifa. Thanks, but no thanks, I'd rather go down fighting than bend my knee to that.
And yes, the U.S. "lost" Vietnam mainly due to the U.S. antiwar movement - if you go back and read the history, the North Vietnamese had been badly humbled by Operation Linebacker (the B-52 bombing of Hanoi) and the mining of Haiphong Harbor to prevent the entry of war materials from the USSR, and were ready to return to the negotiating table with their hats in their hands (Nixon could have had his "Peace with Honor"); what prevented them from having to do so, were the riots on American college campuses (and in Grant Park!) by those resistant to the DRAFT (wrapped in the cloak of being against "the war" in general). Embodied at the time by many an argument between Archie and Meathead (who remains a meathead to this day, btw).
Yeah, that's another thread, but the disintegration of American society has its roots in the 1960's. Not sure what the end will look like, the possibility of it getting REALLY ugly definitely exists. Not dissing you or your posts, which are mostly accurate, I only wanted to point out the Daley "shoot to kill order" was only against arsonists (and was justified in my mind). Portland endured what, 90 days of riots? Mayors are supposed to stop one percent of the population (or less) from terrorizing the other 99 percent. Unless, of course, they want the other 99 percent to start shooting rioters from their windows, which has the potential to turn Chicago into Beirut, which I don't think anyone wants. But push regular people far enough....
Last edited by Curly Q. Bobalink; 09-18-2020 at 06:01 PM..
Lots of good history in your post, but it kind of sounds like you're arguing largely with yourself - if you are making the case that Chicago has been the scene of riots in the past and survived them, no argument here (but I don't see anyone else making that case, BTW). If you are also making the argument that Democratic politicians have been bad for Chicago going back to Daley the First, again no argument here, LOL (except to add that Daley's response was better than Lightfoot's IMHO - downtown was definitely a safer place in the 1960's than it is today). The Democratic party was split in half in the 1960's, and the "conservative" half of it was defeated by what it has become today - apologists (and outright supporters) for the likes of BLM and Antifa. Thanks, but no thanks, I'd rather go down fighting than bend my knee to that.
And yes, the U.S. "lost" Vietnam mainly due to the U.S. antiwar movement - if you go back and read the history, the North Vietnamese had been badly humbled by Operation Linebacker (the B-52 bombing of Hanoi) and the mining of Haiphong Harbor to prevent the entry of war materials from the USSR, and were ready to return to the negotiating table with their hats in their hands (Nixon could have had his "Peace with Honor"); what prevented them from having to do so, were the riots on American college campuses (and in Grant Park!) by those resistant to the DRAFT (wrapped in the cloak of being against "the war" in general). Embodied at the time by many an argument between Archie and Meathead (who remains a meathead to this day, btw).
Yeah, that's another thread, but the disintegration of American society has its roots in the 1960's. Not sure what the end will look like, the possibility of it getting REALLY ugly definitely exists. Not dissing you or your posts, which are mostly accurate, I only wanted to point out the Daley "shoot to kill order" was only against arsonists (and was justified in my mind). Portland endured what, 90 days of riots? Mayors are supposed to stop one percent of the population (or less) from terrorizing the other 99 percent. Unless, of course, they want the other 99 percent to start shooting rioters from their windows, which has the potential to turn Chicago into Beirut, which I don't think anyone wants. But push regular people far enough....
Some here.... claim Chicago's riots, looting and anything negative of doubt is about NOW this year and downtown had its worst riots ever and residual effect is all gloom and doom.
My replies as all others on politics and this awful year of racial strife added. Is NOT really the WORST the city seen or something if past examples say anything.... that Chicago cannot overcome and recover. Downtown IS INTACT PHYSICALLY outside of the Retail establishments looted. This Pandemic is the worst source of any permanent store closings as the tourist are extremely limited now by the pandemic not the riots residual damage that most retail will have insurance cover.
There was a far more sense of no return from I would think in 68 as the world DID see Chicago the focus of the news after MLK killing and Kenney,s and anti-vietnam + racial aspect ALL culminated in Chicago. Downtown was similar to Hong Kong of the more recent past. I do not think actual military tanks were by Grant Park.... but barbed jeeps and of course every other weapon police and National Guard could carry were.
Even Chicago's racial turmoil was not as if restarted..... it was all though the 60s especially and before had many. The final ending of the Vietnam undeclared War by the early 70s was what brought in a calm or some dormancy and attempt to move forward that really never was fixed the issues as we know. The 5 days of riots at the 68' Dem convention that culminated in downtown Chicago and neighborhoods was a scar that the word literally saw on their news with Chicago as the focal point that week. Still the underlining reasons never really addressed continued our inner-city issues of lost industry and racial issues. The Hoods remained and never overcame. Cleaning out worst blight only helped aesthetics. Finally getting some retail to move back still was nothing like the good former Union waged jobs that defined Chicago for decades that went suburbs to Asia.
Again, those predicting Chicago's death need to be reminded of history and how so much is repeated. Worst today??? That needs one actually to read up on all the happenings and turmoil throughout the 20th century from Union Busting shootings even mayor Daley played a roll in ..... to De-industrialization, white-flight, racial changed into more neighborhoods from the few all minorities were limited to before the 60s especially and to realize that ----- Chicago was a powder-keg of turmoil throughout most of its history that even this year still with its ugly face again seen .... has downtown intact with retail damage aside in;
- flowers still are blooming
- bus shelters but for a couple intact
- street-lights all standing proudly
- downtown clean as it was
- all the buildings still standing proud
- tourist attractions intact
Virtually all is intact but for the storefronts that hold the blemish you still see. This pandemic was far far more responsible for the possible furthering losses of businesses then just the looting. We still need this election to get though and pandemic over and then assess what the future brings over giving Chicago, NYC. Portland. Seattle and others LAST RITES as if a Catholic Priest at the death bed. Some politically think a Exorcism might be needed too. I think we those who want to look in the mirror can decide what that might mean to them. I certainly can by those that post in this forum politically.
I found this link on the ---- Lager Beer riots of 1855 (yes beer riots as it was called) was NOT ABOUT BLACKS as the lower-class to blame.... this all even before the Civil War the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
- During the Lager Beer Riot of 1855, Chicago's leaders also tried to use downtown bridge access to stymie dissent. This took place in the aftermath of an epidemic, after public health concerns shook up the city's politics, when an aggrieved minority that had been discriminated against and targeted by police refused to take any more abuse.
- The conflict asked fundamental questions about the structure and function of law enforcement, kicked off a wave of police reform, and tested the city’s commitment to multi-ethnic diversity.
As detailed in The Great Chicago Beer Riot:
- How Lager Struck a Blow for Liberty, an exhaustive 2015 account by John F. Hogan and Judy Brady, the incident was born of tensions between the native-born Protestant Chicagoans who founded the city and newer German and Irish immigrants. From 1850 to 1860, the population swelled from 30,000 to 112,000; nearly 40% of the city was German or Irish.
- Native-born locals viewed the newcomers with suspicion: The Germans were widely seen as subversive foreigners,
- the Irish as a distant species of subhuman.
The conservative Chicago Tribune towed the nativist line: "Who does not know that the most depraved, debased, worthless and irredeemable drunkards and sots which curse the community are Irish Catholics?" the paper asked its readers in 1855.
The Tribune was a Conservative publication as titled then, what draw-bridges built then were placed in up position and race and religion a key factor ...... still a wow that this early in Chicago's history race and who were ghetto people still were labeled. This also apparently before the Italian immigrant wave came and they were the lower-echelon too. Remember that Ole' Cabrini Green started in a Italian Ghetto it was originally and housing project then.
From link.
- Violence soon broke out between gangs and mobs of Black and white, concentrated in the South Side neighborhood surrounding the stockyards.
- After police were unable to quell the riots, the state militia was called in on the fourth day, but the fighting continued until August 3.
- Shootings, beatings and arson attacks eventually left 15 whites and 23 Blacks dead, and more than 500 more people (around 60 percent Black) injured. An additional 1,000 Black families were left homeless after rioters torched their residences.
List if Civil unrest and riots in Chicago in the 20th century.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
