AWC Family Foundation Lecture Series at Hillsdale in D.C. Addresses “Spiraling Violence in Chicago: Causes and Solutions”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Author and journalist Matt Rosenberg delivered a lecture titled “Spiraling Violence in Chicago: Causes and Solutions” at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship on February 28. The event was part of the AWC Family Foundation Lecture series. Faculty and media attended both the lecture and the reception that followed.
“There’s violent crime aplenty in Chicago. But punishment? Not so much,” said Rosenberg, author and long-time Chicago resident. He said that the increase in violent crime reflects the city’s “broken criminal justice system,” which is more focused on emptying prisons than it is on restraining or preventing future violence. In particular, Rosenberg argued, a narrow definition of justice as exclusively a matter of race-based social justice has begun to blind prosecutors and judges to the harm they are doing to Chicagoans — particularly the victims of violent crime and their families.
“Political leaders need to stop walking on eggshells when it comes to the breakdown of the nuclear family in low-income black communities,” Rosenberg said. “Young men need fathers — without fathers they flounder.” To address the city’s rising violence, Rosenberg argued that policy-makers and individuals alike must acknowledge the decay of the family unit.
He also promoted several legal reforms to improve Chicago’s violent crime epidemic, particularly arguing for an end to low-cash or no-cash bail for armed carjacking.
In addition to these policy recommendations, Rosenberg praised the efforts of non-profits and individuals engaging in neighborhood economic development, violence prevention programs, and poverty remediation efforts. “Change at the family and individual levels is equally essential,” he said.
Matt Rosenberg is a journalist, author, and former Yellow Cab driver in Chicago, where he lived for 30 years. He has worked for numerous publications, including the Seattle Times as an op-ed columnist and the Chicago-Sun Times, where he worked on the Pulitzer-finalist Mirage Tavern investigation. A former senior fellow at the Cascadia Center, he has worked on public policy and political campaigns. He has written for numerous publications and is also the author of the recent book, “What Next, Chicago? Notes of a Pissed-Off Native Son.”
Media interested in future Hillsdale in D.C. events should email Emily Stack Davis.