Kansas City counts 125 murders this year and no elected or appointed official will lose their job as a result of this unacceptable level of violence on local streets.
This year elected officials avoid any pointed questions from mainstream media as bodies piled up on neighborhood streets and the administration of Mayor Sly James was more interested in pursuing an agenda completely focused on corporate welfare development rather than addressing life threatening danger posed to residents of outside of the taxpayer subsidized downtown loop.
Across the street, the Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and her supporters touted a cynical and disgusting political argument which used gun violence as a political issue during an election year.
Finally, the leader of Kansas City's police department sparred with fellow law enforcement colleagues over the culture war topic of "unreasonable fear" of Black males while hotspot policing, community outreach and so many other buzzwords proved ineffective to prevent a historic KCMO body count.
What's worse is that the strategies employed by all of these Kansas City elected leaders directed blame and criticism back at the community, residents and voters rather than taking on any leadership or responsibility for a level of violence and murder that keeps trending higher.
Sadly, the rhetorical tricks of these public officials who are bound to serve the very public they seek to blame were mostly accepted and unquestioned by most so-called journalists in Kansas City.
And here is the danger and our warning for the new year . . .
IF LOCAL VOTERS REFUSES TO DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY, ANSWERS AND RESULTS FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE HORRIFIC KANSAS CITY HOMICIDE COUNT THEN THIS MASSACRE WILL CONTINUE IN 2017!!!
One liners and talking points can no longer be accepted when people are being beaten, robbed and killed in Kansas City at an alarming and increasing rate.
This isn't personal, Mayor Sly James, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and Chief Forté are all fine people but their performance and the politically motivated priorities of their offices have proven disastrous for the people of Kansas City. So often, criticism is met with hurt feelings and defensiveness from elected officials who only confirm their inability to cope with the duties of their office by an unwillingness to engage in any real discussion or debate. Given the current carnage on Kansas City streets, voters can no longer worry about sparing the feelings of these politicos for what is a clearly a dereliction of duty. With respect, calm but unyielding resolve . . . Kansas City must press for real answers to this homicide and violence crisis that goes beyond performance protest art or social justice whining. If our elected officials cannot or will not take the question of KC's sickening murder rate seriously, then they must be replaced and removed from office.
Holding our public officials accountable for the responsibilities they have sworn to uphold is vital to the future of communities, children and our local Democracy. Without a strident challenge to the status quo that has resulted in a shocking uptick in violence this year, Kansas City is doomed to relive the same tragic bloodshed in 2017.
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