The Chicago Way

​​Sean Connery.   
James Bond, Henry Jones, and one of my personal favorites..
  
Jimmy Malone

The Untouchables is one of my favorite films.  It dramatized the takedown of Al Capone by FBI agent Elliot Ness.  Capone would bribe and intimidate Chicago Police, and corrupt officials made it easy for the mob to conduct its business during the Prohibition Era.  Sean Connery plays Jimmy Malone, the jaded but honest beat cop who won’t be bought off.   
Recruited by Ness, Malone tells him if he’s going to beat the Mob, he has to do it the “Chicago Way”.  “If they pull a knife, you pull a gun.  If they put one of yours in the hospital, you put one of theirs in the morgue.”   
They proceed to wage a delightfully violent and well scripted war against Al Capone, eventually winning their war.  Except Jimmy Malone.  When confronted by a hitman with a stiletto, he utters the famous “Isn’t that just like a (racial slur), brings a knife to a gunfight!” Malone chases the guy out of the apartment with his shotgun, only to fall into a trap..  being killed by machine gun fire.  Poignant. Fictional.  Who cares?  

 Our Country is falling apart, and I’m reliving violent movies. 

The Chicago Way
 
I understood the Chicago way even as a child. 

If my brother looked at me funny, I’d push him, he in turn would retaliate by hitting me, I’d hit harder, soon tears would come, parents would be involved and we would end up incarcerated in our room.  My own children are no different.  They are born with an innate understanding of the Chicago Way.  I’ll wager you have had similar experiences. 

Yup, got it.  Tit for tat.  Law of Moses.  Eye for an Eye, and all that crap.  Who cares? 

The people at the Capitol on January 6th care.   

The people who lost businesses, or were hurt in looting and riots all summer care. 

The people who are trying to do their best to provide for their family, pursue happiness, and love their neighbor's care. 

We should all care. 

For the last 12 years, it seems our country has been run the Chicago Way.  Political escalation and retaliation.  The Left pushes their agenda while in power, and the Right pushes back harder with their agenda when in power.  Each side advances propaganda and misinformation, creating fear and uncertainty, causing their respective bases to cling to whatever cause the extremes in their party is promoting.  The only winners are the incumbent politicians, and the News Media and Social Media outlets. They're all set for life financially, not to mention the power perks.  With soaring viewership, and purchased advertising, they’re laughing all the way to the bank.  All the while, our Nation is being destroyed from within and We the People are left with the consequences of being used as Useful Idiots. 

---