By Mark Weyermuller -
It looks like they are extending the Illinois “Stay at Home” order for another 30 days. It appears Governor J.B. Pritzker does not want to reopen Illinois very soon, as many other states are opening as soon as today.
Chicago is the same way with Mayor Lori Lightfoot ramping up efforts to discourage outdoor activity. In the last few days, city employees have installed thousands of feet of temporary orange snow fence in large sections of Lincoln Park.
On Monday, a small group held at reopen Illinois protest at the Thompson Center during Pritzker’s news conference. It was lead by Jim Walsh, a Illinois State Representative candidate.
They had a small gathering by design under nine people all with a minimum of six feet of social distance. They also all wore masks with a theme that with proper precautions, Illinois can begin to reopen today.
There are two larger protests scheduled for Friday at noon, here at the Thompson Center in Chicago and the state capital in Springfield.
It seems much of local media coverage is only focused on corona news. On Monday night, I came across a crime scene on Green Bay and Asbury in Evanston. The police had marked at least six shell casings near the corner. One victim possibly the one of the offenders was taken from here by ambulance. I can’t find any other media coverage. The Evanston Police do post on a website some of their activity, but it several days behind.
According to another crime reporting site, they are reporting in Chicago that 759 people have been shot this year with 161 homicides. Again, there seems to be a lack of news coverage here. That reference site has an unusual name, heyjackass.com.
There is a big push to reopen Illinois now. Many feel the COVID 19 situation will be here for a long time and the state can no longer be closed. The plan for many is take precautions, protest the vulnerable, and go back to work now.
Mark Weyermuller is a small business person, real estate professional, and conservative activist in Chicago. He is a citizen journalist, frequent guest on talk radio, and regular contributor to Illinois Review.
