To the editor:

Unfortunately conditions continue to be ripe for gang violence in Chicago. Children being born to children growing up in families that preceded them with no moral compass and being introduced by their peers into the only family they have ever known, the gangs.

Retaliation, whether it be against rival gang members or corrective authority is also the only recourse they know.

How do we as a nation break this cycle of increased violence?

Organizations committed to blaming others have only increased racial division on both sides of the divide. We cannot continue as it has been the past eight years without a catastrophic outcome. We have already seen the execution of nine innocent people killed by Dylann Roof at a church prayer meet. We have seen lawlessness and destruction around our inner cities with a 57 percent increase of murders in Chicago alone in 2016.

The blame game has to be over and the only thing that needs to be addressed is the accountability for these crimes and how to improve the moral compass of these communities. No more excuses for these murders.

You cannot put a Band-Aid on a wound that requires major surgery.

We as a nation will not provide protection for all citizens, and especially those in high crime areas with inaction. Strict gun control legislation in Illinois (Chicago) did not work for the 672 murdered in 2016.

Maybe it is time to impose martial law in Chicago’s high crime neighborhoods as a national model to first extinguish the weapons responsible these killings by suspending certain civil liberties such as unreasonable search and seizures, freedom of association and freedom of movement. Next imposing a WPA type program for rehabilitation that afford to those an opportunity to help with their work ethic and social skills. Keeping these blame organizations out of the fold will be a win win outcome for the city by increasing a newfound pride to build the infrastructure by the community with an increase of business interaction.

Knowing the criticisms will be numerous. I ask, since nothing has worked over the past eight years, will we continue to put a Band-Aid on a catastrophic wound? Or, will we address the needs of families who lose children to the crossfires of gang violence?

Jack Wagner

Cape Coral