Gov. JB Pritzker: “There is no Emergency in Chicago…”

Written by David E. Smith

After a weekend of bloodshed—34 shot in Chicago, including a 5-year-old boy killed in his own home—Governor JB Pritzker, flanked by Mayor Brandon Johnson and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, had the audacity to declare with straight faces:

“There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention.”

For anyone who lives, works, or grew up in Chicago, the denial is staggering. Over the weekend alone, five people were killed, including the young child in Kenwood and a woman slain in a West Side mass shooting that left five others wounded. So far this year, Chicago has recorded 278 homicides—24 of the victims under the age of 17. Between 2016 and 2020, more than 3,200 people were murdered in the city and over 13,500 wounded by gunfire.

Their press conference message to city residents—especially those on the West and South Sides—is chilling: We see no urgency, no reason to help stem the terror on your streets.

The SAFE-T Act Disaster

The problem is not just indifference, but policy. Illinois Democrats championed and still defend the so-called SAFE-T Act, which Governor Pritzker signed into law in 2021. By eliminating cash bail, they ensured that dangerous criminals are now released back into neighborhoods within hours, often committing crimes before their case is even processed. That is not compassion—it is foolishness and reckless endangerment of the very communities they claim to serve.

Fighting Against Law and Order

Why, then, do Democrats fight so fiercely against law and order in Chicago? This goes far beyond being “soft on crime.” It is proof that Illinois Democrats are abandoning the people most vulnerable to violence. Instead of restoring order, they coddle lawbreakers—hoping one day to secure their loyalty at the ballot box.

Even Governor Pritzker lashed out at President Donald Trump’s proposal to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, bluntly declaring:

“Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here.”

This a scandal! Why isn’t there outrage when Democrat officials dismiss solutions proven to work elsewhere? Consider Washington, D.C. After the temporary deployment of 800 troops, the city reported more than 550 arrests in a single week, including the capture of a convicted MS-13 gang member. Within days, violent crime dropped 22 percent, robberies fell 46 percent, and carjackings plummeted 83 percent.

If it worked in the nation’s capital, why not Chicago?

Dan Proft, host of the Chicago’s Morning Answer radio program, interviewed Corey Brooks, senior pastor at New Beginnings Church of Chicago, founder and CEO of Project HOOD this morning. In response to Pritzker’s comments to the media, he said:

Young black boys are shooting at a very high rate, killing one another. We have people downtown beating people up, robbing them. We have stores being broken into. This is not normal and we need to bring in the National Guard. I support bringing in the National Guard, but I also stand by the fact that that’s a temporary fix. But we do need to calm these streets and we do need to calm the crime…

He went on to say:

There is absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, too much crime in the city of Chicago. And anyone who does not want to be concerned about the safety of individuals is an individual, that should not be an elected official in our city or in our state.

The Question of Authority

Critics argue the president lacks authority to act. But Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 12406 allows the president to federalize the National Guard to suppress insurrection or rebellion when a state fails to maintain order. That same law permits National Guard units to enforce federal laws—including immigration statutes—when they are obstructed.

Some legal experts say street crime falls outside of federal jurisdiction. But let’s be honest: this is not “ordinary crime.” The U.S. has been infiltrated by foreign criminal networks empowered during the previous administration. They traffic children, run violent gangs, flood our cities with deadly drugs, and claim countless American lives. That is more than crime. It is an invasion.

The Bottom Line

Chicago is bleeding. Families are mourning. Children are dying. Yet Governor Pritzker, Illinois Democrats, and their allies in the media still want us to believe there is “no emergency.” By rejecting help and clinging to failed policies, they reveal whose side they are really on.

This is far bigger than politics. It exposes their corrupt worldview on the sanctity of human life. For these abortion cheerleaders, life is disposable. Their culture of death not only celebrates abortion and even infanticide, but also tolerates human trafficking, domestic abuse, prostitution, and euthanasia. It is the creed of a “throwaway culture,” where the value of life is denied.

That is why certain political officials will never prioritize the safety and well-being of American citizens. Their goal is not justice or order—but preserving power, even if it means protecting criminals and abandoning the innocent.

Christians must reject this culture of death—from the womb to the tomb. We must boldly stand for the sanctity of human life and demand leaders who defend the vulnerable, restore justice, and protect our communities. Silence is not an option.

We are called to be salt and light. We are called to overcome evil with good. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. And we are called to do this for our families, our communities, and our nation—all for the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.