Staff Reports
In a city where crime feels as common as a breeze off Lake Michigan, Chicago faces yet another shocking incident that leaves its residents puzzled, frustrated, and rightfully angry. On a drab Monday, just when one might be pondering whether they should have braved the city’s infamous traffic instead of taking the train, an atrocious crime unfolded. Lawrence Reed, a 50-year-old with a résumé of 49 arrests, took his dangerous antics up a notch. He allegedly doused a woman with gasoline and set her on fire aboard a city train, consequently upgrading his lengthy rap sheet to include a federal terrorism charge.
Now, if you’re keeping score, Reed has had more run-ins with the law than a bad cat video has views. His impressive portfolio includes everything from aggravated arson to assault, embodying a one-man crime spree spanning several decades. With such a history, one might assume he’d be tucked away where he couldn’t hurt others, like in a jail cell, for instance. But shockingly, Reed was out in the wild on pre-trial release, merrily enjoying freedom with merely an electronic ankle monitor for company. Does anyone else think security theater doesn’t quite cut it when dealing with someone who has more arrests than a sitcom series has episodes?
Our city officials, however, are singing a tune all too familiar and dismissive. The mayor has pegged this incident as an “isolated” one. Isn’t it comforting to know that a pattern only exists when people start keeping track? Still, while the mayor calls for calm and trust in the system, the system itself seems to have been taking a long coffee break when it comes to real accountability.
And what about the justice system? An awe-inspiring entity that at this point seems to groan under the weight of its own inefficacy. Reed’s court appearance did nothing to clear the murkiness. In fact, Reed was so disruptive that he demanded to represent himself while claiming to be a Chinese citizen. It’s clear the law should’ve clipped his wings a long time ago, but instead, it let him flap about, causing havoc at the expense of another innocent life.
There’s a bitter sting seeing the raw tragedy for the victim and her loved ones, who are now left grappling with this nightmare. This young woman, minding her own business, became yet another statistic, a painful reminder of the dangers lurking within a system meant to protect its citizens. After fleeing for safety, she was left in flames, depending on the kindness of good Samaritans to extinguish the horror. Her recovery journey is set to be long and grueling, contrasting sharply with the mercifully swift sentences of those rare occasions justice is actually served.
In this saga of misguided leniency and misplaced priorities, one must wonder, does the city have the mettle to prioritize protecting its people over pandering to misguided ideals of reform? In the race between egalitarian utopianism and common sense, Chicago desperately needs to decide where its true allegiance lies. The victims shouldn’t have to suffer because someone’s got a weakness for second chances. Perhaps it’s time to consider that some patterns—especially the destructive ones—are indeed worth recognizing and addressing with resolute actions.
