Over the Juneteenth weekend, 39 people were shot across Chicago. At least eight people were killed, leaving families to grieve while another cycle of gun violence unfolded in neighborhoods that have endured far too much loss.
This past week, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order creating the Office of Gun Violence Reduction. The initiative reflects an important commitment to reducing violence, but its success will depend on whether it becomes more than another layer of bureaucracy. It should also confront a less visible challenge: why some otherwise law-abiding residents feel compelled to carry firearms for protection in the first place.
Over the past two years, I interviewed 29 African American men in Chicago arrested for unlawful firearm possession and completed a prosecutor-led gun diversion program. They were employed as information technology professionals, postal workers, entrepreneurs and security guards — not career criminals or repeat violent offenders.
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What stood out most was what these men had in common. They were working, supporting families and building stable lives. Yet they all described the same reality: They did not feel safe.
Many had been victims of gun violence or had watched friends and family members become victimized. Others described slow police response times that left them believing they alone were responsible for protecting themselves and their families. They carried firearms out of fear and a belief that no one else would protect them.
That does not excuse illegal firearm possession. But if we want to reduce it, we must first understand why otherwise law-abiding people decide to carry.
My research also uncovered another overlooked issue. Many participants misunderstood Illinois firearm laws, believing a firearm owner’s identification (FOID) card authorized them to carry a concealed firearm. Others were waiting for a concealed carry license or could not afford the costs associated with licensing and training. These misunderstandings often resulted in felony convictions that affected employment, housing and future opportunities.
Reducing illegal firearm possession requires more than arrests. It requires restoring confidence that violent crimes will be solved, improving public trust, and ensuring residents understand the laws they are expected to follow. If the Office of Gun Violence Reduction hopes to make a lasting impact, legal education and community trust should be central to its mission.
We cannot arrest our way out of fear. Safer communities require both justice and trust.
— Aaron Mallory, CEO, GRO Community
Student loans for doctors
When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law a year ago, Medicaid rollbacks and cuts to federal health spending were widely reported — with many in the medical community sounding the alarm.
But another slate of changes that could be equally harmful to the practice of medicine has garnered less attention: cuts to student loan programs that are certain to exacerbate the physician shortage here in Illinois and across the nation.
Effective July 1, future physicians will be capped at $50,000 per year in student loan borrowing, with a lifetime cap of $257,000 for undergraduate and medical school combined. While that’s certainly a formidable sum, it’s no match for the current cost of medical school, which averages between $300,000 on the low end and over $400,000 at private medical schools, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
And the cuts won’t affect only aspiring doctors. Other health professions — including nursing, physical therapy and occupational therapy — will face even tighter lending restrictions.
Meanwhile, a separate program called Grad PLUS that closes the gap between federal loans and the full cost of attendance has been eliminated, cutting off a crucial lifeline when future doctors need it most.
What does this mean for patients?
When prospective doctors are forced to choose between high-interest private loans or skipping medical school entirely, it can result in only one thing: fewer physicians in the pipeline to help treat you.
The effects of the shortage are already measurable. Appointment wait times are up 48% since 2004. And the AAMC predicts a shortfall of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, just as the population of Americans older than 65 is projected to exceed 77 million — sending care demands skyrocketing. At the state level, it is estimated Illinois will face a shortage of 6,200 doctors by 2030.
As a physician, I have seen firsthand how these loans create a realistic pathway for people like me who are passionate about serving their community. As a patient, I have watched wait times for specialist appointments stretch to many months.
That’s why I urge Congress to act quickly to reverse these changes and craft policies that strengthen the physician workforce so Americans can access necessary care for decades to come.
— Dr. Tripti Kataria, president, Illinois State Medical Society
So many taxes on Illinoisans
After reading the report “Illinois to see greater protections from ‘junk fees,’ ticket-buying bots, Pritzker says” (June 26), I find myself asking if reform doesn’t work better from the top. How about the city, county and state start by removing “junk taxes.” They have small to medium taxes and surcharges on everything from tires, cellphones and liquor to cable TV.
If Gov. JB Pritzker really cares about costs and transparency, he could start by being honest with Illinois residents on how much all this government costs. If we all had a one-line total bill showing our personal share of the costs, revolt or revolution would certainly break out, just as it did 250 years ago.
— Mark Todd, Villa Park
Dependence on fossil fuels
I read that the current federal administration is spending $765 million to to buy back leases from Invenergy, a Chicago-based wind energy producer, for upcoming projects. This brings the total outlay for canceling wind energy projects to $2.6 billion. This will eliminate competition for fossil fuel energy producers.
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We are still in the throes of an energy crisis caused by a 20% decline in oil supply on the global market. Despite our nation’s large holdings in fossil fuel infrastructure and supply, we were still seriously impacted by this event. China, on the other hand, was not significantly bothered because of its past decade of investment in alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydraulic power.
There is an old adage: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. China understood that and acted to soften supply-demand ripples. We could learn something from that country.
That $2.6 billion could have been spent to put solar arrays on public building rooftops and parking garages or otherwise investing in alternative energy. Wind farms seem to be making a buck on their own, as they are producing energy more cheaply than fossil fuels without government subsidies, such as those enjoyed by the fossil fuel industry.
— Margaret Sents, Glenview
Solar panels on data centers
The Tribune reported that five data centers are being built on a campus in Hoffman Estates (“Local officials take reins to regulate data centers,” June 29). The expansive rooftops of those centers look ideal for an array of solar panels, which would help offset the centers’ enormous electricity needs.
— Mike Magliane, Chicago
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