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Chi-Raq

Father Michael Pfleger is a famous priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is a vocal advocate for gun reforms, and John’s Cusack’s character in Spike Lee’s ‘Chi-Raq’ is based on Father Pfleger’s character. Chicago has one of the highest rates of homicides and mass shootings in the country, and Father Pfleger has been quite vocal about the issue for many years. Chi-Raq illustrates the problem of gun violence in the city. Spike Lee, the director of the film, faced a lot of opposition from the city leadership because they worried that the film would depict the city in a bad light and affect tourism. Father Pfleger has been involved in many projects in Chicago, including advocating for gun violence such as universal background checks, titling of guns, and a ban on assault weapons (York 37). He is also involved in other social programs like that help families of victims of gun violence.

I agree with Father Pfleger’s points on gun reforms. With the increasing number of mass shootings in the country, there needs to be urgent action to prevent further loss of lives. The best way to address the gun violence problem in the movie is to encourage community-based efforts of awareness, as John Cusack does (York 54). Additionally, the governments at both state and federal levels should implement common-sense gun laws that would reduce the number of guns on the streets. The gun culture in the Chicago neighborhoods shown in the film shows guns as a normal part of life, but people should be made aware of the pain and suffering that it causes. The police should also be trained on the best way to handle cases because there has been an increase in cases of police shootings. Gun violence is a national issue, and efforts at gun reforms must be implemented throughout the country for them to be effective .

Works Cited

York, Lorraine. “Inviting the Shadow to the Party: John Cusack and the Politics ofReluctance.” Reluctant Celebrity. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018. 27-66.