August 29, 2022
Dear City Clerk Valencia,
This is a citizen introduction of a proposed ordinance. I am a registered voter and resident of the City of Chicago.
Please refer the proposed ordinance to the Joint Committee on Health and Human Relations;
PublicSafety. <^£>\J)lr\{.) For a decade, radio stations have been playing songs that directly refer to and glorify the homicide of Chicago residents.
It is a public safety concern. This practice poses a direct threat to residents of Chicago because it encourages retaliation killings. The practice directly opposes the efforts of City of Chicago officials, clergy, violence interrupters and gang mediators to prevent retaliation killings in the city.
It is a health concern because it prevents the family and friends of the victim of a homicide from healing. The loved ones of the deceased are subjected to being repeatedly traumatized.
The artists, and the individuals that own, control and are employed by radio stations have freedom of speech. This is not a freedom of speech issue. The issue is whether those radio stations should be doing business with the City of Chicago when their behavior endangers the health and safety of Chicago residents.
Attached is the lyrics of a song that was played this summer by several radio stations. It was created by an Artist that is, or formerly was, a Chicago resident. It glorifies the murder of a 15-year-old Chicago resident. It also gives an encouraging "shout out" to another Chicago resident who is suspected of killing yet another Chicago resident.
Also attached are two copies of the proposed ordinance.
If you have any questions regarding this citizen introduction of proposed ordinance, please contact me at (630) 216-9643. My email is contactrebuildr@gmail.com .
Thank you,
Reverend Lamont Samuel Ivory
Chicago City Clerk-Council Diu.
2022AUG29am11:12
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF CHICAGO AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Prohibition on the City of Chicago doing business with radio stations that play songs glorifying the homicide, or violent attack of a Chicago resident.
Radio stations that play a song that glorifies, praises or make light of the homicide of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the broadcasting of song.
Radio stations that play a song that glorifies, praises or make light of the violent attack of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether bv mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the broadcasting of song.
Radio stations that play a song that includes threats against a resident or residents of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the broadcasting of song.
Radio stations that play a song that glorifies, praise or encourages membership in a gang presently operating in the City of Chicago shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the broadcasting of song.
Section 2. Prohibition on the City of Chicago doing business with radio stations that promote artists that create and present to the public songs glorifying the homicide, or violent attack of a Chicago resident.
Radio stations that promote an artist, either in the form of interviews or advertisement of the artist's work, that has created and presented to the public a song that glorifies, praises or make light of the homicide of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), within the preceding 12 months, shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the promotion of said artist.
Radio stations that promote an artist, either in the form of interviews or advertisement of the artist's work, that has created and presented to the public a song that glorifies, praises or make light of the violent attack of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), within the preceding 12 months, shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the promotion of said artist.
Chicago City Clerk-Council Div.
2022AUG29am11:12
Radio stations that promote an artist, either in the form of interviews or advertisement of the artist's work, that has created and presented to the public a song that included threats against a resident or residents of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), within the preceding 12 months, shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the promotion of said artist.
Radio stations that promote an artist, either in the form of interviews or advertisement of the artist's work, that has created and presented to the public a song that glorifies, praises or encourage membership in a gang presently operating in the City of Chicago within the preceding 12 months, shall be prohibited from doing business with the City of Chicago for 12 months after the promotion of said artist.
Section 3. Prohibition on the use of City of Chicago property by radio stations that play songs glorifying the homicide, or violent attack of a Chicago resident.
Radio stations that play a song that glorifies, praise or make light of the homicide of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), shall be prohibited from use of city property for 12 months after the broadcasting of song.
Radio stations that play a song that glorifies, praise or make light of the violent attack of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether bv mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name), shall be prohibited from use of city property for 12 months after the broadcasting of song.
Radio stations that play a song that included threats against a resident or residents of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name) shall be prohibited from use of city property for 12 months after the broadcasting of song, rap or spoken word.
Radio stations that play a song that glorifies, praise or encourages membership in a gang presently operating in the City of Chicago shall be prohibited from use of city property for 12 months after the broadcasting of song.
Section 4. Prohibition on the use of City of Chicago property by artists that create and present to the public songs glorifying the homicide, or violent attack of a Chicago resident.
A. An artist that has created and presented to the public a song that glorifies, praises or make light of the homicide of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name,
assumed name or so-called street name) shall be prohibited from use of city of Chicago property for concerts or any other promotion for 12 months after the release of song.
An artist that has created and presented to the public a song that glorifies, praises or make light of the violent attack of a resident of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name) shall be prohibited from use of city of Chicago property for concerts or any other promotion for 12 months after the release of song.
An artist that has created and presented to the public a song that included threats against a resident or residents of the City of Chicago (whether by mention of birth name, assumed name or so-called street name) shall be prohibited from use of city of Chicago property for concerts or any other promotion for 12 months after the release of song.
D. An artist that has created and presented to the public a song that glorifies, praise or encourages
membership in a gang presently operating in the City of Chicago shall be prohibited from use of
city of Chicago property for concerts or anv other promotion for 12 months after the release of
song-
Section 5. For purposes of this ordinance, the following definitions shall apply.
"Doing Business with" includes soliciting, entering into, or performing contracts for goods, equipment, services or financial assistance but does not include the receipt of or payment for services normally rendered by the City to residents and businesses such as sewer service, water service, street maintenance, and similar services.
"Make light of" means to regard without due seriousness; to joke or disregard inappropriately.
"Presented to the public" means made available for anyone to hear, watch, go to, or be involved in.
"City property" means all Property owned or leased directly by the City of Chicago. It includes all parks, open space, parcels, rights-of-way, buildings, parking lots, and other such properties owned or operated bv the City.
Section 6. Implementation
To assist with the implementation of this ordinance, radio stations seeking to do business with the city of Chicago or use City of Chicago property, must present an affidavit that affirms it is not prohibited by this ordinance from doing business with the City of Chicago or the use of City of Chicago property.
Section 7. Severability
The provisions of this ordinance are declared to be separate and severable. If a court of competent jurisdiction, all appeals having been exhausted or all appeal periods having run, finds any provision of this ordinance to be invalid or unenforceable as to any person or circumstance, such offending provision shall, if feasible, be deemed to be modified to be within the limits of enforceability or validity. However, if the offending provision cannot be so modified, it shall be null and void with respect to the particular person or circumstance, and all other provisions of this ordinance in all other respects, and the offending provision with respect to all other persons, shall remain valid and enforceable
Section 8. Effective date
This ordinance shall have the force and effect of passage by the corporate authorities of the City of Chicago upon approval bv the City Council.