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concerningchicago · 3 years

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A Dive Into Alderman Cappleman’s September 2021 Side Street Altercation

According to various sources, Chicago Alderman James Cappleman was involved in an altercation on September 18th (2021) at the cross-streets of Leland and Racine.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/09/19/ald-james-cappleman-attacked-in-uptown/

While the is story told in such a way that it casts a sympathetic light on James, there are several questions that pop up concerning the motivation, escalation and classism that quite apparently jump out at even the most causal reader; especially if the reader is aware of James’ long history (or more accurately his “war”) with the economic majority of his Ward.

In the story, as told by Cappleman himself and Block Club Chicago, Cappleman went out of his way to instigate a confrontation with a homeless individual, attempting to deprive them of personal property, while declaring it was the individual’s substance abuse history which escalated the conflict. He individual in question reacted to protect himself and his property, but was cratered off by police and booked on assault charges, despite James’ public confession that he was the instigator and attempted to apply coercive force to a member of the public without adequate legal right.

In order to break this story and the concerns over obvious classism present in this altercation down, I will split a quick rebuttal into three separate categories:

Over property rights of the homeless

Classism in relation to alcoholism

Community policing by unqualified Karens

Over property rights of the homeless

1. The City Chicago Ordinance states very clearly that street-side public recycling (”scavenging”) is completely and entirely legal, as long as no trash containers nor private property lines have been crossed, and that sanitation guidelines are followed:

https://library.municode.com/il/chicago_heights/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH20GATR

2. According to the Illinois Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act, no homeless person is to be deprived of personal property unless it is by a Law Enforcement Officer. This Act specifically outlines that any attempt to remove personal property of a homeless individual by a non-designated Law Enforcement worker is considered both discriminatory criminal harassment and criminal menacing.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3517&ChapterID=64

3. Laws related to illegal homeless encampments and loitering are quite clear that all attempts to address said issues are to be performed by licensed Law Enforcement agents. There have already been several recent legal cases about this, but to most well know is Henderson v. City of Chicago (2016).

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_14-cv-01164

Classism in relation to alcoholism

James Cappleman has a clear and concise history of attempting to close down beverage establishments that serve the Middle Class and Lower Class Chicagoans, while also working tirelessly to pass licensing bills and promote establishments that cater exclusively to the Upper-Middle Class and Upper Class.

In fact, James has a substantial history of focusing in on three dominant communal development areas: Exclusive Housing, Exclusive Alcohol Establishments, and the eradication of establishments and agencies that ease human suffering among the less-well off citizens of Chicago.

In example, while Cappleman has personally taken action against Liquor Licensing for establishments that serve the local economic majority, he has also heavily prompted establishments that heavily advertise themselves as being exclusive; or at least exclusively priced in such a way that they have an innate exclusionary consumer base.

https://www.james46.org/?s=LIQUOR+

https://www.james46.org/event/buena-park-wine-walk/

https://www.james46.org/event/community-meeting-proposed-liquor-store-4635-39-n-broadway/

https://www.james46.org/community-meeting-for-proposed-liquor-store-at-4635-39-n-broadway-thursday-july-25/

https://www.james46.org/event/community-meeting-re-potential-new-business-at-former-jj-peppers-location/

https://www.james46.org/event/tressa-nuna-community-meeting-for-liquor-store/

Community policing by unqualified Karens

There are also a number of “exclusive” (private membership) neighborhood/community groups on sites such as Facebook that actively stalk and report which establishments serve the local economic majority as well, often actively discussing how to sabotage and both local businesses and housing establishments alike:

Uptown (Chicago) Community Discussions (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/groups/225767454780449/

Uptown Chicago Neighborhood Watch (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1593918074258627/

Buena Park/Uptown Chicago Community Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1310619472367573/

Businesses and lodging shut down at the push of James Cappleman:

711 on Wilson Ave

Snacks 4 Less on Wilson Ave

JJ Peppers on Lawrence Ave

The Wilsons Mens Club on Wilson Ave

The Lawrence House on Lawrence Ave

Many of these are members of the Uptown Chamber of Commerce, which actively and openly paired with James Cappleman in his first election again prior Alderman Helen Shiller, which ran on a platform of Human Rights and accessibility, where as James ran a campaign that literally used the slogan “Fear Your 46th Ward Neighbor” with a promise to local elite business owners that they could work together to NIMBY the local economic majority out of the area and turn the Warn into a playground for the wealthy. When confronted on this, James often defaults to whataboutism, his credentials as a former social worker, and his faux-libertarian beliefs that Wards should be controlled by business owners and highest earners and not the democratic majority.

Here are some examples of some of the many marches and protests against James’ behavior as Alderman of the 46th Ward (News Broadcast Reports):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJIZ2iU590I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs-n7b5pUXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXykM50TxY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMm7v7Rgbvs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsBvnfq1MTY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4uVX3hF2VI

All in all, the material and history above clearly demonstrate an aggressive stance against the impoverished instead of poverty, and clearly outlines both the illegality if James’ actions against a citizen of Chicago based on his own prejudices... while he plays the victim (despite admitting to initiating and instigating the entire altercation).

#jamescappleman #james cappleman #46 ward #46wardchicago #46 ward chicago #chicago #windy city #uptown chicago #lakeview #uptown #illinois #alderman #alderman cappleman #homeless #homelessness #violence

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