Few politicians in Chicago attract such levels of hatred and misogyny as does Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Foxx was elected in a direct response to the murder and coverup of Laquan McDonald. While the McDonald case was definitely the catalyst for the wave of protests that forced out Chicago Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy, Chief Administrator of the Independent Police Review Authority Scott Ando, and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez this case was just one of hundreds that came before that under-served communities throughout Chicago were upset about. Of course, the white north side of Chicago was not so upset about the McDonald murder or the hundreds of other incidents of police brutality and police misconduct that people of color experienced through the years. This background is needed context to understand the disconnect between the policies and actions of Kim Foxx during her term as State’s Attorney and the horrific response she gets online, especially on Twitter.
While I usually leave what happens on Twitter out of our show and podcast I couldn’t help but talk about a recent Twitter thread I was part of that focuses on Foxx and what can only be understood as bail reform even though the posters were not really clear about what they were mad about. To be clear to some degree, although minor, Foxx has brought this on herself by her conduct in the Jussie Smollett case. Leaving that aside the responses to this Twitter thread provide insight in to just how far down may people in Chicago fell down the Trumpian rabbit whole. Almost all the posters could careless about that the research shows about the policies Foxx has brought to the office. They know better than the data. They know better than anyone because they have common sense. So in today’s show I discuss this Twitter thread on Foxx and her policies as well as what is behind all of these response.
Video of today’s show:
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