Brew Commentary: Does Chicago Deserve The Olympics?

Yesterday, we told you about the brutal beating death of Derrion Albert in Chicago. All because the honor student walked into a street fight between other kids. That case got me thinking about the ongoing black-on-black/youth-on-youth crime taking place in Chicago. And it led me to ponder: in light of what's going on there, does this city really deserve a chance to host the 2016 Olympics?

When (or, if) the Olympics makes it to Chicago, will its violence problem simply be swept under the rug or buried in the B section, after all the glorious stories of Olympic gold?

Our president, Chicago's adopted son, is campaigning hard to woo the Olympic committee. President and First Lady Obama are even traveling to Copenhagen this week to lobby on behalf of the Windy City. An unprecedented move, especially for a wartime-recession president with so much on his plate.

Shouldn’t President Obama be lobbying equally as hard for more afterschool programs in Chicago to give kids constructive things to do after 3 pm? Should he be lobbying hard for a ban on guns? How about more year-round student-job programs to give kids opportunities to build resumes, develop professional skills AND make money legally? Should he be lobbying for a sweeping clean-up of Chicago's school system and its legendary corrupt political machine? Or, perhaps lobbying for all of the above?

In the race to make this era post-racial and this presidency not about 'race,' has this White House missed a key opportunity to break ground on combating black-on-black crime than any previous politicians have?

Why has this White House been so noticeably silent about what ills Chicago (and many other cities)? Even CNN has taken note by producing a lengthy series on Chicago's violence problem. This president is teetering inside a unique bubble: one that could burst if he pays TOO MUCH attention to race. But, it could also pop if he doesn't address it ENOUGH.

We all know it takes a village, but is it also THIS president's job to make ending Chicago's youth violence problem a priority? Should he make it as much of a priority as he's making bringing Olympic dollars to the Magnificent Mile?

What's your call?