Mayor wants religious leaders in citywide anti-violence effort

I’ve developed a dread of holidays that kick off the summer season.

Unfortunately, for nearly half of the city’s residents, a day that brings people out of their homes and into the city’s parks and backyards also is a day interrupted by sirens and weeping.

In 2013, six people were killed and 11 others were wounded over the Memorial Day Weekend.

In 2012, 10 people were fatally shot and 40 people were wounded over the same weekend.

This year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying to get ahead of the carnage by organizing a citywide initiative that will focus on communities ravaged by violence.

“I want to get ahead of this holiday and this weekend,” he bluntly told the group of faith leaders that gathered in his office last week.

“It’s really about linking people up and making sure the imams, the rabbis, everybody of every faith in every part of the city knows they’ve got a faith partner,” Emanuel said.

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