Chicago area teens are facing misdemeanor charges following the theft of a car and a crash that left a 6-month-old baby dead. Now, with the news floating about the cultural ether, it is part of the feedback loop of fear and vigilance that has Americans panic-shooting one another just because someone wants to do a U-turn in their driveway.
While some may believe that the problem is journalism, it actually goes much deeper than that. Reporters are only responding to market signals, and if you do not sell fear, then you run the risk of losing attention. So, you get an endless barrage of fear-journalism that (by design) makes your world unsafe.
What Happened?
A 17-year-old and a 14-year-old are accused of stealing a car and slamming into the back of a Ford pickup. A 6-month-old child involved in the accident died later at the hospital. The teens could easily be charged with the child’s death, but at this point, prosecutors are only recommending misdemeanor charges.
Is this odd? Maybe a little. 17-year-olds generally face adult charges when they cause the death of another person. However, it would be involuntary manslaughter or vehicular manslaughter. Either would be likely.
Why is the Headline Fake?
The headline is fake because police are still considering enhanced charges against the teenagers pending the outcome of the investigation. So, the headline makes it appear as though the teens have been given a free pass, but at present, the teens have only been charged with criminal trespass to a vehicle. We do not know if the teens stole the vehicle, were loaned the vehicle, stole it from a relative with kinda-sorta permission. We just don’t know, and neither do police.
So, because the headline makes you believe that Chicago is being soft on crime when police are just waiting to discover more information pending a review of the matter, and it’s doing it solely for the purpose of creating fear, the headline is fake.
What is the Purpose of This Fake Headline?
Keeping you in a constant state of fear drives engagement. You will read the headline, post the article on your timeline, and spread the fear like a psychic disease. The article will debunk the headline, but it does not matter because most people do not read the article. The fear creates a feedback loop of paranoia, and suddenly, society is whipped into a frenzy of fascism, and all of your civil rights are placed on the back burner.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Today
David Freidberg represents the rights of those who have been charged with serious crimes in Chicago. Call today at (312) 560-7100 to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your defense strategy immediately.