Groundhog Day in Milwaukee

The aftermath of Tuesday night's shooting on Milwaukee's south side is playing out the same way past violent outbursts in the city have played out.

Some people in the neighborhood blame gangs. Others blame poverty. Others blame poor relations between police and residents.

"We don't have kids throwing up gang signs on the corner," [Terry Bounds] said. "It's not the gangs. It's young kids who are broke with no money."

Deanna Silvas, however, said she has seen kids wearing gang colors and "knew it was a matter of time" before something would happen. She said she moved to 12th and Madison recently from S. 5th and W. Maple streets to get away from gunfire that she said had become too common in that neighborhood.

Around the corner at S. 14th St. and W. Greenfield Ave., where the two officers were shot moments later, residents spoke of problems with drugs, prostitution and shootings. They spoke with anger and cynicism about police response to the area, saying it was usually slow or sometimes wouldn't happen at all.

There's nothing new about these reactions.

They're very typical.

And there's nothing new about Mayor Tom Barrett's reaction.

"Just the fact that someone cares so little about human life in this community that they are willing to give a gun to a 15-year-old shows you there's a real problem with the moral compass of some people in this community," [Barrett] said.

Barrett called for parents to act like responsible parents. That's good.

Unfortunately, like usual, he lapsed into blaming the laxity of gun laws. This time he focused on police officers being "out-gunned" by the thugs due to inadequate laws regulating magazine size.

The mayor said he hoped Tuesday's shootings might spur debate at both the state and national level about the availability and legality of large-capacity magazines.

I wish just once Barrett wouldn't blame the guns or the bullets. I wish he'd place blame squarely on the individuals who choose the thug lifestyle and commit the crimes, the ones pulling the triggers.

Barrett said that he never wants to get another call that a police officer has been shot. In the past, he's said that he never wants to get another call about a child being shot or killed.

The truth is he will get more calls. There's no doubt about that.

After the next shootout, there will be more outrage, but no change.

Then after the next incident, there will be more outrage. Again, no change.

And there will be another shooting....

That's the way a dysfunctional city functions.