Highland Park officials are under fire for a suggested language guide they released ahead of the first anniversary of the July 4 shootings that killed seven people and injured dozens more.
The published guide for the Chicago suburbs follows recommendations from the DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and includes suggestions such as removing the phrases “Highland Park Strong” and “mass shooting.”
“It’s important to think very carefully about how you refer to the Highland Park shooting and the time that has passed since then,” the city’s website says.
“The words we choose can have unintended and unintended consequences. As in other cases, the principle of ‘impact’ versus ‘intent’ applies here.
Some have already said they think the guide ‘missed the mark’, including one resident who told a local outlet: ‘I think it’s hard to apply expert opinion to individual feelings and experiences.”
Highland Park town manager Ghida Neukirch said the guide was ‘in no way a mandate’
Law enforcement escorts a family away from the scene of a shooting during a 4th of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois
City leaders say guide is meant to focus on healing and compassionate language that still acknowledges tragedy
According to city leaders, the guide is meant to focus on healing and a compassionate language that always acknowledges tragedy.
The basic premise of the guide — like similar suggestions issued by the DOJ — is “do no harm” language that asks users to carefully consider their verbiage.
The guide was not well received, however, as some “don’t appreciate being told how to talk about what happened”, the Chicago Grandstand reported.
One thing that many seem to take issue with is the original suggestion to move away from using the rallying slogan: “Highland Park Strong”.
The phrase was picked up across the city and the country in the days and weeks following the mass shooting – another term the guide suggests users stop.
Now city leaders are recommending using “Together Highland Park Unidos”, which they say will emphasize “collaboration and cooperation”.
The Tribune reported that the new phrase is more accepting of everyone who is still recovering, whether they are feeling strong or not.
Another suggestion is not to use the word “birthday” to mark the occasion.
“It’s not an anniversary,” said Highland Park City manager Ghida Neukirch, “it’s nothing to celebrate.”
Neukirch also told the Tribune that “this is just a suggestion for guidance.” It is in no way a warrant.
Seven were killed and dozens were injured in the shooting on July 4, 2022
One thing that many seem to take issue with is the original suggestion to move away from using the rallying slogan: “Highland Park Strong”.
Now city leaders are recommending using “Together Highland Park Unidos”, which they say will emphasize “collaboration and cooperation”.
Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team investigate downtown Highland Park
Another problem presented with the guide is the number of residents aware of its existence.
Several residents told local outlets they received the guide via email or text without warning.
Some said they wished the city had given them the option to choose to receive the guide or simply directed residents to their webpage.
Resident Maggie Schmieder – a survivor of the mass shooting – said she felt the deployment had not been done in the best possible way, saying they “missed the mark”.
“Everyone is going to come away feeling different, and they’re in a different place on the road to healing and recovery,” Schmieder said.
She added that she gave leaders credit for trying to lead with good intentions.
It’s “really easy to judge quickly and offer negative feedback and criticism,” she said.
The city has since responded to the backlash by removing some guidelines, including the choice not to use “mass shooting”.
Additionally, the city had a section with do’s and don’ts regarding the shooting that some people shared concerns about.
“There was a healthy discussion about what those suggested tips should be in terms of describing the incident,” Neukirch said in an interview.
“And so we ended up removing this provision that suggested people say ‘shooting’ as opposed to ‘mass shooting’. Mass shooting tends to focus on the attacker… (and) we don’t want not focus on him. But we recognize that every time an incident like this happens, it’s a mass shooting,” the city manager continued.
The language guide comes less than a year since a heavily armed gunman opened fire on the crowd during the July 4 parade in suburban Chicago
The accused shooter, Robert Crimo, has since been charged with 117 counts, including seven counts of first-degree murder
A total of seven people were killed, including both parents of a two-year-old boy found on the street covered in blood
The language guide comes less than a year after a heavily armed man opened fire on the crowd during the July 4 parade in suburban Chicago.
A total of seven people were killed, including both parents of a two-year-old boy found on the street covered in blood.
The accused shooter, Robert Crimo, has since been charged with 117 counts, including seven counts of first-degree murder.
He remains imprisoned at Lake County Correctional Center in Illinois pending trial.