Despite guilty plea, calling for book ban, Austin's La Shawn Ford seeks to replace the hapless Danny Davis in Congress
Although it’s been transcribed in several different ways, Henry Ford famously remarked: “History is more or less bunk.”
Fast forward a century later and another Ford, La Shawn K. Ford, an Illinois state representative from Austin on Chicago’s West Side, uttered something similar in 2020.
“When it comes to teaching history in Illinois, we need to end the miseducation of Illinoisans, I’m calling on the Illinois State Board of Education and local school districts to take immediate action by removing current history books and curriculum practices that unfairly communicate our history.”
In precis, to La Shawn, history is more or less bunk, although in his statement and in subsequent media interviews, Ford never mentioned specific books or courses that challenged what he deemed “our history.” Certainly, Ford has an irony deficiency — he is a former Chicago Public Schools social studies teacher.
Did Ford teach the “wrong history” when he was employed by CPS?
In addition to teaching, Ford is a licensed real estate broker.
Davis endorsement
Ford is running for the U.S. House in Illinois’ 7th district, which is currently represented by Danny K. Davis, another Austin resident. Davis’ politics are, to say the least, far-left. In 2008, the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America endorsed him, although in 2020 it endorsed one of Davis’ primary opponents.
After announcing his retirement, Davis threw his support behind Ford. As of this writing, eight other Democrats have announced their campaigns. The candidates include Chicago’s ethically challenged city treasurer, Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who challenged Davis last year in the Democratic primary, as well as Richard Boykin, a former Cook County commissioner who earned the ire of Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle after he led the fight to repeal her despised county soda tax. Boss Toni endorsed his opponent in the following Democratic primary election, Brandon Johnson, who bested Boykin.
You know the rest of that story.
“Throughout his entire legislative career,” his General Assembly website says, “La Shawn has introduced and passed legislation with social justice as the guiding principle.”
That statement could be what caught Davis’ eyes and ears.
As with all Illinois’ congressional districts, the 7th is a gerrymandered miscreation. It is a sideways J-shaped inkblot, sort of centered around downtown Chicago, reaching out west with the Eisenhower Expressway to Hillside. From the Loop it veers south roughly along the Dan Ryan to Englewood.
Of course it was drawn to elect a Democrat.
A failed mayoral run and a guilty plea
Chicagoans will recognize Ford for a number of reasons. First, for his run for mayor in 2019. The Chicago Defender interviewed Ford the year prior as he was mulling his candidacy. He told the paper, “We need a progressive black agenda and that is what I offer.” Voters either didn’t hear that message or they didn’t like it — Ford gathered 5,600 votes, which amounted to one percent of the total ballots.
Second, Ford is remembered for is his 2012 federal indictment on bank fraud charges tied to his real estate investments. However, two years later, after he pleaded guilty to a single charge of filing a false income tax return — 17 charges against him were dropped.
While yes, it is a misdemeanor, Ford has a rap sheet. Felonies, but not misdemeanors, mean ineligibility for state office.
Last year Ford introduced a bill in the General Assembly to permit convicted felons to run for local office.
Ford certainly has one big upside: During his 18 years in the General Assembly, most recently in January, Ford has filed legislation several times to put in place a process for voters to recall Chicago mayors.
Since he announced his run for Congress, Chicago's obsequious media has avoided mentioning Ford’s guilty plea — as well as his harebrained scheme to suspend history classes in Illinois.
Soft-on-crime
Ford is soft on crime — and he’s a staunch defender of the no-cash bail SAFE-T Act.
In 2021, while a guest on Anna Davlantes’ WGN Radio show, Ford talked over crime and lack of punishment.
“I do believe that we cannot, we cannot, you know, prosecute, charge our way, incarcerate our way out of crime.”
Four years after that interview, sober-minded citizens can say with great confidence that the catch-and-release theory of prosecution has failed.
Yes, crime is down in Chicago, but much of the credit for this welcome news belongs to Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, who succeeded the criminal-coddling Kim Foxx in that office. Since taking over, Cook County Jail’s inmate population is on the rise.
So, it is possible, using Ford's words, to “prosecute, charge our way, incarcerate our way out of crime.” Or at least lessen it.
Ford is on the wrong side of the law-and-order issue — and the tide is current against his far-left viewpoint on it. In addition to O’Neill Burke’s victory in 2024, the soft-on-crime prosecutor in Los Angeles County, George Gascón, was defeated in his reelection bid and another lenient California prosecutor, Pamela Price, was recalled.
And the revulsion over the on-camera murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte, North Carolina light rail train has resonated nationally. The accused murderer, an ex-con, had 14 prior arrests. After the 14th arrest, a judge released the alleged killer on a written promise that he would return to court. He didn’t.
If the local media finds its courage, or perhaps borrows some for a moment, its members can ask Ford, “Do you favor a national version of the SAFE-T Act?”
Reporters also should be asking state senator Robert Peters, a principal author of the SAFE-T Act who is running for the open race in the 2nd congressional district, the same question.
As for no-cash bail — it is certainly bunk.
What about history classes on the national level? What is Ford’s opinion on them?
