If you are over the age of fifty, you might hear the words "Gary, Indiana" and instantly think of The Music Man.
Gary, Indiana, shall we say, has changed.
The Chicagoland suburb has been struck by an electricity blackout that lasted over 12 days.
Things have gotten so bad that the dire situation even made the CBS Evening News.
Residents of Gary, Indiana, where one in three live in poverty, are still dealing with power outages 11 days after deadly storms brought record rainfall and major flooding throughout the region. pic.twitter.com/TlCglFBk1I
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) August 23, 2026
The usual suspects took to social media to blame a familiar scapegoat for the blackout: racism.
In a now-deleted post, an X user going by the handle @BlvckJxsus wrote (uncensored here): "gary indiana has been w/o power for 11 days. gary indiana is 75% Black. yet another example of environmental racism, it is so f***ing disgusting."
Now, it is quite fitting that the man complaining about the frustrating situation refers to "environmental racism." Much like environmentalism, racism has become a shibboleth: It explains everything, and therefore, nothing at all.
So, when the man got the real cause of the power-restoration delay, his narrative was in shambles.
READ MORE: Democrat School Board Chair: Black and Brown Teachers Deserve Higher Pay Because of 'Extra Burden'
The community note is glorious.
The power outage was caused by severe storms on August 11, 2026, affecting Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois. Restoration in Gary was further delayed after utility crews were shot at on August 14, temporarily pausing work.
Oh.
An NBC 5 report gave further context on what happened.
A NIPSCO vehicle was struck by gunfire on Friday night while utility crews worked to restore power in Gary, Indiana, prompting restoration efforts in the city to be temporarily paused, officials said.
Authorities didn't immediately share information on where the gunshots were fired. In a statement following the incident, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton the Gary Police Department and the Indiana State Police were working with NIPSCO to provide protection for crews as restoration efforts continue.
"Let me be clear: this type of violence is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the City of Gary," the mayor said. "These crews are here for one reason-to help our residents and restore electricity to families who have already endured days without power."
Please stop shooting at the lineman. https://t.co/BTIZVQzASe pic.twitter.com/eafBMTms7n
— Battle Beagle (@HarmlessYardDog) August 23, 2026
The political establishment in Gary, Indiana, certainly raises questions.
gary indiana not having power is an amazing story of diversity
— retard mode ✞ (@retardmode) August 23, 2026
>entire city council is black
>every electric company executive is black
>black residents can’t stop shooting at vehicles working to restore power
and they all blame racism for going without power for so long https://t.co/asCK1PVJe8 pic.twitter.com/aamnv3WLTa
Conservative podcaster (and RedState alum) Kira Davis gave a fantastic bit of insight into what has gone wrong in the city.
Gary is our former home town. Let me tell you why they are still without power:
— Kira (@Kiradavis) August 24, 2026
-People keep shooting at the NIPSCO (their power company) trucks
-roving gangs of thieves and home invaders and limited police presence
-infrastructure is poorly maintained; untrimmed trees are… https://t.co/z2OnYR6WQ6
Here is what Davis wrote:
Gary is our former home town. Let me tell you why they are still without power: -People keep shooting at the NIPSCO (their power company) trucks -roving gangs of thieves and home invaders and limited police presence -infrastructure is poorly maintained; untrimmed trees are making access to power lines difficult; damaged streets and sidewalks; abandoned buildings everywhere -city leadership has been hopelessly lazy and corrupt for decades; many like the new mayor but he has clearly not prepared the city for emergency [.]
Our senior citizen uncle is there and refuses to leave his home because he knows if he leaves there will be nothing to come back to. Everyone there is at the mercy of the criminals, the weather and a chronically incompetent local government. It may also interest you to know that Gary is considered the bluest city in America with nearly total Democrat support [.]
I’m not one to defend the power companies. NIPSCO has their own issues. But the reason Gary is still offline is because most of the people there keep voting for more of the same at every turn. The city has everything it needs to be a great city. It’s on Lake Michigan, has incredible architecture and is just 30 miles from Chicago. It lost a lot of revenue when the steel mills closed but there has never been a good reason for its failure decade after decade. It’s poor leadership and a disengaged population. It’s not racism. It’s apathy and thievery [.]
Gary is no longer the "one place that can light my face"; it's the "one place that will get you shot in the face."
"Environmental racism" is not causing utility workers to be shot at. Gary, Indiana residents need to hold the Democrats who run the city accountable.
That is the only way they are going to see their poverty reduced, their crime rates drop, and their power turned back on without delays caused by gang violence.
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