Just hours after finally denouncing white supremacists for the deadly violence in Charlottesville, President Donald Trump retweeted the words of an internet troll with ties to an alt-right leader . . . Jack Posobiec tweeted: “Meanwhile: 39 shootings in Chicago this weekend, 9 deaths. No national media outrage. Why is that?” —Chicago Sun-Times

If you are a black person in America who has concerns about the rise of gun violence in this country and the continued legislative dragging of feet in the wake of mass shootings, you are not alone. However, when you voice your opinions on gun control, you might be met with this familiar, racially charged dog whistle: “But what about Chicago?!”

Here are nine pre-scripted responses to the loaded query:

1. I love them as an easy-listening band, and “Saturday in the Park” is a beautiful song, but I don’t know what they have to do with gun violence in this country.

2. The N.B.A. Eastern Conference has had a few shakeups this season. With the departure of Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, I doubt that they’re really contenders in the Central Division. Sure, they have size; the problem is shooting.

3. Kander and Ebb created something very special. Bob Fosse is a genius! The show is truly iconic. But lately they have been relying heavily on stunt casting and celebrity pull. I think the winner of the 1997 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical deserves better.

4. Kanye, to me, is the most notable rap product of the city. Common and Twista also come to mind, but lately Chance the Rapper has assumed the role of most popular. Vic Mensa has shown a lot of promise as well, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Drill Music subgenre—Chief Keef, Lil Durk, and Lil Bibby are some of the biggest names. But, I must say, its glorification of gun violence is troubling. Did you want to talk about that?

5. Fuck. Deep. Dish. Pizza.

6. Chicago? I’m glad you asked. The name of the city stems from a French rendering of a Native American word, “Shikaakwa,” from the Miami-Illinois language. It was a reference to a species of wild onion that grew throughout the area. Crazy, right?

7. “Family Matters” has to be my favorite sitcom set in that city. I loved the idea of a black family on primetime television. Even when the series started to focus more on just how crazy Steve Urkel’s experiments could get, it still had heart. Do you remember Urkel Bot? Also the very problematic Bruce Lee-inspired kung-fu episodes? Yikes.

8. Oh-h-h! You meant the motion picture based on the Broadway musical of the same name? I loved it! Winner of Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2003, and deservedly so. Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Renée Zellweger all delivered spellbinding, inspired performances. Do you want to hear my favorite part of “Cell Block Tango”? Or did you want to discuss criminal-justice reform—and all that jazz?

9. If you insist on using the deeply problematic misnomer of “black-on-black crime” while discussing the rise of gun violence as it relates to gang activity in the greater Chicago area, particularly with guns flowing in from Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky, then that is a conversation that I am not currently willing to have. Most crime, including murder, is intraracial. That is due in no small part to discriminatory housing practices (redlining, for instance), which are symptoms of a much bigger issue in this country. Historically, racism and arguments using racist logic have been dams blocking the flow of ideas and the streams of justice in America. In regard to the history of discriminatory housing practices and economic stagnation, and the effects that they can have on working-class African-Americans, I suggest reading (or viewing) “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. It takes place in . . . you guessed it.