A Preventable Killing: Illinois Leaders Ignored Every Warning Until an Officer Paid With His Life How a Broken Law, a Failed System, and Years of Political Cowardice Directly Caused the Murder of Officer John Bartholomew By: Awake IL Law Enforcement Fellow Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.) I have spent nearly four decades in law enforcement. I have witnessed tragedy and failure. But nothing has been as infuriating, as preventable, or as systemically reckless as what happened at Swedis

Wow! This week we weren’t just honoring 5 years of Awake Illinois advocacy — we were in Washington D.C. to stand alongside grassroots leaders who refuse to back to the SPLC hate and we filed 5 federal civil rights complaints to the U.S. Department of Justice. This is our nonprofit mission in action. In honor of our 5th anniversary, we just filed 5 new federal civil rights complaints with the Department of Justice against Illinois schools and the State Board of Education for

Parents across Illinois are no longer standing by while schools secretly socially transition children, lock families out of critical decisions, and prioritize ideology over biology and parental rights. On May 22, 2026, Awake Illinois hosted a powerful livestream breaking down major developments in the fight to restore sanity in K-12 education. Attorney Ajay Gupta (Naperville lawyer and Republican candidate for Illinois House District 41) joined the broadcast to detail active

Listen to Awake Illinois founder Shannon Adcock speak with Ray Stevens where they break down the merits of the case filed against Algonquin District 300 by a district mother for parental rights violations pertaining to Gender Support Plans. Parents need to know this is happening! The interventions affirmatively intrude into the parent-child relationship and the minor’s psychological development by reshaping the child’s social environment at school through institutional author

Open Letter to Illinois Law Enforcement Leaders from Chief Tom Weitzel, Riverside Police Department (Retired), Fellow of Law Enforcement at Awake Illinois May 15, 2026 To my Illinois law enforcement colleagues, This is our moment. It is time for us to lead with the clarity, courage, and conviction that our communities desperately need — and that we were born to deliver. For years, we had elected officials who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us, fought for our training, equipm

Helen Levinson was represented by America First Legal. The Awake Illinois team and members applaud Helen and her attorneys for standing in the gap against woke and against cancel culture. This was a HUGE win for free speech and advocacy in a time that wages war on bold, courageous advocates. Congrats, Helen! Onward! First published May 7, 2026 at The Daily Wire. Fighting Back Against The Goliath Lawsuits Designed To Shut Parents Up Lawsuits should never be used to silence cit

Today, Awake Illinois, representing more than 100,000 grassroots members across Illinois, together with MAHA Moms, Dads, and allied organizations nationwide, delivered a formal letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The letter reaffirms our organization’s early and vocal endorsement of Secretary Kennedy’s appointment while delivering a clear and resolute message: We will not return to fear-driven public health policies that undermine paren

As National Police Week (May 11–17) kicks off, Awake Illinois is proud to announce that President Donald J. Trump has personally responded to our advocacy efforts supporting America’s law enforcement officers. On March 30, 2026, the White House delivered a direct reply to Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.), Awake Illinois Law Enforcement Fellow, acknowledging our petition urging the President to “Back the Blue” and restore respect for those who protect our communities. In his powerful

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched formal investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts for potentially teaching sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in pre-K through 12th grade classrooms without properly notifying parents of their opt-out rights. List of schools for this particular investigation: Atwood Heights School District 125 Bloomington Public Schools District 87 Bluford Unit School District 318 Buncombe Consolidated School District

The Southern Poverty Law Center spent four years smearing thousands of us — everyday moms and dads simply protecting our children — as a “hate group.” They weaponized their notorious Hate Map, triggered doxxing and death threats, and tried to silence us. But their smear has completely and spectacularly failed. Last week a federal grand jury indicted the SPLC on eleven counts of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering for secretly funneling millions to the KKK and other e

Chicago parents — the clock is ticking. CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU Local 1) have officially turned May 1, 2026 into a district-wide “Day of Civic Action.” CPS buses are rolling kids straight from class to Union Park for a protest against the White House. This isn’t education — it’s indoctrination. Parents, wake up! SEE OPT OUT INFORMATION BELOW Schools stay open, but your child’s day now includes teacher-directed “civic lessons,” optional (but heavily encouraged

For three years Illinois families have watched the SAFE-T Act turn our criminal justice system into a revolving door. Repeat offenders walk free before their victims even leave the hospital. Judges’ hands are tied. Police and prosecutors are left without the tools they need. Enough is enough. Today, Awake Illinois is proud to release “Restoring Balance: Practical Reforms to Strengthen Public Safety and Judicial Discretion Under the Illinois SAFE-T Act (Pretrial Fairness Act)”

On March 18, 2026, Awake Illinois hosted an informative livestream where Law Enforcement Fellow Retired Chief Tom Weitzel released the brand-new 2026 Public Safety Legislative Report . Following that, founder Shannon Adcock was joined by Mel Gurel of Vernon GOP where they delivered a no-nonsense briefing on the March 17 Illinois primary results. The full recording is available on YouTube , X/Twitter, and Facebook . If you care about public safety, crime, and stopping radica

Education Freedom: It's Time to End the Teachers' Union Stranglehold - And the Data Proves It Works By Shannon Adcock for Illinois Review In America today, millions of parents feel trapped. Their children's futures are dictated by zip codes, failing public schools, and a system that prioritizes adult jobs and union interests over student success. Chicago Public Schools exemplify this crisis: staffing has surged 20% since 2019 while enrollment dropped 10%, turning the system

Today marks a historic victory for parental rights across America. In a 6-3 per curiam decision issued on March 2, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court in Mirabelli v. Bonta reinstated a class-wide injunction against California's policies that allowed schools to secretly facilitate children's social gender transitions—using different names and pronouns without parental knowledge or consent, and often actively concealing information from parents. The Court held that these policies li

We sounded the alarm over the years on the agenda behind "mental health screenings" and Governor Pritzker's "Blueprint for Transformation". Now we see K-12 schools have CONTRACTS with ariticial intelligence companies that are data mining children and screening kids via loopholes--all actions to which parents DO NOT NEED TO CONSENT. Mom and advocate Jacqueline Garretson joins Shannon Adcock to breakdown how this was implemented, what is in at least one K-12 school district

As the founder of Awake Illinois, I've spent years scrutinizing how Illinois school districts prioritize ideology over education, often at the expense of taxpayers and students. The latest fiasco in Naperville Community Unit School District 203 (D203) is a textbook example: facing a projected $12.4 million budget deficit for the 2026-27 school year, the district is now dangling retirement incentives to push out veteran teachers . This move, approved by a 5-1 board vote on Fe

By Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.) Law Enforcement Fellow, Awake Illinois There are moments in law enforcement when a decision transcends routine discipline—it becomes a declaration of what leadership truly values. This is one of those moments. Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison initially announced his intent to terminate two officers for contacting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during separate traffic stops. Let that sink in: officers reached out to a legitimate federal

Hello, Awake IL members and followers! Our mission at Awake Illinois has always been clear: stay AWAKE (not woke) and empower everyday Illinoisans to stand up for common-sense policies, public safety, parental rights, education freedom, and the American way of life. That's exactly what our dedicated FIGHT! page is all about: Serving as your frontline resource for taking direct action against harmful, radical bills being pushed through Springfield. When we first posted Tuesda

The Illinois Clean Slate Act: Politics Over Victims, Law, and Public Safety — And It's Unconstitutional By Retired Chief Tom Weitzel I believe in second chances and rehabilitation. What I do not believe in is hiding the truth, undermining public safety, and labeling it "reform." That is exactly what the Illinois Clean Slate Act does. This law is not justice —it is politics. Governor Pritkzer signs the Clean Act. January 16, 2026 | Image via Facebook Reel It is no

Exposing the repeating cycle of double standards—judges ousted for conservative views, teachers celebrating conservative deaths with no consequences. Will Illinois see its shadow again? Shannon Adcock ( Awake IL founder), Marsha McClary ( Moms for Liberty Lake County ), and Alvin Lui ( Courage Is A Habit ) break down the latest hypocrisy of the left and how YOU can break the groundhog day cycle in Illinois. ICE protests at K-12 schools? Courage Is A Habit has the tool to sta

Hollywood Morris of Support Our Shields doesn’t hold back on BLM, the lies of woke utopia, and how waking up the masses is not just a call of action…it’s a duty. His inspiring outreach to support fallen heroes has gone national. Support his efforts and learn more at https://www.supportourshields.com/ .

Shannon Adcock and Law Enforcement Fellow retired Chief Tom Weitzel share the videos and backstory on Wheeling Township Republican Office being vandalized. The destruction of property took place on Sunday, January 25th around 10:50pm. Anyone with information can call Arlington Heights Police at 847-368-5300. Bulletin From Arlington Heights Police : January 29, 2026 The Arlington Heights Police Department is seeking assistance identifying the two depicted subjects, responsible

WATCH Corey DeAngelis and Shannon Adcock break down the latest updates in education & parental rights. From the NEA charter to school choice momentum, hear how parents are AWAKE and taking education BACK from political activists.