Chicago recently released their shooting statistics for 2012- 2500 shootings and at least 513 homicides (we say “at least” because some of the victims haven’t died yet). Remember that this is in a city with among the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. In fact, Chicago has so many shootings that the Chicago Tribune devotes a special section to them:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/shootings/020010...

The situation in Chicago is best illustrated by this single headline from last August:

13 people shot and wounded in 30 minutes of Chicago violence, including 8 on a single street

http://www.startribune.com/nation/167314005.html?refer=y

Note that Illinois is the only state left in the nation where citizens have no ability to legally carry a gun for self-defense. In order to buy a gun, or even ammunition, an Illinois resident must produce a current FOID (Firearm Owners Identification) card. Chicago residents have yet more bureaucratic hoops to jump through, making it almost impossible to legally own a handgun, even after the city’s outrageously restrictive gun laws were rebuffed by the Supreme Court in the 2010 McDonald decision:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR20100628021...

And if anyone expected things in Chicago to change after Mayor Richard M. Daley retired and Rahm Emanuel took over, they were sadly mistaken. In spite of a rash of shootings over the Summer, the new mayor’s approach is little more than a rehash of Daley’s “blame the guns” stand.

But what is really astonishing about most of Chicago political and civic leaders is their steadfast refusal to confront reality. No matter how obvious the failure of their anti-gun programs, no matter how many gang shootings shatter the night, their response is always the same – “we need more gun laws.”

It’s as if they live in some alternate universe – apparently, none of the city’s politicians have ever watched the History Channel’s illuminating series, “Gangland,” which makes it abundantly clear that inner city gangs are as heavily armed as ever. These brazen street thugs (including Chicago’s) merely laugh at gun laws, even boldly showing their guns to the interviewer, right on camera!

In stark contrast to Illinois and Chicago is the remarkable success of so-called “concealed carry laws” that are now the rule in 49 states. Most states have now implemented “shall-issue” laws that allow residents to carry handguns for self-defense. And contrary to the dire predictions of the anti-gun hysterics, the experience of these states has been uniformly, and overwhelmingly, positive – permit holders turn out to be MORE law-abiding than the average citizen, not less.  It is a testament to their effectiveness that not a single state has ever repealed its carry law.

Yet time and again, whenever the citizens of Illinois, especially those in Chicago, even attempt to make it easier for the innocent residents to be able to defend themselves, the knee-jerk reaction from the political class is the same. They hysterically proclaim that letting the “good guys” carry guns will only result in “more blood in the streets” or similar irrational nonsense – seemingly ignoring the almost daily carnage that is the result of gangs who have absolutely no respect for any laws.

When I left Illinois in 1995 to move to Minnesota (where I now carry a gun daily), I accurately predicted that Illinois would be the very last state to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to enact a handgun carry permit law. The reason is simple – Illinois is not run by the people of Illinois, it is run by the city of Chicago. Why do you think Rahm Emanuel decided to run for mayor of Chicago instead of governor?

Because Emanuel knew quite well that the most powerful person in Illinois is not the governor – it is the mayor of the city of Chicago. Because by controlling the massive bloc of Democrat voters (alive and dead) that Chicago represents, the city dominates the state. And since the 1950′s Chicago has been run, and ruined, by Democrats.

And now, with the uproar over the Connecticut school shooting, no one should be surprised that another veteran of the virulently anti-gun Chicago Democrat machine, President Obama, is contemplating bringing Chicago-style gun control to the rest of the nation.

inShare

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 07/22/13 at 09:27:30:


NRA will never let that kind of a study happen ... that would prove that they sell 90% of their guns to criminals under the name of second amendment and your right to protect yourselves ...

However your theory is that, when the people get armed ... criminals just stop being criminals and turn into honest citizens ...

That I am sure is wrong.

Yea maybe 1-2% more of the criminals will get shot trying to commit a crime ... that's cos 98% of people who would use gun in self defence already own the gun ... this law affects the other 2%.

Cool.
Srinath.

Midnightrider wrote on 07/22/13 at 11:13:31:


Your theory is that if the criminals are not sure people dont have a gun, they will become honest citizens ...

That wont be entirely borne out by the facts ... as in criminals breaking into houses and getting shot by the residents ... That case may increase 1-2% with loose gun laws. Cos 98% of those DGU's already own that gun.

Secondly NYC proves that theory wrong as well. Tight gun laws and dropping crime for 20+ years.

I will say however in case of targeted crime - as in the criminal wants to kill 1 particular person that person being armed makes the crimnial think and wait ... however in that case gun laws wont matter, most people who are targets are well aware they are targets.

So statistically I'n gonna say crimnals wont be suddenly turning honest cos your gun laws are now easier ... OTOH criminals wont have to go as far to buy that gun ...

Cool.
Srinath.

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 07/22/13 at 17:42:45:


What ... your theory has long been the opposite, or something of an aside to this or - wait let me write in your theory -
Your theory was that if guns were allowed everywhere, the gun toting crazies will have nowhere to go ...

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 07/22/13 at 17:42:45:


So when they "just dont shoot people" what do they do ?

Cool.
Srinath.

"So when they "just dont shoot people" what do they do ?" steal, rape,some of em are canibals, pedophiles, rob businesses, run guns from SC to NY.

Midnightrider wrote on 07/23/13 at 20:04:40:



Instead of shooting people they try to steal, rape, become pedophiles, become cannibals, rob businesses, and run guns ?

This is a response to people being armed in a city ?

Rape and cannibalism, and pedophilia is a response of a criminal to his victim being armed ?

So is the other 2 forms of robbery you described ?

And this kicker ... they run guns from SC to NY ... because people in chicago are now armed ? Why ?


Midnightrider wrote on 07/23/13 at 19:58:52:


Gang violence is gang on gang, or gang on cops or on someone who is a hinderance or something for a reason ... not gang onto random residents ... and anyone who has provoked a gang needs to be armed, regardless of gun free zone or not ... And they probably will be already.

Cool.
Srinath.