The Blog

Maybe they haven't met because they were too busy grilling some fed on the situation in Afghanistan and how it affects them.. http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/politics/2008/03/26/will-real-economist-room-please-stand-/#comments

Those crazy Illinois Republicans have some really wild gay sex parties with Stuart Levine. Bring some Special K and Crystal Meth and you can be a top or bottom Republican. Those crazy family values.

I love Stu Levine

Chicago already has a handgun ban. Chicago already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Washington DC has some of the strictest gun laws in the country with the commensurate highest gun crime and murder rates. Handguns except with some exceptions like alderman, police officers, some security guards, and a hand full or grandfathered in people from decades ago–Nobody can own a handgun in the city of Chicago not even in their own home for personal protection. An Army Reservist in Chicago,trained and certified in weapons, cannot own a military weapon in Chicago even for target practice. It is illegal. It can be a felony under certain circumstances. Yes, guns are a problem. But yes, there is a legitimate and not dangerous according to statistics hunting and outdoors culture in many parts of the United States and not just rural parts. When I was in the Boy Scouts I shot 22 caliber and shotguns and nobody ever died and it was a skill, taught discipline and was useful in Army Basic training. Some Chicago Public High Schools used to have firing ranges with zero fatalities, no accidents, no shootings, no killings, no suicides. To teach respect for a weapon, safety, and markmensship is good. Too many kids who get illegal (Read: already illegal) weapons do not know safety or how to properly use them and have no respect because of our culture both the culture of violence and lack of respect for life and the complete ban culture which makes weapons even more attractive. What about an old lady who uses a weapon for personal security (like cases you have heard on the news about an old lady shooting a robber and the State’s Attorney could charge her) or one of these Arab or Korean(or any ethnic group) store owners who has a weapon when he takes the cash at night to make a night bank deposit? These are criminals? There is a different culture in Southern Illinois and rural areas. It does have less murders and crime. (although that is changing with Crystal myth and the hip-hop rap culture of stupidity gripping now maybe 2 generations even white kids in rural areas) They are getting more gangs because of a bad urban influence. There are hunting accidents. There are idiots who hunt drunk. There are the tragedies like in Wisconsin and Minnesota where Hmongs and Whites have killed each other although rare at least 2 high profile incidents. There are accidents where tragically kids get guns. But there is also millions maybe tens of millions or hundreds of millions over time that hunt, fish, outdoors, target shoot, skeet, shotgun, different animal hunting, bow hunting, military, former military, gun collectors etc. These are good law abiding citizens. Gun laws will not stop the horrible tragedy of the young man who got hit with a baseball bat and was killed who was a good boy and a good boxer. I don’t want to sound cliche about banning baseball bats. Many of these other high profile shootings would of not been stopped by the one gun a month law or any other gun laws as they were not (in some cases) automatic weapons and were not bought legally. These already are illegally bought or stolen guns. These weapons are already out on the streets. The march by Jesse Jackson and Fr. Pleger dealt with a manufacturer of weapons that does not sell to civilians, certainly it would be nice to turn our AK-47s into plowshares but the problem is that law enforcement and military need them against gangs, terrorists, other countries etc. It is a naive approach that is not really dealing with the problem. Chicago Democrats really crack me up as they always have exceptions and prove that they are not only hypocrites but that guns do work to deter crime. Alderman carry weapons. All of the Daley family, kids, inlaws, even the grandmother while alive had ARMED police officer bodyguards. Alderman Ed Burke has armed police officer bodyguards and he himself carries a weapon. Alderman Tillman carried a weapon. Governor Blagojevich has State Police officers who carry weapons. It is the 11th ward precinct captains who illegally carry weapons, and city workers, and 19th ward sherriffs who legally carry but abuse it in shooting innocents. Why can’t law abiding citizens who are trained use a weapon? Switzerland has the highest rate of weapons per capita and mandates automatic weapons to be carried and in the homes of their milita. Go to the 41st ward (one of the safest, cleanest, and least crime, gun violence, and murders) in the city of Chicago–and it has high rates of gun ownership albeit with Chicago Police officers (some good, most good but also some bad), their families, wives, kids–the point being that number of weapons and access to weapons does not mean high crime. A pure correlation even if you disagree with causation. Lastly, not just the U of C studies, the Lott studies, the Dan Polsby studies at Northwestern but the FBI statistics state that when states (now many of them) have had concealed carry that crime went down. This makes logical sense. But even if you thought it was for homogeneous, low populated, rural states like Montana and Wyoming–what about multi-cultural, with large low income communities, urban areas like Florida and Texas. There are not many incidents of killings of those with Concealed Carry licenses. Crime has gone down in states that have Concealed Carry. Common Sense gun ownership, view of rights, gun training and safety, respect–these would help more. Crime is complicated and nuanced–the ever present call for more gun control by Daley and Arne Duncan insult our intelligence and do nothing to really do nothing to fight crime. Arne Duncan and the CPS exploit kids and use a political agenda that does not stop killings. Daley has already spent tens of millions of taxpayers dollars losing in court and may now be affected by upcoming Supreme Court battles on the 2nd Amendment.

Now that one of the deceased teenagers was murdered with a metal baseball bat, will Daley, Father Pfleger, and Arne Duncan add legislation banning baseball bats? The murders are caused by the rampaging drug gangs which the Daley administrations (first, State's Attorney; last 20 years, mayor) has allowed to run wild across about half the city. Not the guns, but the gangsters, are the problem. Although someone could have an interesting satiric moment calling for a ban on baseball bats.

Baeball bats have real, less fatal purpose. Handguns do not. Dumb comparison. Until baseball bats approach the murderous totals of handguns, this "Why not ban baseball bats? Hyuk hyuk" arguement is pointless.

Sorry, 'think', but you should think some more. Handguns do have a real, less than fatal purpose. The same reason that a person uses a handgun to rob you, as a threat of having the potential to kill you, is also useful to you, the intended victim, should you have a handgun and should you have the determination to not be a victim. Why do you think those who enforce the laws carry handguns, instead of baseball bats? It's not because they are intending to commit murder. It's not because they are planning to rob or rape random people. It's because they know that a handgun means the difference between being a victim and being a victor. I guess it's never occurred to you that a handgun is the one thing that those who prey on people fear their intended victim might have. Those who seek to harm you won't care if you've got a cell phone, or pepper spray, or a fucking whistle, or anything less than the ability, with the motion of one finger, to put them down with a bang. On the street, a handgun is the only reliable thing between you being robbed, raped and/or murdered. The fact that I have to explain that fact to you means that you are a victim waiting to be victimized. And if you want to talk statistics, I suggest you do two things first: 1. Do the research on just how many people have prevented themselves being victimized by merely brandishing a handgun. 2. When that moment comes, when you are about to be robbed, raped or murdered, ask yourself which would you prefer, to have a handgun or anything other than a firearm.

I own a pistol and I'm looking for the right shotgun. The laws in Chicago look to me, on their face, unconstitutional and foolish. I wonder if gun control is more popular in places where more of the population are immigrants? Americans react to gun grabbing by politicians negatively, ask Gore. Which is why Obama has really boosted gun sales.