Illinois Gun Licenses Rose Six Percent in 2011
The media is reporting an interesting story this week. Illinois residents are buying guns, as licenses rose by six percent. Even those from the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence noted to local Chicago media, “that is a pretty big increase.”
So is there more to the story? What the media is only touching upon is that Chicago ended – by way of the Supreme Court – a ban on handgun ownership. And in the Windy City gun ownership, or at least the number of people with firearms cards, increased by 16 percent in 2011.
This is a story, a big story. Now some anti-gun types are no doubt going to say, “This is bad” and cite possible increase in violence. But the truth is that Chicago has had gun violence because the criminal element ignored the gun ban. So maybe we could actually see some decrease in crime as the innocent law-abiding citizens won’t have to automatically be victims.
Biased Sun-Times Headline Sets Tone of Entire Article
This week The Chicago Sun Times ran a story titled, “Gun shop opening in traditionally anti-gun Oak Park,” followed by the opening paragraph noting:
Try to open up a gun shop in the traditionally staunchly anti-gun suburb of Oak Park and you can expect to get some resistance.
The story then noted that “more than 80 people” took part in a public meeting. Is that really that uncommon? How many people show up when new parking in Oak Park is discussed? Isn’t this really making a huge story out of nothing, and moreover, from the beginning this headline attempts to paint an entire community as “anti-gun,” without noting whether all the attendees were truly there to express concerns or if any were there to support the business.
Newsday: Gun control always under fire
Need more proof that New York editors see the world differently than the rest of the country? This week the editors of Newsday, which is now essentially a Long Island newspaper, offered an editorial titled, “Gun control always under fire.” It is a passion-based piece with little in the way of supporting evidence for its claims.
It isn’t mentioned that crime has fallen as gun rights have increased. It didn’t mention that Chicago and D.C. had high gun crime despite strict gun control.
Instead the editors offer this thought:
“But gun-control victories can be fragile. Supporters of irresponsible legislation to allow someone with a concealed-weapons permit from any other state to carry a gun here in New York are trying again. Congress should again reject this one-size-fits-all proposal. If it became law, it would mean lax requirements in some states — for instance issuing permits without gun training or to people with violent misdemeanor convictions — could become the de facto national standard.”
Once again we must ask, what is to stop a criminal from merely carrying a gun illegally? If someone is intent on breaking the law the right to carry is going to be the least of one’s concerns. Note too that this suggests that those with violent misdemeanor convictions could get a gun, but never address felony convictions – is this because the editors believe felons wouldn’t carry guns?
Typical view for those with strict gun control and who would only wish for more.
NRA Targets San Fran Gun Control Says The Informant
KALW News “The Informant” took aim at the NRA last week, noting:
“San Francisco currently faces two lawsuits by the National Rifle Association attacking its gun control laws. The lawsuits are part of a nationwide campaign targeting local measures that restrict gun ownership.”
The article also notes that the NRA’s efforts including District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago. While this is mostly straightforward reporting it fails to note, as our friend John Lott did in a piece for FoxNews, namely that crime is down in Chicago and D.C.
In other words “The Informant” didn’t offer that key bit of information.
John Lott: Media Silence Is Deafening About Important Gun News
Our friend John Lott wrote an excellent op-ed for FoxNews.com last Friday, titled, “Media Silence Is Deafening About Important Gun News.” He essentially notes, “murder and violent crime rates were supposed to soar after the Supreme Court struck down gun control laws in Chicago and Washington, D.C.”
And have you heard about the crime rates? Probably not, because as Lott notes… they have fallen. He writes:
“Not surprisingly, the national media have been completely silent about this news. One can only imagine the coverage if crime rates had risen. In the first six months of this year, there were 14% fewer murders in Chicago compared to the first six months of last year – back when owning handguns was illegal. It was the largest drop in Chicago’s murder rate since the handgun ban went into effect in 1982.”
The media likes news on guns… but only when it is bad. There is the saying, “if it bleeds, it leads.” Sad but very true.
Who Guards the Guards: Indiana Police Officers Sell Machine Guns
“Three Lake County police officers have been indicted for allegedly selling machine guns and laser sights they misued their positions to obtain, the U.S. attorney’s office said Thursday.
“Sgt. Joseph Kumstar and Officers Ronald Slusser and Edward Kabella are accused of allegedly lying about buying machine guns for the Sherriff’s Department, then intercepting the weapons and taking them to Slusser’s house to sell online. According to the indictment, 74 machine guns were illegally acquired and 92 laser sights were acquired and sold.”
This is a Fast and Furious style debacle but in Indiana! It is shocking that law enforcement would try to obtain 74 machine guns!
The Post-Tribune, a Chicago Sun-Times publication, added these facts:
“U.S. Attorney David Capp said the three men started scheming in September 2008 to use their positions with the Sheriff’s Department to purchase 74 H&K machine guns, known for being military-grade weapons. Individuals are banned from owning fully automatic machine guns; only the military and law enforcement agencies are allowed to purchase them.”
First, it is actually accurate to describe the H&K arms as “military-grade” as they are fully automatic. However, it isn’t accurate to say that individuals are banned from owning fully automatic machine guns. The point is that these are legal to own in many states with special background checks and paper work.
What is shocking is actually how easy it was for the three men to forge paperwork and obtain the firearms, which were reportedly sold to criminals.
Once again we must note that a common argument used by anti-gun types is that all illegal guns start out in legal channels. Here is a case where the police bought the guns illegally and passed them on to criminals. If gun control were in place this would have still been possible, and criminals would have still been armed. This could very well be the future if gun control ever becomes universal.
26th Annual Gun Rights Conference Slated This Weekend in Chicago
Gun rights activists from across the country will gather this weekend, Sept 23-25, at the Chicago O’Hare airport Hyatt Regency hotel for the 26th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference, sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb said pre-registration of over 700 for this weekend’s events suggests there will be a great turnout, not only by Illinois activists, but also firearm owners from as far away as Hawaii and Puerto Rico, as well as neighboring Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri. This event is free, and includes a Saturday awards luncheon that will recognize the accomplishments of gun rights leaders from the national level down to the grassroots.
“Since last year’s SAF victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago before the U.S. Supreme Court, we’ve been looking forward to this weekend’s gathering,” Gottlieb stated. “We are joined by members of the Illinois State Rifle Association, which joined us in the McDonald case, and by our expert legal team that made it happen.
“It is only fitting that we gather in the Windy City,” he continued, “not only for this important conference, but also to celebrate the Supreme Court victory. This was a win for all gun owners, because the high court incorporated the Second Amendment to the states, thus paving the way for challenges to onerous state and local gun laws and regulations that have placed onerous restrictions on a fundamental civil right.
SAF is currently engaged in federal court challenges to restrictive gun regulations and statutes in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts and California, and elsewhere.
This year’s jam-packed agenda features panel discussions covering current and possible future legal actions, the importance of election outcomes to the federal courts and Supreme Court, gun politics, legislative challenges and more. Experts from virtually all corners of the gun rights movement will be on hand, and the annual awards luncheon on Saturday promises to be a crowd pleaser.
“We look forward to a very active and productive weekend for firearms freedom,” Gottlieb stated.
The Second Amendment Foundation is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
Chicago’s Real Problem – Gangs, Not Guns
The Chicago Tribune reported this week that members of the notorious gang “Almighty Gaylords” have been arrested for “selling an AK-47 assault rifle,” as well as being charged with “state drug and gang crimes.”
Chicago has extremely strict gun laws, and yet this street gang has retained power for decades, with its origin dating back to the 1970s. So is this really a gun problem in the Windy City or a gang problem?
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Joins Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Former Obama advisor Rahm Emanuel, who is now Mayor of Chicago, is the latest to join New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition. Numerous outlets quote Emanuel’s usual nonsense:
“The fact is we are up against a well-paid Washington gun lobby, largely financed by the firearms industry that is more aggressive and irrational than ever. Mayors Against Illegal Guns takes a bipartisan approach that reflects what Americans actually believe about gun issues: we can respect the rights of gun owners while doing much more to keep illegal guns off the streets and away from criminals.”
Typical rhetoric from a would-be gun grabber. Chicago’s streets were filled with illegal guns before McDonald vs. Chicago, proving that laws don’t deter criminals. And of course this mayor blames the gun lobby and the gun industry for the gun crime instead.
We also see absolutely no “respect” from Mayors Against Illegal Guns. They just want to take our guns and say they respect us.
Crime Report Story Lacks Crucial Information in Tale of Two Cities
In a story titled, “Gun Violence: A Tale of Two Cities,” The Crime Report noted “Chicago and Toronto are similar-sized cities – with one very big difference. Chicago averages 450 homicides a year, while Toronto averages just under 60.”
The story tries to suggest that the United States has almost as many guns as people and thus this accounts for the gun violence. Of course, what is lacking in the article is any mention of Chicago’s strict gun laws. Until last year it was all but impossible to legally own a gun in Chicago and the city was still a wild west of gun violence.
This missing fact sort of ruins and otherwise interesting read.
