CHICAGO MAYOR DALEY WANTS CITY TO STAY "GUN FREE" - Proposes Stiffer Gun Laws Statewide!
TECHNICALLY, GUNS BANNED ACROSS CHICAGO - BUT U.S. SUPREME COURT CONSIDERING WHETHER TO OVERTURN LOCAL LAW!
Here in Chicago, the cynical among us beam that our city was the Birthplace of the Drive By Shooting. Gun rights advocates claim that restrictive gun laws do little, if anything, to curb violent handgun crimes, and extol the virtue of a citizen's right to bear arms.
Truth be told, however, gun crimes here in Chicago, especially those involving school-aged children, have skyrocketed over the last few years. This is despite the fact that, on the books anyway, the sale, use, and manufacture of handguns has been banned in the City of Chicago for over two decades.
In Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a similar handgun ban in D.C. two years ago. That ruling has led to numerous lawsuits across the U.S. challenging the constitutionality of seemingly-common-sense gun prohibitions on a local level. The Chicago Ban is coming up before the court soon.
But Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is undeterred by the action of firearm advocacy groups, such as the Illinois Rifle Association, advocating that the Chicago law be overturned or weakened. As reported in Monday's Chicago Tribune by reporter Hal Dardick, the mayor wants to bring new legislation at the state level aimed at slowing the traffic of illegal weapons not only in the city, but statewide.
Daley advocates changes to the IL law that would require background checks for gun buyers at private sales, limit the number of guns that may be purchased, require the licensing of gun dealers, and a ban of military-style assault weapons.
He is asking the IL General Assembly to make it a serious felony to sell a gun to a known member of a street gang, strengthen the penalties for illegal use of a firearm, and require special high-tech stamping of the guns themselves to allow police to more easily tie a gun to a particular crime.
All of these ideas have failed in previous efforts at passage.
The Chicago Mayor also supports efforts to re-instate the Federal Ban on Assault Weapons, which expired in 2004. He wants a loophole that allows easy sale of guns at public shows to be closed, and a repeal of current laws which provide immunity to gun manufacturers from certain lawsuits.
Of course, gun rights proponents feel the right of a U.S. Citizen to own weapons for their own self defense should never be weakened. For many years, they have been successful.
The Supreme Court Ruling, however, could change how the city deals with gun crimes. But will it reduce or impact the number and severity of the crimes themselves?
Most feel - not likely!
DEAN MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
