Sunday, July 07, 2013

To Live and Die in Chicago

At least 9 dead, dozens wounded in Chicago during holiday weekend shootings | Fox News:

CHICAGO – Shootings in Chicago during the Fourth of July holiday weekend have left at least nine people dead and several dozen wounded, including two boys shot in different parks.
Gov. Pat Quinn said Sunday that such continued violence underscores why he dramatically altered a gun bill that will end Illinois' last-in-the nation ban on carrying concealed firearms -- a prohibition that's been declared unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.
 "That ought to be an alarm bell to all of us that we need strong laws that protect the public safety, especially when it comes to guns," the Chicago Democrat told reporters after speaking at a church on the city's West Side. "It's time to end the violence."
 Definition of "Insanity":   Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

Open Letter to Illinois governer Pat Quinn:
Dear Governor Pat,
one of the greatest cities in America, the most free nation in the history of the world, has one of the most pitiable histories of firearms violence .. and restrictions.

Yet in Chicago there are some of the most extreme restrictions to firearms restrictions in the country.  You and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have supported bans on firearms ownership, carry, and usage.  You are, I hope, aware that there are only two legal gunshops in the near vicinity of the Chicago metropolis?

You blame the constantly expanding ownership of guns on imports from other states.  You pass more laws restricting ownership for the purpose of .. what?  Keeping them out of the hands of criminals?

The recent spate of shootings in Chicago underlines the success of your programs, and you response is to impose even more laws.   It ain't working.

Pat, you are a well-beloved and dear, personal friend.  You and Rahm and I have spent many pleasant evenings over drinks in the comfort of the private "Chicago Club" chatting about this problem.  I have often suggested that you reconsider your policy of imposing restrictions on ownership of firearms by honest citizens, and you seem deaf to my friendly suggestions that ... it's not working, pal!

May I once again suggest that the problem is not that the laws aren't well-intended.  The problem is that the people who are causing all the problems aren't the people who obey the laws.  The problem is that you have a bunch of drugged-up gang-bangers who see no reason why they shouldn't just go out and blast away at will.

Doesn't it seem reasonable to experiment with allowing your honest citizens to arm themselves in self-defense?

What do you have to lose?

The common objection to "Concealed Carry" is that "... there will be slaughter in the streets!"

Well .. what do you have now?

You and Rahm both know that otherwise-honest people have guns, even though you haven't allowed them to do so legally.   But most people there are honest and law-abiding; they're reluctant to break the law, because of the risk that they will be imprisoned for their attempts to depend hearth, home and family.  They're just struggling to do the best they can, without any help from you or Rahm.  And you're fighting tooth and nail against federal changes to this arbitrary restriction:

Quinn, who has advocated for a statewide assault weapons ban, spent much of the holiday weekend discussing the violence. He drastically altered a concealed carry bill that lawmakers sent to him, calling it a matter of safety.
Illinois lawmakers have to come up with a law by Tuesday and are expected to override Quinn's changes, which call for a one-gun limit on the number of weapons a person can carry and a ban on guns at establishments with liquor licenses, among other things.


Pat, an 'assault weapon' is any gun that you deem it to be; you deem every weapon an 'assault weapon'; and as long as you restrict access to all firearms, your citizenry .. your constituency .. is being slaughtered in the streets.  Pretty soon, you'll only get votes from gangsters.  Pretty soon, the only people left in Chicago will be gangsters.

It occurs to me that you and Rahm .. and his predecessors, and your predecessors .. have been trying for decades to resolve this "Gun Violence" issue by putting more laws on the books.  It should be as obvious to you as it is to your constituents and to outside observers that Gun Control just ain't working for you.  Or for them.

Why?

Because the gang-bangers and the crazies have no fear of reprisal  Sure, once in a while your cops ("Chicago's Finest!") arrest someone for a shoot-em-up-in-the-streets.  He becomes a hero to his brothers, and the beat goes on.  Nothing changes, and more people die because they can't defend themselves or their families.  These honest people already know they can't depend on YOU to defend them.  The nation is amazed that there are still a few targets left in Chicago for your hoods to hunt down and slaughter.  God knows YOU aren't establishing any effective measures to stop the slaughter.

If you let people defend themselves, maybe some of these hoodlums will get shot down.  It's an accepted significant statistic that 10% of the people cause 90% of the problems.  If enough of those bad guys die while killing innocents, it won't be long before you see a decrease of gun violence.  And the headlines will soon be running less headlines about  "Firearms Violence" and more about "City Remains Peaceful During Fourth Of July Week"!

They'll hail you for your imaginative leadership, and you'll get re-elected.

What's that you say?  You expect to get re-elected anyway?

I'm sorry you feel that way, Pat.  I can only offer two words of advice to a man who won't look at a situation and be willing to try another approach.

STUPID JACKASS!

Yes, you and your buddy Rahm, too.

Thank GOD I don't live in Chicago!

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