Putting a "Brave Face" on Mayhem

It's Chi-Town.

Violence leaves about 60 shot, 8 of them dead, for July 4th weekend - Chicago Tribune:

"The important thing to me is at this point we've had 230 (fewer) people shot this year," First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro said Friday. "I think that's a start, definitely. But every time we have one less person shot, that's a win for us."

If that's "The Important Thing", Chicago, why don't you go after criminals who use guns in the commission of a crime?  Instead, you go after honest citizens who have a firearm to defend themselves, their families, and their homes.

There are few risks to a career criminal in illegally carrying a gun where only Bad People carry guns.   Illinois in general, and Chicago in particular, need to re-evaluate their policy vis-a-vis gun control.

If you want to get guns off the street, prosecute every crime which involves a firearm.   Not the people with no record .. the felon who is caught in the act.

It's a "rider" if you're convicted of a felony while in possession of a gun.

But everyone knows that the "rider" (extra penalty of imprisonment) is the first thing that is on the table when a District Attorney is negotiating with a defense attorney.  The State is too often willing to waive the added crime of firearms possession by a felon if the defense attorney is willing to plead guilty to the original offense.

Stop doing that!

If firearms are a danger to society ... apply your limited resources to prosecuting crimes with a firearm.   Spend less time prosecuting pick-pockets, and more times getting the guns off your streets

When you give away the "enhancement" of "felony with a firearm", you undermine your only way to discourage the use of a firearm in a felony.

What's more important? Convicting a robber of a mugging, or getting guns out of the hands of felons?

Instead, you add laws to prosecute honest citizens who have a firearm.  What could be more illogical?