Every year, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley holds a press conference on gun crime, wherein Hizzoner proposes some initiative or another for reducing illegal guns/gun crimes. Every single time, he trots out a victim of same to justify a legislative agenda that impinges on the rights of non-criminal gun owners. This year Dick wants to turn “knowingly sell or transfer a gun to a known gang member” into a Class 1 felony and mandatory “micro-stamping” (to link handguns and bullets in CSI heaven). Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on your stance on gun control. But this time out, Daley’s lost the big ‘mo. He’s looking down the barrel of a Supreme Court ruling which could strike down Chicago’s gun ban—and any other plans he might have in that regard. Still, they don’t call it “the windy city” for nothing. All sides of the debate are ready, willing and able to provide sound byte nation with a brief blast of hot air. As are we, courtesy The Sun Times. Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association’s Illinois legislative liaison gets his quote on. “I’m quite used to the mayor using the Second Amendment as toilet paper. But, now they want to use the First Amendment as a doormat and the due process guarantees of the 14th Amendment as a dishrag.” As Mr. Bumble would say, MORE?
Mr Mayor? “I’m never swimming upstream. I think I’m swimming with the stream.” Streamed live, of course.
As always in these sorts of articles, the victim gets the last word. And bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. As in another refrain of the bird-brained idea that guns kill people. [Hint: people with guns kill people, amongst other people.]
“In a day when we’re more concerned with obesity and second-hand smoke and animal rights, why are we not concerned about our children being murdered by handguns and assault weapons. Why are we not outraged?” Nance-Holt said.
“This is not a black issue. It’s not a Hispanic issue. This is an American issue. These guns are out of control and our love [for] guns is out of control. Are they insane, or are we insane?”
Is that a trick question?
