You may have heard that Chicago has had a rash of deadly shootings the past few weekends. Shootings are up. Deaths are up. Last night, there was a hostage standoff at an autobody shop that resulted in the police having the kill the hostage taker because he started shooting at them.
It's disgusting. The reasons for this massive increase in gunfire vary. Some claim it's due to the warm weather (see if you can follow this) because the winter was so very long and people were cooped up in their homes. Now it's warm (although my heat is on as I write this because it's 40 degrees outside) and people are outside, so naturally, shootings increase. I don't understand that reason at all. I think it's an excuse, not a reason. Others say (and I believe) this increase in gun violence has more to do with the economy. People can't afford the basics. They are having problems putting food on their tables. They're feeling desperate and frustrated (and to quote Barack Obama) and bitter.
This weekend, in response to this increase in gun violence, Mayor Daley and Police Chief Jody Weis have proposed that Chicago cops be equipped with semiautomatic assault rifles because they're "outgunned" by the gangs and criminals. That's right. If the Mayor and Police Chief get their way (and I'm not arguing for or against this, although I think it's quite the statement), all 13,000 of Chicago's Finest will be running around with M4 carbines, which can shoot up to 1000 rounds per minute.
In explaining his support for this plan, Mayor Daley says, "We're finding out that the weapons of criminals are getting bigger and bigger, AK-47s, all types of different weapons, because they can carry assault weapons, it's not a violation of federal law, and that is a concern for all of us." (emphasis mine)
It's NOT a violation of federal law to carry assault weapons. WTF????? Why not? Why does anyone need to carry assault weapons like AK-47s or M4s? These are not guns to hunt deer or squirrel or pheasant or whatever else hunters hunt. These are the weapons used in Iraq to kill people. The sole purpose of assault weapons is to hunt people. Why does anyone need these kinds of guns?
I'm not trying to start a pro- or anti-gun debate here. I understand that there are legitimate reasons why people keep guns. I understand that people hunt for food. Some of my relatives in Mississippi hunt deer and duck and I'm sure other things too. I get that. I understand it's something passed down from generation to generation. I'm not judging it or saying it's bad.
But there's a difference between owning guns for hunting deer and owning assault rifles for hunting people.
Can someone explain to me one legitimate reason why anyone needs to own AK47s or M4 assault weapons? And why the hell it's not illegal to own them?
What level have we sunk to that we must live in a gun state where cops patrolling the streets carry assault rifles at all times?
GUn crimes are up because people are more and more desperate.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, rather than address the root problems of crime, we are simply going to give cops a better way to have raging gun fights on the streets. They do SO well with their non-lethal tasers. Sounds like a fantastic plan to me - NOT!!
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't really understand is why Daley is so blatently pandering to the NRA. Charleton "you'll pry this gun from my cold dead hands" Heston is, in fact, dead, and it's not an election year for Daley, and he always wins with something like 110% of the vote (the extra votes are from dead people - it's Chicago afterall). But you are 100% right GG, it is much easier to hand out assault rifles and create a military state than it is to address the root problems of crime. Do you think that the 2016 IOC is super pro-gun or something?
ReplyDeleteYou've been tagged hon. Check out my blog for details.
ReplyDeleteMy, my we are not informed at all are we, when you talk about assault rifles do you mean those that are "fully" automatic or are we addressing those AR that are a .223 caliber bullet semiautomatic action rifle based on a military gun. Where did you come up with 1000 rounds a minute? Being a gunowner myself I have yet to hear of a semiautomatic rifle that shoots 1000 rounds a minute. Let us examine that ridiculous number; A semiautomatic firearm fires one round per trigger pull (now we have that concept down) as a full auto shoots multiple rounds per trigger pull (am I going to fast for you)so with that in mind I would love to see someone pull a single trigger 1000 times a minute when people (including recoil)can only pull about 5 rounds a second. Now here comes the math part 5 X 60= 300 you have a 700 round differences this is without switching magazines because I have yet to see chain clips and drum clips hold 1000 rounds. "Most" full autos don't fire at that rate, only metal storm and that is computerized. Besides who would be dumb enough to leave themselves exposed for more than 3 seconds when getting shot at. I do not believe police would spray a wall with lead for the hell of it, they are trained for these situations. Gangs will be gangs, no matter how you try to stop or prevent them, you can never get rid of one thing: so long as their are people that want to belong to something, they will join, if someone enjoys killing people, they will join, if someone has no morals or values in life but themselves and care not of others or the value of life, there will be gangs. Next time I ask any of you ask yourselves if you are as knowledgeable as you think you are about firearms before you open your mouths or type on keyboards and do some damn research. A semiautomatic rifle will never have that capability and police officers will not recklessly shoot into the crowd because they have the firepower.
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