Chicago: First US Gun Tax 'Will Stem Carnage'

Sky News ^

[Sub-Driver]

Chicago: First US Gun Tax 'Will Stem Carnage'

There are hopes a levy will reduce attacks in the President's adopted city, although he has been largely silent on gun control.

7:40pm UK, Saturday 03 November 2012

By Gary Mitchell, in Chicago

A leading anti-gun campaigner has told Sky News a new tax on guns will help end "carnage" on the streets of Chicago - where firearms now change hands for just $20.

There have now been more than 440 murders in Barack Obama's adopted home city so far this year, surpassing last year's total of 435.

Most involved gang shootings in the south and west of the city. It has been dubbed America's "murder capital" with a higher rate of killings than New York or Los Angeles.

Cook County, which takes in Chicago, has become the first place in the US to introduce a firearms tax.

Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of St Sabina Church in the city's South Side, said the $25 levy is a start.

"Guns are causing carnage on our streets," he said.

"Anything that makes them harder to get hold of, no matter how small, is to be welcomed.

"We tax things like alcohol and cigarettes, but we haven't been taxing firearms.

"But I'd prefer if the tax was a lot higher, and if every single bullet was taxed."

A proposed tax of five cents per bullet was abandoned by Cook County because the tax would, in some cases, have exceeded the price of ammunition.

[Popman]

I keep reading this thinking it was some weird satire piece...

People who are completely void of any ideas propose idiotic things like this...

How about arresting the three levels of gang leadership...put them in deepest darkest hole for about a 6 months...