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More gun control BS from fellow Crook County politicians:

Politicians, Activists, Students Rally In Wake Of Violence
Governor, Mayor, Priest Call For ‘Common Sense’ Gun Laws

UPDATED: 4:58 pm CDT April 1, 2008
CHICAGO — Several hundred Chicago Public School students rallied downtown Tuesday to remember classmates killed by gun violence this school year.

Survey: Would Tougher Gun Laws Reduce Youth Deaths?

The students were joined by politicians, school officials and church leaders who are calling for stiffer gun control measures. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Parish and Mayor Richard M. Daley were among those at the Thompson Center event.

Since September, 20 CPS students have been killed by gunfire. The latest was an 18-year-old killed in a high school parking lot over the weekend. At the center of Tuesday’s rally was an arrangement of 20 school desks, each with a pair of sneakers resting on it — one pair for each student who has died this year.

In the previous school year, 27 Chicago students lost their lives to violence.

Ron Holt, the father of Blair Holt, a Julian High School student shot to death last year, also spoke at the rally. He said his heart goes out to students and families who have lost someone to violence.

“No one is immune to gun violence,” he said.

Blagojevich, Pfleger and Daley called on the Illinois Legislature to pass “common sense” gun laws to help curb the violence.

“We continue to lose innocent lives to senseless gun violence — too many bright futures have been cut short,” the governor said in a statement. “We need to stop this violence that is plaguing our cities, and we need to stop it now. I urge the legislature to take action this year to make our communities safer.”

According to a release from the governor’s office, several proposed bills that he supports would limit individuals to purchasing one gun per month, reinstate an assault-weapon ban, require all gun purchasers to pass a background check and make criminal gun data public.

Pfleger Rallies Crowd

Chicago school chief Arne Duncan said he runs into too many students who talk about “if” they grow up — instead of “when” they’ll grow up.

“You deserve to be safe. You deserve to be free of fear,” Duncan told the cheering crowd.

Duncan said he’s proud of all the students who chose to attend the rally.

http://www.nbc5.com/education/15763606/detail.html?dl=mainclick