Posted on 03/08/2010 3:24:19 PM PST by lex33
Mayor Daley today unveiled his annual package of gun control legislation and denied he's "swimming upstream" at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled its intention to overturn Chicago's handgun ban.
Most of the ideas are re-treads, but there are a few new wrinkles. They include a proposal to make it a mandatory Class 1 felony to "knowingly sell or transfer a gun to a known gang member."
Daley also wants to strengthen penalties for unlawful use of a weapon so those caught carrying loaded weapons are no longer, as he put it, "let off scot-free."
Yet another mayoral proposal would require semi-automatic pistols manufactured or delivered for sale in Illinois to be capable of "micro-stamping." The technology helps law enforcement link spent ammunition with the gun used to fire it.
Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association's legislative liaison in Illinois, predicted that the mayor's package would go nowhere in the Illinois General Assembly.
"The pendulum has shifted -- politically and publicly. Many of the proposals the mayor has pitched year in and year out run afoul of what the Supreme Court is going to decide -- that there's an individual right to keep and own a firearm across the nation," he said.
Vandermyde scoffed at the mayor's proposal to raise the penalty against those who sell or transfer guns to "known gang members," arguing that there is "no nexus to criminal activity."
"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," he said.
At a news conference at police headquarters before the usual table-full of confiscated weapons, Daley flatly denied that the U.S. Supreme Court's widely-anticipated ruling makes this year's gun legislation dead-on-arrival in Springfield.
"I'm never swimming upstream. I think I'm swimming with the stream," he said.
Annette Nance-Holt's 16-year-old son, Blair, was gunned down in 2007 when a reputed gang member opened fire on a CTA bus crowded with students on their way home from Julian High School. As shots rang out, Blair sacrificed his own life to save a friend.
Today, Annette Nance-Holt once again channeled her anguish into an emotional plea for gun control.
"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?"
Now if the issue were greater controls on corrupt politicians, I think Duh Mayor would change his tune!
IF Daley and other DA liberals would only charge criminals with the existing massive number of laws that already penalize felons for having weapons, INSTEAD OF DROPPING THE CHARGES AS PART OF PLEA BARGAINING, maybe they would have a better chance of convincing us they really meant what they are proposing and why they are proposing it.
Until then, I am SO NOT CONVINCED. He’s just a Fothermucker.
So why is there crime in the Chicago ghetto? Too many years of Liberal handouts (welfare) which perpetuates low-income desperate conditions. Not to mention that scads of more gun control laws won’t have any impact on top of 40,000 gun laws on the books now. Get tough on crime, especially crimes committed with a gun.
The damned fools are going to waste big bucks on microstamping then find it doesn’t work! Ignorant people shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the law!
So, how did gun control help him?
Also he wants to ban foie gras bullets.
Would that include the "Gang of 14"?
The maybe you should make laws target guns, not people.
The problem isn't hardware- guns.
The problem is software- criminals and gangs. And drugs.
This is just more talking-point, PC, touchy-feely blather for the faithful, who don't want to crack down on the crime problem.
You can flat outlaw guns, but as long as they are as easy to smuggle as drugs, you'll always have them.
I lived in Chicago 30 years ago. It was pretty nice. Daley is a freak.
His father was crooked...the son is both crooked and a PROGRESSIVE. A deadly combination when it comes to the US Constitution.
Idiots disarming law abiding citizens and allowing criminlas a better chance at us. We need to rid ourselves of this cancer they call progressive
little dick needs about a million fed lawsuits for deprivation of rights with his name on em...
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