Chicago Police Issued M-4 Carbines

This article from the Chicago Tribune wonderfully illustrates so many of the errors in Illinois anti-gun legislation. Illinois is one of the country's most oppressive states, it is one of only two with absolutely no carry permits. Within Illinois, Chicago stands out as an uniquely hostile region for law abiding firearm owners. Possession of virtually any sort of weapon is illegal within Cook County. The few excepted citizens happen by coincidence to be alderman and Daley cronies. We don't need to delve into that element of it here, but it makes Daley's preaching a bit more odious.

I have no problem with the CPD having access to M-4s. Many police departments across the country are provided such weaponry. What bothers me is the way that Daley has framed this necessity within the larger context of his failed anti-gun legislation.

Daley's argument is summed up in this quote:

"Many times they're outgunned, to be very frank... When they come to a scene, someone has a semi fully-automatic weapon and you have a little pistol, uh, good luck."

I'm not going to entirely ignore the absurdity of his statement "semi fully-automatic weapon", as it usefully demonstrates the ignorance of those who legislate. Still, it is hardly the worst element of the hysterics perpetrated by these types of politicians. What Daley is entirely missing is the wondrous irony of his speech. This is the mayor who has self righteously stripped his citizenry of the right to legally defend themselves from these same gangsters he is frantically gearing up his police force to combat.

Daley and those like him think that if they can just declare firearms of all types illegal, the endemic violence of the inner city will simply go away. The continuously demonstrated reality is that those already inclined to break the law have no compunctions about ignoring his ridiculous weapons legislations. His refusal to recognize the futility of his gun free utopia seems increasingly desperate, but given his previous demonstrations of petulant tyranny, it is all too likely that he will manage to force the issue. For those of us who believe in the 2nd Ammendment, Illinois increasingly seems a lost cause.

Chicago gang violence is an ongoing tragedy. The loss of life there reflects a broken society in desperate need of repair. The Mayor Daleys of our world who prey on the fears and horror of this sad situation do no one any favors, and instead serve only to weaken members of an already victimized group. A basic right to self defence is crucial for any free society. Increasingly we're seeing this stripped in the futile effort to achieve nebulous 'public safety' goals. For a people already beset by tragedy, stripping them of their rights is not the answer. We must fight this nonsense tooth and claw to maintain the hard won rights we so treasure.