Chicago Murders are Up in 2012

[mikeb302000]

USA Today

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says the city has logged its 500th homicide of the year.

McCarthy issued a statement Friday calling the milestone a "tragic number that is reflective of the gang violence and proliferation of illegal guns that have plagued some of our neighborhoods."

By late Friday, police confirmed 40-year-old Nathaniel Jackson had become the 500th homicide victim when he was fatally shot in the head outside a convenience store on the city's West Side.

The last time Chicago reached the 500-homicide mark was in 2008, when the year ended with 512 killings. City records show Chicago had 435 homicides last year.

The pro-gun crowd actually blames this on the gun control laws. They say if only good citizens were able to protect themselves, as is their constitutional right, there'd be fewer killings.

The only problem with that argument is it's based on a lie. It's not good citizens who are being killed. Almost all of the deaths are gang and drug related.

The undeniable fact is gun availability is a major factor in this sad statistic. That's what the gun-rights folks refuse to admit.

The same dynamic is at work in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Oakland and many other cities, murders up, mainly drug and gang related.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Cross posted at Mikeb302000

[LARED]

1. Do you think making

guns less available will decrease gang and drug related gun murders?

Will gang members and drug dealer be prevented from acquiring guns? I doubt it.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

2. re: "Chicago Murders are Up in 2012"

As the pro-control crowd logic dictates, the gun problem won't be solved with more guns, therefore in the land of gun-control, more controls won't solve a control problem.

[slackmaster]

3. "gang and drug related" is racist dog-whistle language

Or so I've been admonished when I've used those terms.

[Eleanors38]

5. But Slack, you're on the "wrong" side now!

A few days ago, a video featuring bump-firing rifle
Was posted to protests of "gun porno!"

Day later, ends up on some banner's thread.

[Lizzie Poppet]

8. Yet. That Which Must Not Be Named.

Never mind that sweeping a problem that plagues a particular racial demographic disproportionally under the rug is actually more racist. The tragically high rates of drug- and gang-related homicide in the African-American community are the Voldemort of social policy discussion to far too many so-called "progressives."

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. How many links back to your blog can you cram into One OP?

[Clames]

6. Chicago exposes the lie of strict gun control policy.

Pathetic how some of the more fanatical gun control advocates try to spin this as anything but abject failure of the laws they champion. D.C. is another example too.

[ileus]

7. What Chicago needs is a gun ban.

[spin]

9. What Chicago needs is less corruption.

"From the moment of its incorporation as a city in 1837, Chicago has been systematically seduced, looted, and pilloried by an aeonian horde of venal politicians, mercenary businessmen, and sadistic gangsters. Nothing has changed in more than 130 years" (Demaris, 3).
http://www.umich.edu/~eng217/student_projects/nkazmers/corrupt1.html

Chicago and Illinois, Leading the Pack in Corruption
Anti-Corruption Report Number 5 February 15, 2012 (Updated April 18, 2012)

For a century and a half, public corruption has been a shameful aspect of both Illinois and Chicago politics. The Governor’s mansion and Chicago City Council Chambers have long been the epicenters of public corruption. The extent and pervasiveness of bribery, fraud, stealing from the taxpayers, and illegal patronage have made the city and state national leaders of corruption. Our notorious reputations have provided fodder for scores of comedians and late night talk show hosts. But corruption is a serious problem that hurts all citizens who put their trust – and tax dollars – in the hands of politicians who abuse the power they are given.

New public corruption conviction data from the U.S. Department of Justice shows the Chicago metropolitan region has been the most corrupt area in the country since 1976. In addition, the data reveal that Illinois is the third most corrupt state in the nation. The latest information, just released by the Justice Department, provides new evidence of the need for reforms to reduce rampant corruption in Chicago and Illinois.
http://www.uic.edu/depts/pols/ChicagoPolitics/leadingthepack.pdf

[spin]

10. How would stricter gun laws including banning and confiscation of all firearms in the U.S. ...

have any real effect on warring drug gangs in Chicago?

If a drug gang can smuggle tons of drugs into our nation why would smuggling firearms present a problem?

Fully automatic firearms such as the AK-47 used in conflicts all over the world are readily available on the black market. Can you imagine the amount of damage such weapons would cause if they ever became the weapon of choice of drug gangs in our nation?

Mexico has extremely strong gun laws but guns are smuggled into Mexico from many nations including ours. Drug cartels in Mexico often have weaponry that rivals the Mexican military.

We should be aware that there may be unintended consequences if we ever pass truly draconian gun laws in our nation.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. Holy shit, we agree!

"The only problem with that argument is it's based on a lie. It's not good citizens who are being killed. Almost all of the deaths are gang and drug related. "

[jmg257]

12. I think the pro-gun crowd actually blames this on gangs and drugs.

Since we all know what the problems are, we all should think McCarthy and law enforcement in Chicago would be able to do something about it.

[bobclark86]

13. You mean more gun control in the city...

which doesn't have a SINGLE gun shop? Where there is a handgun ban? Where everyone who legally owns a gun needs a license? Chicago has the absolute HARSHEST firearms laws in the country.

But yeah, ban handguns AGAIN. Ban gun shops AGAIN, even MOARSO THIS TIME!. That'll do the trick... or not.

Fun Fact of the Day: ALL of the cities you write about have very harsh gun control laws. Obviously, they are working very well. Not saying they should be relaxed, but they aren't exactly doing something if between one and two people a day are being murdered...

And one more time: I'm tired of you reposting crap from your blog. It's getting annoying.

[rl6214]

14. Just goes to show gun bans work, right?

[bubbayugga]

15. 500 people murdered? We've got to get those assault weapons off the street NOW!

[gejohnston]

16. like the President said

it isn't "assault weapons" gangsters use pistols. Most of it is gangs who are in the business of selling contraband.