In an approximately 12 hour time frame, 5 people were reportedly shot to death in the city of Chicago, despite the longstanding handgun ban:
- Shavel Monegan, 29, was standing with a group of people in the 7000 block of South Michigan Avenue after 1 a.m. Saturday when someone approached and opened fire, police said. The crowd scattered and police found Monegan shot several times. He was taken to Stroger Hospital but died.
- Ricky Grant, 36, died in what police said may be a gang-related shooting. Grant was in his car around 9 p.m. Friday in the 2500 block of West 63rd Street in the Englewood neighborhood when someone came up and fired shots into the vehicle and fled, police said.
- Mark Mitchell, 23, died of a gunshot wound to the back suffered about 8:11 p.m. Friday at the Altgeld Gardens public housing complex, police said. He was taken from 130th Street and South Drexel Avenue to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
- Dexter Blaylock, 31, got in an argument with someone shortly before 3 p.m. Friday in the 1500 block of West 79th Street, police said. Witnesses told police several shots were fired in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood and police found Blaylock on the sidewalk. He was taken to Christ in Oak Lawn but was pronounced dead about a half hour later.
- Cory L. Hatter, 17, died from several gunshot wounds suffered in the 1500 block of West 69th Street about 6:44 p.m. Friday, police said. The teen, pronounced dead at the scene, was about a half mile from his home in the 7000 block of South Throop Street, authorities said.
Benjamin Franklin once stated “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” By that definition, then the Chicago handgun ban must be legislative insanity. It clearly doesn’t stop those bent on committing murder from having a handgun and killing their victims at an ever increasing rate. Instead, it disarms the law abiding citizens who weren’t going to commit a gun related crime in the first place, making them easier targets for the illegally armed criminals.
Unfortunately the continued existence of the handgun ban does not appear to be a well intentioned error in judgment. Some of Chicago’s most influential politicians see the benefits of gun ownership, but wish to reserve it for themselves. Chicago alderman Richard Mell set about crafting a special gun amnesty for himself, which would allow him to keep his firearms. Chicago Mayor Daley and other prominent politicians are protected by a dedicated team of 63 Chicago police officers serving as bodyguards, which costs the tax payers $4.8 million dollars last year. Barack Obama also places great emphasis on his personal security, while wishing to deny self defense rights to ordinary citizens.
I’m a firm believer in giving people the benefit of the doubt, and assuming that they are acting in good faith, but the facts here are sufficient to convince me that the anti gun politicians in Chicago are being disingenuous; especially in their anti gun comments and attempt to deflect the blame for Chicago’s rampant crime. Self defense is a basic human right, and the law abiding citizens of Chicago should be able to have a gun in order to defend themselves against criminals in a city where crime is out of control.