Chicago has had a handgun ban since before I was born, and yet it is the murder capital of the United States. The majority of Chicago’s murders are committed by handgun ban ignoring criminals, while law abiding citizens are left without a gun for self defense against these very criminals. Against this backdrop, Mayor Daley has used the murder of Jennifer Hudson’s family to push his gun control agenda, despite the gaping flaws in his reasoning, and failure of existing gun control. I respond to each of Daley’s unfounded contentions below.
“When you have someone with access to a gun it shows you what they will do [murder Hudson’s family].”
Really? I own multiple guns and have yet to shoot anyone. The same is true for my girlfriend, various members of her family – and about 40% of the population of the United States. I own guns so that were a murderer to break into my home, I could defend myself (like this person did) rather than ending up a murder victim. Americans use gun in self defense 2.5 million times each year, saving countless lives. Even anti gun politicians like Mayor Daley recognize that guns are necessary for self defense, and keep gun-toting, taxpayer-sponsored bodyguards for themselves, while leaving ordinary citizens defenseless.
“If . . . you have a gun in the home, you’d better get rid of it. Because, more likely [than not], that gun is gonna be used against the family or against a child’s best friend.”
This is flagrantly untrue as well. As I’ve mentioned, about 40% of households have guns, yet you don’t read about 40% of the population being shot. The fact is that of the hundreds of millions of guns in the country, most are never used in any crime. The Department of Justice has found that people who lawfully own guns and are taught to use them at a young age are less likely to be criminals than non gun owners. Indeed, cars are more dangerous than guns.
Police could not have prevented the killings because they occurred inside the home and allegedly in a domestic-related incident.
This is the one point where Daley and I will agree. The police almost certainly can’t save a citizen in time, since the police are minutes away, while a murder takes just seconds to commit. Worse yet, the police are not legally liable for not saving a citizen – even when they fail to show up for 14 hours after being called multiple times. Having a gun for self defense is the best (and often only) means of stopping a criminal before they inflict horrible harm.