Emanuel finds compromise in gun-control fight

[hack89]

As the city's murder toll skyrockets, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has intensified his talk about getting guns off the street, but he has adopted a more nuanced approach to fighting the slew of challenges to the firearms ordinance in the legal arena.

With Chicago losing legal rulings to the National Rifle Association three times in the last 12 months, Emanuel has had to figure out where to draw the line in cases inherited from Daley.

Though the city says the strategy has not changed, the tactics certainly have. Since a Supreme Court ruling forced the city to rewrite its handgun ordinance two years ago, Emanuel has chosen to amend the new law twice, conceding that the city had little chance of successfully defending lawsuits against certain aspects of it.

Eugene Kontorovich, a constitutional law professor at Northwestern University, said the city still has failed to internalize the message of the Supreme Court ruling. He said the city is looking at gun rights as a privilege that can be heavily regulated.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-22/news/ct-met-chicago-gun-laws-20120722_1_gun-control-firearms-ordinance-legal-gun

[Remmah2]

1. Compromise?

That's like putting a filter on someone's mouth so you can't smell their bullshit. The bullshit is still there.

[PolishBear]

2. Mexican Standoff

Dudley Brown is the executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which advocates for firearms owners’ rights. This is what he had to say: “We’re different than other cultures. We DO allow Americans to possess the accoutrements that our military generally has.”

"Accoutrements." What a pleasant way of describing the weapons and ammunition and body armor that James Holmes had accumulated over a period of a few months.

Doesn’t ANYONE find this just a bit disturbing?

Someone who wants to own a handgun for the protection of his family and property, and/or a rifle to go hunting with, who is also willing to go through background checks and reasonable registration requirements? THAT’S what I would call a responsible gun owner.

But to suggest that the Second Amendment guarantees that anyone can have an arsenal, stocked with as many guns as he wants, of any type of gun and ammunition that he wants, just because it’s his HOBBY? That’s just nuts.

All can say is, if this is the way it's going to be, then we should simply dispense with the hand-wringing when the next massacre takes place. James Holmes did not have a criminal record before he opened fire on a crowded theater. He went about accumulating his weapons and "accoutrements" the same way gun hobbyists everywhere do. We might as well get used to it, because no one has the guts to stand up to the NRA.

[rrneck]

4. In a world of overconsumption

how do you plan the regulate what people can have if they have the money to pay for it?

A guy who owns more guns than he needs, lives in a five thousand square foot home, and drives a nine thousand pound car but never shoots anyone does much more damage with the house and car than with the guns.

How would you regulate overconsumption?

[gejohnston]

6. I think buying

a bunch of cars and beanie babies as a hobby is nuts, but that's me. I'm not going to try to ban it.

Thing is, it's not the NRA per se. It's the grass roots that would moblize against the control/prohibition lobby. One has millions sending their ten twenty bucks. The other has a few thousand and funded by a foundation and a couple of one percenters.

[Speaker]

17. I'm sure you'd feel the same way about someone who jumped through hoops to gain permission to speak.

Someone who wants to own a handgun for the protection of his family and property, and/or a rifle to go hunting with, who is also willing to go through background checks and reasonable registration requirements? THAT’S what I would call a responsible gun owner.

That's what I would call an obedient subject, not a free man.

I'm sure you'd feel the same way about someone who jumped through hoops to gain permission to speak.

[Hoyt]

3. Hail to the NRA.

With Chicago losing legal rulings to the National Rifle Association three times in the last 12 months, Emanuel has had to figure out where to draw the line in cases inherited from Daley.

Sorry, I won't applaud the NRA.

[ileus]

5. Hail to the Constitution.

Did they lose to the NRA or the Constitution?

Me thinks someone is bitter about losing to an age old amendment he would like to see abolished.

[virginia mountainman]

7. The real reason they are giving up...And a copy of the check to prove it...

A check issued by City of Chicago, and signed by Rahm Emanual, to the Second Amendment Foundation...Notice that this is just the FIRST PAYMENT....

[Callisto32]

8. LOL.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

9. LOL, pwnage. nt

[Simo 1939_1940]

10. And the sad part about this story is that the blow they took to their pride

no doubt smarts more to them than the blow the taxpayers took paying the check.

[Trunk Monkey]

12. I can't get my computer to zoom in how much is the check for? NT

[virginia mountainman]

13. $399,950.00

[spin]

11. It would be a terrible disaster for those who favor extreme gun control ...

if "shall issue" concealed carry were allowed and the violent crime rate in Chicago dropped dramatically.

Of course realistically, the problem in Chicago is largely gang related. Political corruption in the Windy City and Illinois also plays a role,

[DonP]

14. No, we would be told endlessly ....

... that the drop in Chicago crime had nothing at all to do with concealed carry and like all the other states, the gun control fans would insist it's just a coincidence, you can't prove causality, gun owners are all big poopy head GOP wing nuts and nyah, nyah, nyah.

[spin]

15. Very true. To be honest their assertions would be hard to disprove ...

as the violent crime equation involves many factors and gun ownership and "shall issue" concealed carry are just two.

However if gun ownership and "shall issue" concealed carry were among the most important factors it is odd to find that since firearm sales have skyrocketed in recent years and "shall issue" concealed carry has swept across our nation that the violent crime rate has not increased dramatically. The fact is that our violent crime rate has dropped to levels last seen in the late 60s and is still decreasing.

What I fear is that an effort to impose draconian gun control might eventually pass and the result will be an increase in violent crime. Of course any such increase will be dismissed by the media and those who support gun control. Unfortunately innocent people will suffer. That of course will lead to an attempt to implement even stronger gun control.

Eventually many years from now it is possible that Americans may be disarmed. This would work to the advantage of the ruling 1% as they would far less fear of the 99% uprising and overthrowing their control. The rich and their favorites will live in gated communities with armed guards to insure their safety. All others will live in fear for their lives without the ability to use firearms to defend themselves from the criminals and criminal gangs that will rule their neighborhoods. Instead of the democracy the Founders granted us we will live in a medieval feudal society.

Our nation has freedoms for all citizens rarely granted in the history of the world and consequently we are an aberration. Unfortunately history often repeats itself.

As citizens we have to realize that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were the most progressive and liberal documents ever written. Obviously it can be criticized as it was written at a time when slaves and women suffered from discrimination but it provided a means to rectify its weaknesses. It took a while but we accomplished these changes and many others.

In my opinion the First and Second amendments in the Bill of Rights were the most important in that order. Unfortunately the "Forth Estate", the news media, has largely failed its responsibility that was granted by the Founders. If we ever lose our Second Amendment rights, we face a bleak future similar to the one described int the novel 1984.

[DonP]

16. A lot of small "i" ignorance out there on the issue

I can't count the number of threads I've read that state, as a fact, that gun violence is growing and at record high levels.

There are two or three from today alone in GD with that stated, as if it's a fact. Any attempt to correct that, even with the FBI UCR reports are labeled as NRA talking points. I just stopped trying.

But Chicago may already be the model for the situation you fear. A draconian ban on law abiding owning or carrying with the resultant spiking crime wave as a fact of life?

In spite of Heller and McDonald Chicago still has no intention of abiding by the letter or spirit of the ruling for as long as they can get away with it.

But unlike Daley, it's generally accepted in local political circles that Rahm has greater ambitions than the 5th floor of city hall. With a teacher strike in his face, budget woes at every turn and a fire and police department looking for a contract there are a lot of things that would leave egg on his face.

His recent sudden capitulation to the teachers union has been ascribed to a late night phone call from DC suggesting he keep things nice and quiet until after November, since he's still closely connected with the President and it's his home town.