Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel continues pushing for gun laws, despite the city having one of the highest murder rates in the country. As such, he is calling for Illinois residents to urge Gov. Bruce Rauner to pass more gun laws.
Rahm Emanuel’s Gun Control Push
The city has long had a problem with violence, with more than 900 murders a year in the 90s. Back then, Chicago had a total ban on handguns.
The ban is gone, but residents must get a Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) card to purchase a gun. However, it doesn’t allow them to carry that gun for self-defense. Folks can get a carry permit, but it is difficult to obtain. Besides that, there are very few gun stores in in the city, all of which have a 72-hour waiting period, along with the rest of the state. Moreover, Chicago has a “Gun Violence Tax” that raises the price of guns and ammunition.
Emanuel wants the governor to sign SB337, which would make it even harder on gun stores and law-bidding citizens. Proponents say the bill will combat gun trafficking.
“At its heart, this is a public safety measure-and an answer to the call from our constituents to ensure businesses are only selling firearms to individuals who are legally permitted to carry them,” said State Sen. Chris Nybo.
Of course, it is already illegal to sell a firearm to anyone without a FOID or carry permit in the state. Federal law also bans felons from possessing firearms, along with anyone convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor. It is also illegal to purchase a gun for someone who can’t legally own a gun.
Chicago Violence
Violence in Chicago is constant. Almost every night people are killed, many of them having nothing with the incident in question. Weekends, especially holiday weekends, are even worse.
In a single weekend in July, 44 people were shot in the Windy City, seven were killed. News stories, such as this, are the norm, and has been for a very long time.
Despite this, Emanuel continues to push for stricter gun laws on people who have never been convicted of a crime. What makes this worse is that the Chicago mayor always has armed protection at his side.
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