Last week, the city of Chicago reached its 500th murder for the 2012 calendar year. Mayor Rahm Emanuel called this “an unfortunate and tragic milestone”. That’s putting it mildly. In a city with some of the toughest gun laws in the country, that serves as a shining beacon for gun control according to the Lunacy Campaign, at least 500 people were murdered in 2012. How can this be possible?
Murder Rates
I couldn’t find published murder rates by city in the FBI Uniform Crime Reports for 2011, but no matter, it’s a simple calculation. Looking at the crime by city in Illinois for 2011, we find that in 2011, there were 431 reported murders in Chicago, with a population of 2,703,713. That gives us a murder rate of 15.94 per 100,000.
Using the same population of 2,703,713 for 2012 (presumably the population will have gone up slightly, but since I don’t have that number, the 2011 population will be used), 500 murders gives Chicago a murder rate of 18.49. That’s an increase of 16%.
Gun Control in Chicago
Chicago’s gun laws have long been some of the country’s most strict. Concealed carry is against the law (though clearly the criminals didn’t get the memo), and prior to the 2010 McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court ruling, you couldn’t even have a handgun in your own home.
After the McDonald ruling, Chicago was forced to allow citizens to own handguns in their homes, but not without considerable effort. The hoops you must jump through and the limitations imposed are many, including the registration of all firearms, an “assault weapons” ban, and a ban on magazines (you know, those things that everyone in the media calls clips?) that hold more than 10 rounds.
Failure
Gun control in Chicago has most certainly been a failure, no matter how you slice the data. If you look at other highly populated cities in the United States, you’ll find several different scenarios with which to compare.
For example, New York has a higher population, a lower murder rate, but still has a high level of gun control. This would appear to support the argument that gun control works. An opposing example is Houston, which has nearly the same population as Chicago, a much lower murder rate, and a low level of gun control. Houston and Chicago appear to support the argument that gun control does not work.
Looking at individual large cities in the United States, there doesn’t appear to be any strict pattern, so where does this leave us? Both sides of the gun control debate can find data that supports their argument. This should lead to an obvious conclusion: it’s not about the guns. If it was, Chicago wouldn’t have the crime problem that it does, and Houston’s crime problem would be much worse than it is.
The truth is, murder has never been about the tool used in the implementation. Evil exists in the world, and has always existed, both today and before guns were invented. You cannot legislate your way out of this reality.
Wrapping Up
Gun control doesn’t work, and Chicago proves it. What’s worse, is that as draconian as Chicago’s gun control laws are, if Dianne Feinstein and crew have their way, even worse gun control laws are coming, and coming nationwide.
Rev Jesse Jackson tried to tell the local Chicago news on Friday that the reason Chicago still has guns is because there are three guns hops on the border just outside the county lines. He even went so far as to call out one of the shops by name in a blatant attempt to kill their business. Instead I drove the extra 20 miles to shop at that gun shop this weekend and let me tell you, it was PACKED.
Brandon, you are exactly right. All I can say is when (not if) the gun control laws get passed, be ready for a huge rash of violent crimes. The wolves do not live by laws, but instead they use the laws put forth on honest people as a green light to do their evil deeds safely. Our society is spiraling downward at a rapid rate and instead of mankind evolving, we are devolving. I will maintain my weapons of self defense and if they come to my door to confiscate my guns; well I would rather not live in world of no defense from bad guys (if you understand what I am saying).
JACKSON AND ITS MAYOR ARE BOTH IMBECILES IN REGARDS TO FACING THE TRUTH IN THIS MATTER, THERE IS A LARGE BLACK POPULATION THAT SPENDS ITS TIME IN DRUG DEALING AND GANG BANGING. AND THIS IS THE ONLY LIFE THEY KNOW. MOST OF THE YOUNG BLACK MALES DO NOT KNOW OR DO NOT HAVE ANY DESIRE TO KNOW WHO THEIR FATHERS ARE, AND THEIR SINGLE BLACK FEMALE MOTHER IS OUT THERE DOING WHATEVER AND STAYING ON WELFARE TO SURVIVE! THIS TOTAL LACK OF FAMILY STRUCTURE AND NO REAL FIREARMS TRAINING IN THE CITY HAS BROUGHT ON THIS CIVIL WAR BETWEEN GANG FANCTIONS AND WHATEVER WHITE PEOPLE GET IN THEIR WAY! THESE DRIVE BY GANG SHOOTINGs WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE REAL PROBLEMS ARE ADDRESSED, NOT JUST ASKING GOVERNMENT TO HAND THEM MORE AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN, WELFARE AND FOOD STAMPS!I THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF FUNDING BLACKS TO KNOCK OUT ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN IS ONLY FUELING THE FIRE FOR THE NEXT BATCH OF CRIMINALS HITTING THE STREETS, I HAVE BEEN THERE ON THE STREET LEVEL AND SEEN THIS TRAGEDY REPEATED EVERY YEAR WITH THE PRESENT WELFARE SYSTEM! JACKSON AND SHARPTON SHOULD HOLD THEIR HEADS IN SHAME OVER ALL THESE YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE BEING MURDERED EVERY DAY. THEY ARE USELESS LIBERAL PIGS PROPPING UP A FAILED SYSTEM. IF IT WASN’T GUNS, THEY WOULD USE THEIR CARS TO RUN PEOPLE OVER WITH THEM AND KILL THEM.! GUNS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM HERE, ITS THE ANIMALS WHO GET THEIR HANDS ON THEM! JACKSON AND SHARPTON SHOULD PUBLICLY COME OUT ON THE AIR AND DEMAND A WELFARE, SOCIAL SECURITY,AND FOOD STAMP OVERHAUL TO END THE REPEATED CYCLE OF DEPENDENCY AND TRYING TO RAISE CHILDREN THAT ARE NOTHING BUT TROPHIES TO THEIR LOVE INTERESTS!!!
You invalidate your own argument. You state that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up from 2011 to 2012. You also state that while Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, whether you have to “jump through hoops” or not, that they have relaxed some of those laws in 2010. Therefore a relaxing of the gun laws has led to an increase in the murder rate in Chicago!
I invalidate nothing. You are ignorant to the reality of crime as it relates to gun control. Gun control affects those already inclined to follow the law, NOT the people who are already breaking it.
Thanks to Chicago’s gun laws, a very low percentage of the law abiding citizens are armed. Yes, people can now jump through hoops and keep a neutered pistol in their home (which is better than nothing), but they are not (yet) allowed to carry that weapon with them to protect themselves.
Thank God I live in Texas!