Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Little Gun Rant

This morning while perusing the news on the puter, I read headlines declaring that there were 40 homicides in Chicago in January.  As I read through the article I read this paragraph:

   Police say the homicide rate is a reflection of the city's gang problem and a proliferation of guns. Chicago has for years tried to cut off the flow of guns. It has what city officials have called the strictest handgun ordinance in the U.S. But police officials say more needs to be done, and that penalties for violating gun laws should be stiffer.

 People who read this article will take the Chicago violence and see it in different ways. As the last sentence says, anti-gun folk will think that stiffer gun laws need to be in place. Pro-gun people will look at the statistics and think the opposite. It seems to me that so far all laws have done for Chicago is take the guns away from law-abiding citizens. Only law-abiding people abide by laws. In the meantime, the gangs, who break all sorts of laws, are not concerned with more gun laws. In fact, they can kill at will now.

I do know this, that if I was living in Chicago, I would want to carry a gun for my own protection. It seems obvious to me that those 40 people killed in Chicago in January were not protected by the police who carry guns. 

So what would be the biggest deterrent for criminals - more gun laws or the possibility that a person might protect himself and shoot back?

On another note, my tutoree spent the day with me yesterday - it was a great day.  She beat me up about my diet - she is my diet guru. And I beat her up with algebra. We also painted or tried to paint. This is from a photo of her yellow lab, Gunner. We worked and worked and over worked the painting. I trimmed off a large part of my painting.  Since I paint on my student's art, I let my Tutoree paint the bird on my painting. This was the result: 

9 comments:

Buck said...

Milwaukee ain't that far from Chicago but it's WORLDS away when it comes to law enforcement's attitude towards guns.

I like the painting AND the fact you beat your tutoree up with algebra. I STILL remember my high school Algebra I teacher... Mrs. Grant... who beat me to a whimpering pulp with that stuff.

Bag Blog said...

There was some things in that video that reminded me of the Benghazi incident. The officer in the video says he needs you "in the game" on safety... "with officers laid off and furloughs"... Wasn't that Ms Clinton's excuse - budget cuts...couldn't get more security...Republican's fault... I guess we better arm our citizens everywhere.

My Tutoree is pretty good in algebra compared to me. It is kind of like dieting - I hate it, but it has to be done.

Jo Castillo said...

Enjoyed reading your post. I like the painting. Wish I was closer so you could tutor me in watercolor. :)

Bag Blog said...

I wish we were closer too. You could keep me inspired and working.

Anonymous said...

I don't really pay attention to Chicago. That part of the town is like a rabbit farm. Breeders getting free money to do nothing.

Back in the 60's we had a biker gang problem. Most of our fathers were all WW2 vets. Anyway that problem went away fast when they declared open season on bikers wearing gang emblems. My dad said you just stick a shotgun out the window and blam! - problem solved.

Every time I see the movie "Easy Rider" I think of my father and his whacked-out generation. Still, problems seemed so small back then, as compared to now.

Bag Blog said...

Anon,
I remember when people had a fear of "hippies" or bikers - such a crazy thing!

Buck said...

Liberals see only what they want to see and the budget cut thing (as far as Benghazi goes) was just an excuse.

Becky G said...

I don't believe the government's goal is reducing crime at all. They know the statistics. They know that Chicago has the highest murder rate in the country, and also some of the toughest gun laws. They also know that an "assault" weapons ban wouldn't have stopped the Sandy Hook shooting, because Connecticut already has an "assault" weapons ban.

I believe their true goal is the complete disarmament of the American people, because an armed populace is the only thing that keeps tyranny at bay.

Bag Blog said...

Becky, Maybe you are right, but I think most gun control folks are just mistaken, misinformed, and mixed up.