Chicago passes gun law

A decade ago that was indeed a title Chicago wore proudly. We were the only major city that still had an ordinance banning residents from keeping a handgun in their home. Supreme Court forced Chicago to fall into line with the rest of the country.

Since then, the courts have peeled off so many layers of our once stellar gun ordinance that it's barely recognizable. We're still maneuvering to keep gun stores and shooting ranges from opening in the city limits. But the courts have ruled against us on that, too, so we know it's just a matter of time.

Remember that old requirement that gun owners in Chicago register their firearms with the city and obtain a permit? Well, that's gone too. And thanks to the Illinois General Assembly, which was pressured by the federal courts to pass a concealed carry law in , people can walk the streets of Chicago with a gun attached to their waist and another strapped to their ankle.

Sorry, gun lovers, your attempts to use Chicago as a prop to bolster your claims that gun control laws do nothing to curb gun violence just don't hold up.

New York, in fact, has stricter gun laws on the books than Chicago. And guess what? Its homicide numbers are heading toward historic lows. Los Angeles has some pretty tough gun laws too. Its homicide numbers also pale compared with Chicago's.

Those kinds of details don't fit the conservative, pro-gun narrative, though. To use New York as a talking point, they'd have to admit that strict gun laws might actually have an impact on homicide rates. We don't make excuses for our ghastly homicide numbers in Chicago. With people killed last year, no one has to remind us that we have a serious gun problem. We own it. There is a glimmer of hope for stronger federal laws to reduce gun violence, but many states are working actively against it.

That puts everyone in every state in greater peril. Organizations working to reduce gun violence are optimistic about getting a bill requiring universal background checks on gun sales through Congress this session.

The bill, reintroduced on March 2, would expand background checks to cover private sales at gun shows and over the internet. Among the leading backers of the bill, which is hardly controversial among the vast majority of Americans, are U.

Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Robin Kelly, D-Ill. But in more than a dozen states, lawmakers have introduced legislation to nullify new federal laws designed to reduce gun violence. Some state bills would even penalize police officers and others who work with federal law enforcement or dare to enforce the federal laws. A weekly overview of opinions , analysis and commentary on issues affecting Chicago, Illinois and our nation by outside contributors, Sun-Times readers and the CST Editorial Board.

Lawmakers in Illinois are trying to close loopholes in Illinois laws, as they should. Bills to do so have been reintroduced in the Illinois House and Senate.

Nationwide, more guns were sold last year than ever before, and Illinois led the pack, as measured by federal firearms background checks , with more than twice as many as the second most state, Kentucky. Illinois continued to lead the nation through Feb. A record number of people in the United States — at least 19, — were killed by guns in Attempts by states to overturn federal gun laws probably would fail in court because of the Supremacy Clause, which holds that the U.

Constitution, and federal laws in general, take precedence over state laws and even state constitutions. But what is particularly egregious about the bills now under consideration in state legislatures is the penalties they would impose on police officers and others who comply with the federal laws.

Gun shop owners who run a background check as they ring up a gun sale, for example, could be held civilly or even criminally liable by their states. Monitor Daily Current Issue. A Christian Science Perspective.

Monitor Movie Guide. Monitor Daily. Photos of the Week. Thanks to a Supreme Court ruling that struck down Chicago's strict handgun ban, law-abiding residents will soon be able to legally own a handgun.

July 2, By Mark Guarino Staff writer markguarino. You've read of free articles. Subscribe to continue. Mark Sappenfield. Our work isn't possible without your support. Digital subscription includes: Unlimited access to CSMonitor.

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