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Daley Tue Mar 09 2010
Daley Calls for New State Laws on Guns
In response to the increasing gun violence that has long plagued Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley called for yet another law to restrict gun sales and to strengthen penalties for criminals who use them. Although new gun-control initiatives are announced every year, this one in particular brought on more attention because the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to overturn the city's handgun ban.
In a statement, standing next to tables loaded with weapons confiscated by Chicago police, Daley says:
"The aggressiveness of the gun advocates is just one reason it's more important than ever that we work for common-sense gun laws focused on stopping the flow of illegal guns into our communities and keeping the guns out of the hands of the criminals."
Others, such as Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association oppose the initiative. Pearson states that instead of reducing crime, the new law would make it more burdensome to law-abiding citizens to obtain firearms.
"It provides a smokescreen for the mayor and many of the aldermen, so they don't have to deal with the real problems in Chicago," said Pearson, whose group is backing legislation in Springfield that would let people carry guns in public.
In addition to state law that would require gun dealers to be licensed, background checks and a limit on the number of handgun purchases to one per person per month, Daley is also asking the General Assembly to make it a Class 1 felony to knowingly sell a gun to a gang member as well as severe penalties for unlawfully using a weapon.
*** / March 9, 2010 12:38 PM
We all know he uses them as a prop, but the sight of Mayor Daley standing next to a boatload of confiscated weapons just reinforces the need for the public to defend themselves.