by Tom Blair
Columnist

Chicago recently announced their firearm-related crime figures for 2012 – more than 2,500 shootings and at least 513 homicides (They say “at least” because some of the victims haven’t died yet.). Remember that this is in a city with some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. As a matter of fact, the newspaper devotes an entire section to gun violence, just like a sports section of the paper.

And if anyone expected things in Chicago to change after Mayor Richard M. Daley retired and Rahm Emanuel took over, they were sadly mistaken. In spite of a rash of shootings over the summer, the mayor’s approach is little more than a rehash of Daley’s “blame the guns” stand.

But what is really astonishing about most of Chicago’s political and civic leaders is their steadfast refusal to confront reality. No matter how obvious the failure of their anti-gun programs, no matter how many gang shootings shatter the night, their response is always the same – “We need more gun laws!”

When are the gun control advocates of the world going to wake up and realize that registration, background checks, eliminating certain types of guns, restricting ammunition or magazines, and buy-back programs are going to do absolutely nothing to stop criminals from killing people with guns? And Gun Free zones are a total joke – they’re almost an invitation to help crazies prey on people without interference.

I have to laugh when I see the name of an organization like “Mayors Against Illegal Guns.” It’s like they feel they have to corner the market on not wanting illegal guns. The NRA and all legitimate gun owners are against illegal guns.

Keep in mind, it is against the law to shoot someone; therefore, when people are bent on doing a shooting spree, they are not concerned if they do it in a “Gun Free” zone, use a magazine with 10, 20, or 40 rounds in it, or if they buy or steal a gun… it makes very little difference to them.

Some laughed when it was said that “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Just think about that for a minute. If you outlawed all guns and ammunition in this country and put a 20-year prison term or death sentence on a conviction, our president would still be surrounded by fully-automatic, semi-automatic and high-powered weapons… because everyone knows that criminals do NOT obey the law.

Otherwise, the gun law poster child Chicago police could throw their weapons away… they wouldn’t need them if people respected the law.

As our cities, states and country become more violent, there is more need for the citizens to be armed – and to have just as many rounds in their magazines as the bad guys.

So, can we end gun violence? No, but we can keep shooters locked up. We can enforce the hundreds of gun laws we already have, and we can certainly start a closer watch on mental health issues and allow trained people with firearms to have one ready to take out the crazy person when necessary.

Tom “Road” Blair

Website: www.tomroadblair.com