When airport police busted Illinois state Sen. Donne E. Trotte for attempting to board a plane with a .25-caliber Beretta, the People of the Gun cried foul. How could a Chicago Democrat—a member of a state legislature that’s denied its law-abiding citizens their Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms—carry a pistol? Hypocrite! Not to mention the whole “what an idiot” thing. TTAG saw it differently. Needless to say, so did gun control advocates. After warming-up with a big ass bout of self-righteous indignation, Laura Washington at the Chicago Sun-Times reveals her anti-gun bias with all the subtlety of Batel Biton in a bikini. “Thankfully, Illinois remains the only state in the nation that does not allow people to carry concealed guns . . .
As Ellen Foley famously instructed Meatloaf STOP RIGHT THERE! I find it incredible (although not inconceivable) that anyone in their right mind could consider Illinois’ concealed carry exceptionalism anything other than a reflection of deep-seated corruption and institutional racism. Forty-nine of these United States are wrong and Illinois is right? How does that work?
The city’s neighborhoods are gripped by a level of gun-fueled violence that outstrips the carnage in Afghanistan.
Too many view guns as playthings, status symbols and ego boosters.
Yes to A, no to B. Well, that depends on what Ms. Washington considers “too many.” IMHO too many journalists use the phrase “too many” too many times to avoid providing facts, evidence or supporting data. If just one journalist can stop using the expression it would be worth forcing them to register with the government.
I jest. And digress. But while I’m at it, I don’t think Chicago’s gang bangers view guns as “playthings.” They probably view firearms as a deadly serious tool of the trade. Today’s quote of the day indicates that many otherwise law-abiding Chicago citizens also consider guns a serious business; risking imprisonment for armed self-protection.
Anyway, here’s the money shot:
I am a certified wimp when it comes to guns. They terrify me. The fact that powerful people can be so cavalier about them terrifies me even more.
Can you say “hoplophobia“? Not the best place from which a Sun-Times editorial writer should be writing about gun rights, or the lack thereof. One wonders how many of her fellow scribes share this affliction and its effect on the gun rights debate in the Land of Lincoln. Or not.
Few seemed to know that Trotter worked security or was licensed to carry. That’s the trouble with the idea of concealed carry. We don’t know who has a gun, who is “qualified” to have one, or who has the judgment to keep them out of harm’s way.
On Thursday Trotter was charged with a felony and released on a $25,000 bond. Predictably, his fellow elected officials have been noncommittal. He’s innocent until proven guilty, we’ll see how it goes, blah, blah, blah.
Some of them are probably carrying, too.
The National Rifle Association will probably sign him up for an honorary membership. They want us all packing, all the time.
Yes. Yes they do. But only if you want to carry a gun. Because, you know, you have a right to. Just thought I’d point that out.
Robert – I am surprised you let the quote that Trotter was “licensed” to carry a gun go so quickly without a retort.
That jumped out at me too. She says the problem is we do not know who is carrying. One way of knowing who carries is to permit them to and thus document who carries legally, in other words do what other states do. When the only carrying going is illegal you will never know who is carrying. She’s thinking backwards on that I think.
“document who carries legally”
That part is not in my copy of the Constitution.
Hypocrisy at its finest. A Chicago politician who carries a gun while opposing the rights of his fellow citizens and a Chicago reporter who sees his gun as something to whine about.
This reporter is afraid of guns? Well, gee, let’s violate the fundamental rights of Americans because she’s afraid. That’s worked out so well in the past–see Jim Crow laws, if you need a refresher.
I said it before and I will keep saying it: if Chicago, Cook County and any other business or jurisdiction want’s to ban law abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons then they should be held responsible to the fullest extent of the law for Any Deaths or Injuries caused by a BG/BG’s to any and all persons who were harmed as a result of not being allowed to carry concealed, as long as the victim/victim’s were not engaged in any illegal actions at the time of said injury or death.
Hoplophobia is a cultural cornerstone of Chicago life.
I wish this bias were limited to the crooked politicians and the bent media , but I must concede the truth; the media and politicos are simply jesters playing for an anti-gun audience. Banning concealed carry and limiting gun ownership is one thing everyone in Chicago agrees with.
The ghetto punks love it , as it keeps their quarry disarmed. The cops love it because anyone with a gun that’s not a police=crook. It makes the IFF process real simple. The wealthy class in the Gold Coast & suburbs like Highland Park preach gun control as a humanitarian cause, and the college students and faculty of Chicago ponder the development of gun control as an intellectual topic. Meanwhile, the middle class of Chicago can’t afford a gun.They’re too busy working back to back shifts trying to stay ahead of the city taxes and Department of Revenue parking tickets.
Seems to me we could make Chicago happier, and downstate Illinois and the rest of America happier, if we simply transferred Chicago to Canada. Residents of Chicago could then continue to be afraid of guns and feel morally superior to all of the gun culture masses in the US, and we would no longer have to deal with their idiocy. Win-win.
” Department of Revenue parking tickets”
+1 to that, Chicago tickets have cost me more money than I spent buying my used ’99 Jeep Cherokee (I6 4WD). And one of the times it was impounded they turned by hazard lights on to kill my battery, and wanted $40 for a jump start. I just walked out, went to autozone and bought a new battery than give the city even more money.
So, haven’t we discussed in previous threads how many of the guns used in Chicago’s weekly gun-involved killing debacles are supplied, and employed, by the Mexican Drug Cartels? Does this woman recognize that she is advocating that African American US Citizens, and Hispanic American US Citizens are and should, rightfully, remain disarmed victims of the Drug and Gang violence that plagues that City?
What does that make her? A racist against her own people? A racist against all honest, law-abiding, hard-working people dwelling in the Urban Ghettos and Barrios of Chicago?
The Bible says that when God pronounced He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He allowed Lot to bargain with Him that He would not destroy them if even TEN Righteous People lived in there. Are there not ten good Families in Chicago? Ten good Families that deserve the option to be armed, effectively, with a gun(s) to defend themselves against the Drug Cartels and Gangs? Ten good Families that deserve to be able to choose to exercise their Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms?
Apparently, according to Laura Washington, NOT! But what she’s REALLY not qualified to make is the Judgement that people of any background should have to live in fear and misery of being arbitrarily maimed and murdered by the out-of-control Criminal element that regards Chicago as an open battleground for their Criminal rivalries. Neither, BTW, are the Politicians who use Laws to impose this onerous suffering and victimization on good people.
Yes, I know we have also said these “good people” accept this situation as somehow “normal and acceptable”, which is tragic in and of itself. However, without the opportunity to exercise their Rights, they also have no hope of ever understanding what those Rights truly mean. It is, as RF points out, a choice to exercise a Right, which is as important as the Right itself.
“Are there not ten good Families in Chicago? ”
NO.
” without the opportunity to exercise their Rights”
Why don’t they of the opportunity to exercise their Rights?
I understand the technical truth in the statement of 49 states with carry laws…. Excepting IL, and why it highlights they are on the wrong side of the issue. But in fact on the ground, NJ does *not* issue licenses to any ordinary citizen, for any reason, save those directly charged with security functions in their employment.
Which is worse between the two: Total ban, or lip service on the RKBA, so long as it’s to protect money and other business property. NJ for the “win”.
Though even if the State RKBA tally were inverted, 49-1 against it, we’d still have the moral high ground, as a basic human right does not bend to (un)popularity polls.
Uncle, when you wrote: “But in fact on the ground, NJ does *not* issue licenses to any ordinary citizen, for any reason, save those directly charged with security functions in their employment.”, an idea popped into my mind. Has anyone there in the Garden State tried the strategy to form a Mom & Pop security company to get the CC Permits for Mom & Pop and then have only one client, Mom, Pop & the kids?
Ding Ding Ding!!!! This one for the win!!!!
Hell how come noone thought of this before?? “head slap”
Nice thought, but here you have to have 5-years of LEO or armed security officer experience (documented), when applying for security officer licensing. Even if some family folks could actually jump that hurdle, I’m pretty sure the same set of procedural hurdles remain: Chief LEO for the applicant’s town must approve, and then a superior court judge must approve. Neither will happen here.
The current federal lawsuit for carry in NJ had a lead plaintiff who was kidnapped by a biker gang, threatened with deadly violence, robbed, beaten, and at the end of this ordeal escaped (IIRC). The biker gang left him in genuine fear for his life and the safety of his family. State police chief did actually approve his carry license after this (due to the undeniable truth of the demonstrated threats), which is unheard of here but the superior court judge ruled that since four gang members were imprisoned, plaintiff had no real reason to carry a handgun. License application DENIED. It took a federal lawsuit and a different judge to finally approve, but the federal case is still pending. Only this most aggrieved victim of state gun policy was removed from the case. There are still I think five remaining plaintiffs working their way through the case.
If you are not professionally employed to protect rich people or their property, you can’t get a license in NJ.
Isn’t it sad that the ruling elite grant you a concealed carry permit to protect money or property — but they don’t grant a concealed carry permit to protect a lower or middle class person’s life?
Oh this is good. With the tiniest bit of coordination, this could be iron clad. Here is the template. Husband and wife “A” create a security company that handles large sums of money. Husband and wife “B” do the same. Once a year, each family hires the other to deposit a large sum of cash (say, $1000) in their respective bank accounts … which they do. And each family charges the other family $50 to do it.
Even if neither family knew each other (thus having no basis for trusting each other), a one paragraph written contract and receipts would insure that neither family could rip-off the other family.
The only hassle is finding another family initially and filing/registering the business with the state … and both of those are basically one time events.
God, I hate bureaucrats!!
Why bother listening to these newspapers we all know what they preach.
“… of deep-seated corruption and institutional racism”
Considering that whites, and others from various ethnic and racial groups, along with black citizens are all being denied their civil rights in Illinois (except for the politically connected) I don’t see it as an issue of racism.
RF is also ignoring that the vast majority of anti-gun messages in Chicago come from the black community. Just look at Ceasefire, they are almost exclusively black.
Ms. Washington,
Well at least you admit you are scared of an inanimate object. It is called hopophobia, and there is treatment for your condition.
Please also go talk with Ms. Hartman, she seems to have a nice grasp on the crime issue in Chicago. Please understand that the idea of denying your “black men and women” from their constitutional right to keep and bare arms is racist. I know it might not seem like that given your self admitted, and unfounded fear of firearms. It is however denying a specific ethnic group the right to protect themselves. The south side has been under siege, you are very correct. The VIOLENT CRIME problem is out of control, and the Police are unable to stand on every street corner, or be inside every business all the time to protect you and your fellow citizens.
You can plead, get on your knees and beg to the thugs, and organized crime to stop the violence, but my feeling is it will fall on deaf ears Ms. Washington. Since the criminals will not follow the laws and disarm themselves, it seems that logic would suggest that the LAW ABIDING citizens in Illinois should be allowed to protect them selves. Since they are law abiding, and would register, and carry peacefully. If carrying concealed bothers you it shouldn’t, but you might as well follow suit of other state and allow open carry too. This would resolve your fear of not seeing a gun that might be there now wouldn’t it?
If you don’t want to pack heat yourself, please do not spew about the greatness of denying others to defend their lives, property and loved ones. Almost all states are now shall issue with concealed carry, and we have many who have gone to constitutional carry. Your state is the ONLY one which has an outright ban on carrying a firearm. Yet your violent crime rate is abnormally high in comparison to any other states which allows concealed and open carry. WHY???
Based on the FBI’s violent crime rates, the states with the strictest gun laws have the highest instance of violent crime. WHY???? Law abiding citizens who choose to carry a firearm for protection, and do so legally pose no threat to you. They do however, drive crime rates down.
If Mr. Trotter wants an honorary membership to the NRA, then he is welcomed to it. It is his right to support our constitution. Unfortunately liberals tend to not feel that way…
What exactly was Donne Trotte planning to do with that .25 cal Beretta? Piss someone off? Whats next, is someone guying to buy a 2mm Berloque pistol for self defense?
I once got lost while driving out of Chicago and ended up in a downtown neighborhood that convinced me that I never want to go to Chicago again. I’m lucky that it was still daylight and could see what was coming early enough to evade the situation.
I’ve traveled all over the world and have never seen anything like that neighborhood.
Trotter claims employment as a security guard but refuses to provide additional information.
Perhaps it comes with a nice fat paycheck, Chicago style, with no actual duties, plus, it gives the perk of a “legitimate” CCW in one of the most anti gun cities in the US.
Nice work, if you can get it.
Carry anyway.
Well, Laura, you’re just one more example of an arrogant, racist, bigoted idiot who, by her own admission, knows next to NOTHING regarding the topic of which you write.
Are you aware that “gun control” in this nation got it’s start, with massive help from the Democrat party and the KKK, after the Civil War, with the goal of keeping the “Negro” disarmed? And amazing, that’s STILL one of the goals.
You, my dear, are a moron.
We have the biggest gun fearing hypocrite in the white House. He has always hated “we the peoples” right to be armed while his armed bodyguards protet him.
Only a certified cretin would carry a .25 as a security guard, but then he has demonstrated that’s what he is.
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