council-CST-050913-13.JPG

“I encourage all business owners to make your business establishments gun-free. Our neighborhood and businesses will best prosper when everyone — business owners, customers, and residents alike — feels they can walk the streets and shops of the 43rd Ward safely.” – Chicago Alderman Michele Smith, Ald. Smith Encourages Making All Businesses ‘Gun-Free’ [at dnainfo.com]

(h.t. W.H. Thompson)

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

99 COMMENTS

    • I also feel much safer when people around me are packing. I am very lucky to live in Eastern Oregon and not the West side of the state the has for the most part went to the dark side, It is pretty well known that where I work several people in the office are regularly packing. The non carry crowd has actually said they felt safer knowing others in the office were carrying.

      • The safest I ever felt was at an open carry appreciation day run by a (not quite so) Local Gun Shop last summer. I didn’t have to guess, I *knew* almost everyone was armed.

  2. Well Chicago can keep it’s head in the sand, but it will be nice to see if the crime numbers drop when dgu’s start to happen in IL. I know historical evidence shows as much but another example couldn’t hurt.

    • P.S. I already avoid as many businesses I possibly can that have the sign posted.Have been with family and walked into restaurants see a sign posted and walked right back out.

      • Tomato, tomahto, potato, potahto, armed robbery, shopping, rape, aggressive courtship… Let’s not split hairs on terminology here.

    • On this point I could not agree more with this alderperson. Especially in Chicago, going from an essentially giant Gun Free Zone (and we can see how well that has worked for them) to a bunch of separate locations with prominently posted “Gun Free Zone” signs on their entrances – what better way to drive home the point to even these elected morons?

      We all know that the instances of armed criminal activity will be tightly focused on those businesses with the GFZ signs. I weep for the sheep who follow her advice, but if we are searching for statistical evidence to support our cause, what better place to find it?

      And one other thing; if these GFZ signs are so important and effective on businesses for their patron’s safety, why is she not also advocating that individuals post similar signs on their front lawns, or next to their doorbells in apartment buildings?

  4. I’m sure all of the crooks will read and obey a state-approved 4″ x 6″ (or larger) sign that store owners put up. They do that for schools, right? Oh, wait …

    “I strongly believe we will all feel safer if the police are the armed legal personnel in our ward”

    Some will feel safer, this is true. None will actually be safer.

  5. I worked for various dealers back in the 80s. All over the US. I noticed several jewelry dealers at several shows and struck up a conversation and asked why gun shows? There are quite a few jewelry shows so why not sell there.

    The lady just fortified what I already knew. She stated that is was the other dealers and people that frequented gun shows. Everyone was kind and helpful. No problems with merchandise missing from the tables. No threat of robbery at local motels or while going to and from the show. She, and her family that also helped at many shows, felt safer.

    I saw her a few weeks ago at a local gun show….we are a lot older now. We still feel the same today.

    • My wife asked about Jewelry booths at gun shows, I told her they probably do ok due the husbands dragging the wife in, but I told her I’m sure they don’t worry too much about armed robbery.

    • Also explaining that great deal on that gun that you have been wanting for so long goes a lot easier when you bring something home for your wife that is not quite as into guns as you are.

      • That’s my Dad’s favorite trick. He just gets an eye roll and a “what did you buy?” from Mom. It’s like giving flowers when you’re in the dog house. Have to play the new gun new jewelry thing at my house too. I want one of the new Daniel Defense Mk12s, but it’s going to cost me twice as much. I’ll probably save $1500 if I build one myself.

    • But it can’t hurt to make sure criminals know. I’d rather have them go after soft defenseless target where I am not than the places I am.

      Perhaps some tough love is needed for these businesses, cities, and states that push the gun free zone magical thinking. Let the bad actors know where resistance is minimal or non – existent so the can focus there, leave the rest of us alone. They want this magical thinking, give them to true real consequences in increased crime.

      • This is a pretty old concept and cannon fodder is one version of it. Just consider all posted businesses as a way to protect those that aren’t by providing easy pickings. It’s not the way I would protect businesses. But if they want to be the easy expendable target, that is their choice.

  10. I was going to say it’s only a matter of time before an owner or employee of a “gun free” business uses a gun to fight off a robber but then I realized that that has already happened and the result is usually terminated employee and a public that weeps not for the newly unemployed human defending himself but for the newly deceased thug who “never meant to hurt nobody.”

    Bizarro world.

  11. Apparently Ms. Smith’s definition of “Everyone” is “law abiding” because she apparently can’t wrap her head around the fact that there are those who DO NOT PLAY BY THE RULES.

  12. This is laughable, but what else would you expect from a Chicago Alderman? No worries here, I wouldn’t go to “The Windy City (and I mean the kind of wind that comes out of your butt)” for a million bucks.

  13. And today’s lesson in using gun grabbers’ statements against them is sponsored by Geritol …

    Chicago Alderman Michele Smith implores local businesses to be “gun free”. Why does Ms. Smith make such a request? Because in the mind of a gun grabber, armed citizens are seething cauldrons of homicidal rage about to explode at the slightest provocation. Many a grabber has stated as such.

    Now to turn that around. If countless millions of people among us are unstable, violent, and homicidal, and if we are likely to run into such people in public stores and restaurants … isn’t that the most compelling reason imaginable to be armed at all times?

    • If we were as evil / paranoid / unstable / etc. that the anti-gun folks think we are, then the number of deaths by firearm in the United States would outnumber all other causes of death COMBINED. We’d have millions of deaths by firearm every year.

      Logic doesn’t work very well for the anti-gun folks.

    • You people have obviously never spent much time in Chicago.

      A more obnoxious bunch of ill-tempered sociopaths cannot be found outside of New York City.

      There are good people there as well (why they stay is beyond me, I left shortly after I turned 18), so I predict that if/when concealed carry becomes the law there will be a short period of culling the herd before the Bad Guys get the message and move onto less well defended fields.

      JMHO

  16. “Hmmm, I don’t want to be robbed, mugged or attacked in any way by a criminal; but how can I keep this monster that ignores the most basic laws of human behavior from committing a violent act against me?”

    “Ahhh, I’ve figured it out; I’ll post a sign on my door that tells this violator and destroyer of all human decency that they can’t bring a gun into my establishment; I feel so much safer!”

  18. I saw we pool our $$ and help the local utes by providing free heated/air conditioned busing to/from “gun free” locations chosen from a map in this alderwoman’s precient. After all, it is not the thugs fault they cannot afford a getaway vehicle.

    • Hmmm… You might be onto something here. We could consider it an economic stimulus, supporting designated free enterprise zones, if you will. Similar in concept to no-sales-tax days for stimulating shopping in the week or two before school starts each fall. I’m sure the LEO breadwinners would appreciate the extra work in that ward, as would all of the insurance agents, paramedics, alarm companies, etc.

      Because it is better to feel safe, than to be safe.

    • I’m with you. But you need to specify urban yoots, not Utes. Utes are a Native American tribe from the Mountain West (think Utah). That’s a looong bus ride for some people who, though they may appreciate the vacation, aren’t likely to give Chicago the type of treatment this aldercretin is inviting.

  19. Ground Control to Michele….Ground Control to Michele……Turn up the oxygen levels in your capsule

  20. Moving right along on to our civilian disarmament paradox of the day:

    Chicago Alderman Michele Smith implores local businesses to be “gun free” because, otherwise, she expects armed patrons to go berserk and shoot fellow patrons.

    Paradox: Ms. Smith, who does NOT trust armed citizens to comply with assault and murder laws, DOES trust citizens to comply with “no gun” signs.

    I just don’t understand these people. Actually I do: they are hysterical.

    • Paradox: Ms. Smith, who does NOT trust armed citizens to comply with assault and murder laws, DOES trust citizens to comply with “no gun” signs.

      That’s one of the best comments I’ve seen on TTAG, ever.

  21. See what she did there?
    Businesses should “make their place, gun free”
    There, done.
    What is involved in the “making” It gun free?
    Putting up a circle pistol slash is like moving your Kings pawn out on your first move and looking across the board and expecting your apponent to concede the match and thinking your apponent is a a CCW/CHL.

  22. How does anyone so ignorant get to be an Alderman? God, I’m glad she doesn’t live in Iowa. Especially my District. Maybe she will share her “feelings” if she is ever robbed @ gun point.

    • People of moderate or above average intelligence tend to succeed in the free market. That leaves the “5 measley point” Gump’s free to go after the easy secure government jobs.

  23. Too much hair dye, it done seeped into her brain. Last night a model citizen in Milwaukee Wi(90 miles from Chi town) robbed 2 delivery people at gun point with a stolen Glock 9mm. They were Michells heros, unarmed. One of our officers caught up with the gentleman & during the arrest he tried to pull the Glock on the cop. Lets just say, he won’t be going to trial, ever. Thats how you handle people that just can’t quite get with the “decent citizens” program Michell, Randy (certainly not meant for our Michell though,lol)

  24. I get why the most ardent gungrabbers do what they do. They want to destroy that sense of individuality and responsibility that accompanies firearms ownership, while fostering that resulting sense of vulnerability and dependancy. Then they step in with government solutions and control. Got it.

    I even get the silly gun free daydreaming of the basic liberal you might know personally or even be related to. But what blows my mind is the unmitigated cluelessness of some policymakers. I’m talking about the ones who actually are basically nice people, who don’t shelter Stalinist ambitions, and really do just want to improve their community.

    How can these sane, educated and serious-minded adults not see that their entire worldview of firearms is exactly wrong? The facts ard obvious and irrefutable. Yet, they persist with idiocy like the quote above. Why?

    • Maybe it’s because they’re really not all that sane, not all that very well educated, and not all that seriously-minded after all, if they still sincerely believe in all their little flights of fancy hatched inside their little gated communities as they gaze across their finely manicured lawns through their rose-tinted lenses at their 24/7 armed security.

    • Many people “educated” in the last 30 years have in fact just been indoctrinated with a leftist worldview. The only way to have avoided this indoctrination in college was to have been continuously drunk or in a science/business based degree program.

      • I’ll give you a 4th way: You could go in with you convictions and values well established and simply nod past all the obvious propaganda. You could even actively resist it (if you don’t mind being called a fascist and not landing so many dates. You could choose Doc Martins over Birkenstocks.

        The problem is that the hierarchy of the universities are radically left and too many of the students have followed them down that path. A newly arriving student has few options, fit in with the majority (which the majority will attempt to do), attempt to ignore it all, or they can join the resistance ( bet you can’t tell who was a Young Republican?)

  25. Who will know I’m carrying if it’s properly concealed?

    Exactly. 😉

    Go ahead and post all the signs you want. Plaster ’em everywhere. To your heart’s content, even. When some asshole on a crack bender or some psycho off his meds ignores all your little placards and comes in shooting, you’ll end up thanking me for doing the same.

  26. I am simply at a loss to fathom just how stupid these people are. Do they really believe that passing more laws or posting signs will change the behavior of criminals and sociopaths?

  27. Why can’t they understand only good people will not enter with a gun?

    Every time a criminal does kill they are quick with an excuse…they were mentally ill,drug addicted,abused as a child,brain tumor……never that they CHOSE to attack others.

  28. Looks like Chicago had some issues with the cold weather this year, caused the schools to shut down for a day or two here and there. Alderman Smith might want to suggest placing “No Cold Weather” signs on the schools, so that this doesn’t happen again.

  30. I got a good gun discussion going on that article a few days ago under my Disqus name “Mina Smith” 🙂

      • Thanks to both of you and yes I am a Chicago person so I get some cred on the Chicago news articles 🙂

        I have a medium sized dog with a short coat and a little bit of a blocky head. Used to be when I lived in Lakeview we could bring our dog almost everywhere. Good protection 🙂 (although he looked a lot scarier when his tail wasn’t going 90 miles an hour for every new “friend” he met in the neighborhood.)

        I am pretty sure that’s why that thread about “how were you shopping before” got pinched off so fast : Only a tried and true long time city of Chicago resident would know that taking dogs in and out of your neighborhood shops used to be no big deal back in the day.

        And yes I really do carry pepper spray, a folding knife and brass knuckles!! 😀

  36. Only the brain dead will feel more comfortable. These people just never cease to amaze with their stupidity.

  37. “Since women are directly responsible for every evil act ever perpetrated by any human — only natural that some would feel compelled to try and do something about the problems they created.”

  38. I work in downtown Chicago, and I have been pleasantly surprised by how few businesses have posted these signs. It may be laziness since no permits have been issued yet, but I have only counted a handful of signs in the Loop. Unfortunately, one of them is on the building in which I work. 🙁

  39. Sheep need other sheep around to keep them safe. You only have herd protection with a herd. Seems sad the sheep only want to be surrounded with more sheep and shun the shepherd. They’re probably just scared they might have to take some responsibility for themselves and that their political base is no longer as captive as before.

  40. The level of ignorance in her statement is simply mind boggling. Some people can be educated, but she is clearly beyond help…

  42. One wonders if these pols are really that ignorant and incapable of reason or if they spout such things to identify with some element of their constituency. I suspect the answer depends on the individual and that either or both may be at play at any time.

    I suppose one has to keep in mind that half the people have an IQ of less than 100.

  43. After 7 years of living in Chicago I bought a house in western suburbs. I lived here for 7 years now and I still don’t get why it took me so long to move out of the city. Compared to NYC it feels like nice little town, but compared to normal US it is a madhouse.
    I still have to go there to work for that’s where the money is… And there is a LOTS of money in 43rd. ward.

  45. this is so abysmally fu<king stupid. ignorant on so many levels.
    sounds like a 4th grader writing a 'report' on why 'guns are bad'.

Comments are closed.