Every year, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley holds a press conference on gun crime, wherein Hizzoner proposes some initiative or another for reducing illegal guns/gun crimes. Every single time, he trots out a victim of same to justify a legislative agenda that impinges on the rights of non-criminal gun owners. This year Dick wants to turn “knowingly sell or transfer a gun to a known gang member” into a Class 1 felony and mandatory “micro-stamping” (to link handguns and bullets in CSI heaven). Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on your stance on gun control. But this time out, Daley’s lost the big ‘mo. He’s looking down the barrel of a Supreme Court ruling which could strike down Chicago’s gun ban—and any other plans he might have in that regard. Still, they don’t call it “the windy city” for nothing. All sides of the debate are ready, willing and able to provide sound byte nation with a brief blast of hot air. As are we, courtesy The Sun Times. Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association’s Illinois legislative liaison gets his quote on. “I’m quite used to the mayor using the Second Amendment as toilet paper. But, now they want to use the First Amendment as a doormat and the due process guarantees of the 14th Amendment as a dishrag.” As Mr. Bumble would say, MORE?
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