McDonald vs Chicago

It is often argued that "the People" have the guaranteed right to keep and bear arms. Recent legal decisions which overturned the District of Columbia's gun ownership ban is likely to set forth a whole new amount of legal challenges to cities, counties and states bans on concealed weapons and hand gun ownership. The question is, do you believe that you have the individual right to keep and bear arms and if so, does the constitution give states the right to restrict "where" you can carry them?

In a new showdown in the U.S. Supreme Court, the court will have to decide whether or not McDonald (a Chicago Law Abiding resident) has the right to keep and bear arms.

Follow this link to view the information on the case
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=5170

While Chicago cops are trying to slow the progress of gangs getting their hands on weapons, they are also mostly not opposed to homeowners keeping arms in their homes. The Chicago branch of the FOP, has stated that many internal polls among police officers show that most Law Enforcement are “pro-gun”. This means that they favor law abiding citizens having guns.


My Opinion:
For too long the drug dealers, thieves, murderers and other criminals have had the luxury of carrying hand guns, mac-10's and AR-15's on the streets of Cook County. A recent news report on CBS news showed Chicago Police that are now driving the streets in their cars with Assault Riffles so that they are on an equal playing field as the criminals. But what message does this send to the residents of Chicago, who don’t see the police as a viable stopping power of violent crimes? What does this say to the residents who are scared they will be awakened in the middle of the night to an intruder and they have no way to defend themselves?

Gun slinging criminals have for too long had the knowledge that "law abiding" citizens aren't carrying guns and that gives the criminals an advantage. Without fear, they rob, maim and murder their victims.

Should Illinois decide to draft legislation that would give its citizens the rights afforded to them under the constitution, then criminals would have to contend with something that they haven't before. The mental anguish of not knowing whether or not the person they are robbing has a concealed weapon or not. Whether the home they are getting ready to rob has a armed owner inside or not. Whether the woman alongside the prairie path is carrying a weapon, might save her from harm, rape or murder (which was too often while I was growing up).

So Some Shit Head rolls into my pad, My Guns will take care of business, and ….Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? I mean, what do you want from us? To sit at home, let someone break into our house, steal our shit, and kill us, and then NOT be able to defend ourselves? I think not Mayor Daley! I think not Lisa Madigan!

Let’s get past the idea that responsible people can’t manage themselves. We don’t need government to control everything, especially those things afforded to us by the United States Constitution.