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The Chicago Gun Myth

Posted on Friday, July 31, 2020
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by Outside Contributor
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88 Comments
gun

The tragically incompetent mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, appeared on CNN’s State of the Union this weekend to deflect attention from the horror show unfolding in her city by blaming interlopers for its spiking murder rate: “We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons — that is hurting cities like Chicago.”

Although these accusations have leveled by Chicago politicians for decades now, they are a myth.

For one thing, there is no state in the nation with “virtually no gun control” or “no background checks.” Every time anyone in the United States purchases a gun from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) — a gun store, a gun show, it doesn’t matter — the seller runs a background check on the buyer through the NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) database. In some cases, the FFL checks to see if the buyer has passed a background check via a state-issued concealed-carry permit. In states that allow individual private sales, it is illegal to knowingly sell to anyone who you believe is obtaining a firearm for criminal purposes.

Those who cross state lines to buy guns undergo the same background check, and the sale is processed by an FFL in the buyer’s home state. The exact same laws apply to all online sales.

The vast majority of Americans obtain their guns in this manner, and they rarely commit crimes. Around 7 percent of criminals in prison bought weapons using their real names. Fewer than 1 percent obtained them at gun shows. As the Heritage Foundation’s Amy Swearer points out, there have been around 18 million concealed-carry permit holders over the past 15 years, and they have committed 801 firearm-related homicides over that span, or somewhere around 0.7 percent of all firearm-related murders. Concealed-carry holders not only are more law-abiding than the general population as a group; they are more law-abiding than law enforcement.

Studies of those imprisoned on firearms charges show that most often they obtain their weapons by stealing them or buying them in black markets. A smaller percentage get them from family members or friends.

On top of all this, federal law requires every FFL license holder to report the purchase of two or more handguns by the same person with a week to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This is one of the reasons straw purchasers — people with a clean record who buy for criminals — spread their operations to other states. This is not unique to Illinois or Chicago. It has nothing to do with strict or lenient laws. It has mostly to do with cities and states failing to prosecute straw purchases.

Lightfoot claims that 60 percent of the guns used in Chicago murders are bought from out of state. I assume she is relying on 2017’s suspect “gun trace report,” which looked at guns confiscated in criminal acts from 2013 and 2016. Even if we trusted the city’s data, most guns used in Illinois crimes are bought in-state. If gun laws in Illinois — which earns a grade of “A-“ from the pro-gun-control Gifford Law Center, tied for second highest in the country after New Jersey — are more effective than gun laws in Missouri, Wisconsin, or Indiana, why is it that FFL dealers in suburban Cook County are the origin point for a third of the crime guns recovered in Chicago, and home to “seven of the top ten source dealers”? According to the trace study, 11.2 percent of all crime guns recovered in Chicago could be tracked to just two gun shops.

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Billy
Billy
3 years ago

The Lying Lefts are: the Radicals, the Progressives, BLM, Socialist, Fake Media and Democrats! America remember this at the “Voting Polls”.
It is about government control over your lives ….

Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
3 years ago

Chicago, that toddling town. Bet you bottom dollar you’ll lose your life in Chicago.

David Loring Brown
David Loring Brown
3 years ago

I was reading David Harsanyi’s article but was confused with his geography….to wit, Mississippi is adjacent to Illinois and apparently so is Texas. I recommend looking at maps, proofreading (autocorrect can be capricious) and/or working with an editor.

PAUL KNOWLES
PAUL KNOWLES
3 years ago

You elect Buckwheat — then you get a Buckwheat reply to any problem.

‘Nonymous
‘Nonymous
3 years ago

The only myth about guns in Chicago is that any of their unconstitutional gun control laws work! Those laws have disarmed legal citizens and made them all potential victims! To say that these guns are being bought out of state and smuggled in, is a gross over statement. There’s plenty of armament floating around in Chicago to cause the reported shootings! Liberal leadership only enables these criminals!

par
par
3 years ago

Not use who is worst Lightfoot or the luny in Atlanta Abrams. Both love to pass on responsibility with no accountability.

Moonpup
Moonpup
3 years ago

I could at least give “Mayor” Lightfoot marks for originality but she’s parroting what Rahm Rahm Emanuel said back in 2017, “Oh those nasty guns came from Indiana”. I live in Indiana and love it (and am FROM Illinois – nice to say that), our gun laws are logical and Indiana has just passed the “free” concealed carry permit. The sad thing is that Illinois is not Chicago, there are a lot of great people who are suffering because 40% of the state’s population lives in Crook, er Cook, county where both the living and dead can vote and corruption is king and, evidently, Lori is queen.

Dr Scott
Dr Scott
3 years ago

I heard the police chief or the top cop in Chicago last weekend say they have already confiscated like 5900 illegal weapons so far this year.
It’s the number of people harmed or murdered in the area of Chicago, and other large cities, that’s disturbing to most people.
As American Citizens, we all have inalienable rights that government can not be messed with. They’ve done it, and they keep doing it. Frankly, I’m getting pretty tired of it happening to us.
Example, the word “Infringe.” What does this mean for you?
Does it make it so that Nothing can slow, stop, block, hinder, or change the ability of whatever?
Just curious what other Americans think about this.??

Nancy Lipkins
Nancy Lipkins
3 years ago

Yes it is not only Lightfoots fault it is the Mayor before her and any of the mayors before those two. the problem is that they don’t want to ENFORCE the Laws that they pass……on to the criminals and put them in jail and throw away the key on them and the idiots who let criminals go because of the fake COVID-19 who need to get this so called FLU and die while their in jail just like the STUPID gov and mayor of NY who put people in the nursing homes who had the FLU so that the old people would die.

Brenda Blunt
Brenda Blunt
3 years ago

Typical! Blame someone else for your ineptness!!

Jack
Jack
3 years ago

How many died in auto accidents in Illinois during the same time period? How many from drug overdose? How many has Covid-19 claimed? Are they going to outlaw these or create drug registrations? How many of the gun deaths were drug or gang related? How many were justified shootings, self defense? It’s easy to spout numbers but give all the information.

Sally Duncan
Sally Duncan
3 years ago

Interesting. Twitter won’t let me tweet this info, but FB does let me post it.

Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe
3 years ago

I’ve seen the future, and it dosen’t work. Where did thay get this fool for a mayor?

John A. Fallon
John A. Fallon
3 years ago

The biggest problem with these out of control big cities is that people living there getting fed up and leaving, they move somewhere else but they bring thier politics with them and eventually make thier new “home” just like the one they left and cause the systemic problems to keep growing.

Will
Will
3 years ago

One only needs to study Russian history 1917 to 1923 to relize that history is repeating itself right here in the USA. By the way ! How much longer are we going to be able to use the term Black Market. Can’t wait to see who going to make that into a racist term like they did with ” people ” and other.

Jane CA
Jane CA
3 years ago

How can these folks show their faces in public? It is the unbelievable these folks got elected in the first place. They should step down before the idiot trials begin after Trump is elected !
 

Marlopi
Marlopi
3 years ago

Is there just ONE Democrat in America who will take responsibility for their actions? If there is, he/she is not in evidence. They are all liars and blame shifters like their leaders — Pitiful Pelosi, Crying Chuck and Shifty Schiff, Mad Maxine and the Sorrowful Squad. Guess Soros is paying an exorbitant amount of money to destroy our GREAT NATION. Vote in November and get rid of these leaches and the other cowardly communist democrats ruining our Congress.

Arteest
Arteest
3 years ago

I have a box of rocks that has a higher IQ than Lightfoot. She’s definitely lightheaded. Like NYC, having “strict” gun laws protects no one. Do you think there might be another cause?

Walter
Walter
3 years ago

I thought Chicago was one of the major cities that had gun control and yet all the murders and crime. Lightfoot is something else perhaps light on brains. Out getting her hair done-sure looks good right, while everyone else had to stay home-and still the crime is up. She is incapable of making any decision just passing the blame. Not supporting the police. I guess as long as she is protected she don’t really care about the rest of us-like so many of the liberal mayors and governors. Those of us with a backbone need to take back our country and put these incompetent liberal democratic governmental officials in prison or kick them the heck out of our Great Country. As a Vet, I have seen enough of our great American flag burning, innocent people being hurt -how about you? Time for action!

Bill Brown
Bill Brown
3 years ago

The Democrats are Communists!!  The RINO’s are also Communists!!  The Republican Party as a whole is useless!!  We need a new Political Party – The Freedom Party founded from FreedomWorks.org!!  Stand-up for America!!  Make the TRUMP Movement grow – Freedom NOW!!!!!

Bill Brown
Bill Brown
3 years ago

Become a Counter-Revolutionary!  Demand Authority ENFORCE OUR LAWS!!  Stand-up for America!!  Remove Every Democrat!!!!!

Bill Brown
Bill Brown
3 years ago

By the Marx/Engels Playbook, the United States is in the middle of a Communist Revolution!!  WAKE-UP!!  Stand-up for America!!  Remove Every Democrat!!!!!

FRANK CARMEN
FRANK CARMEN
3 years ago

She’s just another insignificant, clueless, Lying Fool! Short Term and Long Term, She doesn’t matter, unless she is your mayor. I’d Move!

FRANK CARMEN
FRANK CARMEN
3 years ago

 

James
James
3 years ago

It’s hard to believe democrats can be so deceitful and evil. Lightfoot stokes the fires of lawlessness while tying the hands of law enforcement. Murder rates increase and she has the audacity to blame an inanimate object….she blames the gun! She then encourages rioting, anarchy and destruction in the streets in the name of free speech. The murder rate is through the roof in Chicago and fueled exclusively by her leftist policies. Policies that she thinks will promote her anti-Trump agenda. Policies that can be used to blackmail the voters. Policies that have failure built in! Vote out all democrats!

Art A
Art A
3 years ago

Stop playing games! It is good business. Supply and demand. You need guns. We got guns. That is the law now. The only way to stop the slaughter is to stop the gangs Everybody talks a good fight,which contributes to global warming(hot air), shut up and act in a positive manner. Too bad Chicago’s pain has leaked into the tourist district. The police have dedicated 200 more officers to the downtown in addition to those already assigned that duty. Now you are screwing with money/income. As long as the problem exists on the South side,nobody really cares. SHUT UP AND FIX THINGS.

Beverly Necessary
Beverly Necessary
3 years ago

I hate to say this but I believe the voters get what they vote for. With all this chaos this year I will be VERY interested in seeing if the voters change leaders of continue to vote the same. Guess if you have always thought of yourself as a victim that is your mentally. I just expect this type of behavior to continue..whining

Gregory Russell
Gregory Russell
3 years ago

It`s ridiculous to try to say that exercising a constitutional right “hurts an American city. The pandemic of fatherless households, and an ultra violent culture that glorifies killing law enforcement and glamorizes the baby-mama/baby-daddy culture is what raises a generation of thugs that have no respect for proper authority. THAT is what hurts America. Along with incompetent, anti-America, clueless liberals like this, so called “mayor” of chicago.
 
It is well past time for good, decent, God-fearing Americans to stand up and be heard, and ensure that only good people, with Christian values are elected into office, those who will actually honor their oath to uphold and defend the United States Constitution.
 

Michael Saksa
Michael Saksa
3 years ago

801 deaths by ccp holders divided by 18,000,000 ccp holders is a lot less than 0.7%. Other than the poor math I agree with the article.

Rexford O Ames
Rexford O Ames
3 years ago

I sometimes forget. Idiots vote for a person of color than a person of character. May I remind anyone who cares to do their on research before electing anyone to a Government Position. to please do not rely on advertisers or the fact that they are a Republican or a Democrat or and Independent. Illinois citizens are not stupid , people nor are those citizens that reside in the ” CITY” of Chicago. The issue is. The reason one is voted into office. The Mayor of Chicago appears to have been Brain Washed to the degree that she is incapable of independent thought.
Chicago is just one city with the Unlawful use of Guns. Atlanta, Washington D.C., New York City, New Orleans, Phoenix.AZ, Los Angeles, CA, Portland, OR, Seattle & Tacoma, WA just to name a few!
The sadness is that the ” NEWS” is so bias that one has to search for Independent Thought and Journalist?
So far, I have been able to find News sources that are , in my opinion, reliable: AMAC, and the Heritage and Prager,U.have at least signed up Journalists that do their due diligence and have editors that review the editorials, opinions and stories before releasing. As for TV Viewing: Viewentertainement and O.A.N. show promise on You Tube. Good Day

JohnH
JohnH
3 years ago

Part of problem is that law enforcement needs more funding & training to address the shootings in Chicago. From what I read, most of the shootings are a result of gang wars. This must be a terrible place to live & grow up in if you are a good law-abiding citizen.

David Spade
David Spade
3 years ago

Lightfoot is the biggest problem with the crime rates being high in the Chicago Metro area. Denying the problem rests with her administration just doesn’t cut it. She mentioned Indiana as a place where laws are not as strict….thus, in her mind, the problem rests elsewhere. She didn’t mention that stolen weapons from legitimate gun stores and lawful owners happen when people from her city come to smaller cities within 200 miles from Chicago and break into homes and business to get firearms. The police in Indiana know that and so do the police in Chicago. Those criminals return to Chicago and sell the guns to other thugs in her city. Being less than fully engaged with the problem about guns leaves her city in peril.

Kevin
Kevin
3 years ago

That is one of many people in politics that need prayer. She is so lost in her sins. If she would read her Bible she would see the errors of her ways. We all need to ask God to soften her heart so that she can hear the truth and respond to it. She is believing the lie of the enemy of her soul. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be d@mned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

GKP
GKP
3 years ago

lori lightfoot is a complete piece of garbage and so is the sad city of chicago for putting up with this incompetent witch as is seattle/portland/and all liberal run cities and states//if you the public votes for this type of losers /then live in their cities and riot because it only hurts the minorities//wake up

Lawrence Greenberg
Lawrence Greenberg
3 years ago

For one thing, there is no state in the nation with “virtually no gun control” or “no background checks.” 
 
Please understand that you are trying to have a rational discussion with Leftists. Leftist ideology and the Leftist agenda are based on lies, misinformation, and deception. The greatest enemies of the Left are truth, facts, and reality. By necessity, they have to lie about everything because the truth will show them for the liars and frauds that they are.

Keith S. Clark
Keith S. Clark
3 years ago

Criminals have guns. Criminals will always have guns. Criminals get their guns from other criminals not legal sources. What fool of a criminal would have a gun that would be traced back to him? ALL gun laws only illegally restrict legal gun owners from exercising their God Given Constitutional Right to self protection. Democrats spit on the Constitution and allow their people to be butchered by the savages. Why are Democrats ever elected? They only seem to care about protecting themselves and enriching themselves on the blood of their constituents. Smarten Up People. If the citizens could protect themselves, crime drops like a rock. It’s not the job of the Police to protect you. They are just there to clean up the mess when it’s all over. For The Love of God Vote the Democrats out of ALL offices.

Josephine pooley
Josephine pooley
3 years ago

Thank you for the facts which defeat th democratic rhetoric every time!

R J B
R J B
3 years ago

EVIL HAS ONLY ONE VALUE SYSTEM FIND FOOLS TO LIE TO AND BUY SLAVES WITH OTHER PEOPLES MONEY. DEMOCRATS OF CIVIL WAR SAME AS DEMOCRATS OF TODAY. THEY RUN THEIR PLANTATION WITH MOSTLY WHITE OVERSEERS AND A FEW TOKEN TOKEN BLACKS WITH THEIR EMPTY WORDS. PLANTATION OWNERS LET THE SLAVES KILL THEM SELVES IE CHICAGO AND KEEP THEM IN INDOCTRINATION SCHOOLS WITH NO CHOICE FOR REAL EDUCATION. WATCH HOW THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS BURNED AND LOOTED AND DEMOCRATS LET IT CONTINUE TO KEEP THE MASSES IN CHECK. HITLER AND STALIN USED SAME METHODS. TIME TO CUT THE HEAD OFF OF ALL THESE SNAKES. THE SPIRIT OF HITLER, STALIN, AND ALL THE OTHER SLAVE MASTER OF HISTORY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN DEMOCRAT HEARTS.

Stephane
Stephane
3 years ago

It is amazing how STUPID the elected political idiots in the DEMONRAT states and cities are. They all blame everybody else, just as cuomo did when he sent the diseased elderly people in the Hospices. Just as Baltimore, San Fran, L.A., Seattle, and so many others, the black leaders are worthless, corrupt to the core, and the white ones are just too corrupt to do anything worthwhile. And they are too ready to brake all the laws so they can steal the elections in their abject hatred of the RIGHTFULLY elected President Trump. The incompetence demonstrated by the DEMONRATS is just another perfect reason for the REAL DEMOCRATS to vote against the extreme left which wants to destroy the USA as we know: the most perfect FREE country on earth.

Phil Hammersley
Phil Hammersley
3 years ago

Liberals (socialists, Marxists:all the same) run ALL the failing cities and have for over 50 years! If they are SO bright, why can’t they solve the “systemic” problems?

Randall Wood
Randall Wood
3 years ago

Could we see a racial breakdown of these murders? Of course we can’t because that would be racist, or, it might shed some light on the actual problem.

I’ll wait for the figures to come rolling in………….. I probably just go get snacks, this could be a long wait.

Alicia Leaving Liberals
Alicia Leaving Liberals
3 years ago

‘Democratic Party’ also known as ‘liberals’; like diversionary tactics. They won’t offer you ‘university education.’ They won’t offer you ‘healthcare’. They won’t offer you ‘enhanced employment programs’. What they WILL OFFER YOU IS:
destruction of ‘historical sites’, destruction of ‘politically incorrect historical statues’; (which seems to figure in anybody,
who was anyone; including President George Washington!) Oh yea, they are busy rewriting ‘history’ too!…
This is exactly why I left the ‘Democratic Party’ three weeks ago!

SusanC
SusanC
3 years ago

So what she’s saying is that she has left her citizenry defenseless and it’s not her fault.
#youcantfixstupid

Frank Martin
Frank Martin
3 years ago

This is the kind of information that should be widely disseminated to all Media outlets. I am under no illusions that the news outlets would use it, but the dissemination of this information to them and their ignoring of it should be newsworthy in and of itself.

Donald Nichols
Donald Nichols
3 years ago

If we think that taking guns away from people is going to solve our problems with hate and Lawlessness is going to correct our problems all you have to do is look at history.Our drug laws are not working because of the market in the USA is overwhelming and the black market in gun sales will swell. Criminals in the USA is big business and it will always be until our end.

Chris
Chris
3 years ago

Typical democrat, she’s such a liar. She has NO ability to run a city. Typical narcissistic blame everything on somebody else!

charliearlie
charliearlie
3 years ago

Lightfoot lost any credibility she MIGHT have had when she went on national TV and tried to justify why SHE was allowed to get her hair done but nobody else was: That she is the “face of Chicago” and it was “necessary”. If THAT is the “face of Chitcago”, I truly feel sorry for Chicagoans!

Concerned
Concerned
3 years ago

Looks like Mayor Lori Lightfoot is in a job that is a level or two above her capabilities. It is time for her go back to whatever she did before the people of Chicago trusted her, voted for her to become the Mayer of Chicago.

Lee Howell
Lee Howell
3 years ago

Isn’t it about time that sorass was investigated for promoting the violent overthrow of the government or insurrection

Bruce
Bruce
3 years ago

Mayor Lightfoot embodies incompetence, almost to the same level as Mayor Durkan (Seattle) and DeBlasio (NYC). Defunding police in the midst of a crime wave is like trying to put out a fire with buckets of gasoline. But lest we forget, these mayors did not elect themselves…the voters of these cities did. And if those voters are content with incompetence, then let them have it. Gradually, responsible people will leave as will profitable tax-paying businesses until you have a majority of incompetents being governed by incompetence.

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