Independence Day a.k.a. Violence Day
In Chicago, eighty-two people were killed celebrating the Fourth of July, our beloved “Independence Day” which seems to be mis-named. It might as well be called “Violence Day” in Chicago. Of the eighty-two shot, sixteen were killed. So far this year, 1, 219 people have been killed in Chicago. Some point out that this is considerably less than last year’s tally of 2, 185. However, we are only half way through the year on July 4th, and we’re still armed to the teeth here in Chicago.
The Second Amendment was added to the Constitution to enable armed citizens to be easily conscripted into the army in case of need. Most citizens carried guns in those days, so this was a quick and easy way to enlarge the size of the army should a major opponent like Great Britain pose a threat. Unfortunately, its wording suggests citizens have a “right” not a “privilege” to carry a gun. Again, this was based on the assumption that many citizens lived on the frontier and needed guns for hunting to feed the family, and sometimes for protection against animals or malicious humans. In modern America, gun ownership should be a privilege, and the guns we privilege should be for self-protection or hunting. This could not, by any stretch of the imagination, put assault rifles into private hands.
Sixty percent of guns used in violent crimes in Chicago are bought in Indiana, Mississippi and Wisconsin. They are resold through shops in various Illinois cities near Chicago. So although Chicago had placed hundreds of extra cops on the street on the Fourth of July in an effort to squelch violence, eighty-two people will never celebrate “Independence Day” again.
There is an interesting overlay here with the border crisis in Texas. The immediate response to kids fleeing across the border from Mexico into the United States was that while children from countries south of Mexico were held in detainment centers for processing to see if they were, in fact, fleeing violence in their native lands, the Mexican kids were put on buses and sent back. Yet the gun battles in Mexico are large-scale gang wars. Last year, two thousand law officers (figures aren’t available for the non-law-officers) were killed by gunfire in Mexico. This is what the Mexican kids we sent back were trying to escape. Millions of dollars worth of assault weapons, although outlawed in Mexico, are brought in from the U.S., accounting for about 95% of the assault weapons now in Mexico. The “cop-killer” has been the recent weapon of choice, but the new favorite weapon in the Mexican gang wars now is the M60 machine gun with more fire power.
There are 12,000 United States gun dealers along the Mexico border. In Texas, there is no wait period and no limit to the number of guns purchased. Dealers say they are protected by the Second Amendment and that what happens after a gun or gun shipment is purchased is not their concern. The newspapers just had a story about a Mexican child who made it to the U.S. to escape violence, was bused back, and was shot within twenty-four hours. This is morally unacceptable. The U.S. must help these children whatever it costs, but it must also stop exporting the weapons these children are forced to flee. This is a political loop upon which President Obama, since this is happening on his watch, should address immediately and decisively. Adding more border guards and asking for more money to process immigrant kids is not enough. Stop U.S. guns from going to Mexico. The idea that if they’re used in Mexico they aren’t harming anyone in the U.S. is nonsense. We have a humanitarian crisis on our hands, but we have contributed to the trauma these children have already faced. Its time to face up to our own culpability and then act upon it.This means Congress and the President would have to agree upon a course of action and ACT. Maybe I’m a cockeyed pessimist, but I don’t foresee their agreement on any course of action in a timely way. Obstructionist tactics seem to be what politicians retreat to times of crisis. Accusations replace cooperation and prevent action. Meanwhile, children continue to die in gun battles they didn’t start and can’t control. And they continue to flee across our borders, hoping that in America they will be safe. Hoping they’ll have a chance to grow up. Is that too much for any child to ask?
In Chicago, eighty-two people were killed celebrating the Fourth of July, our beloved “Independence Day” which seems to be mis-named. It might as well be called “Violence Day” in Chicago. Of the eighty-two shot, sixteen were killed. So far this year, 1, 219 people have been killed in Chicago. Some point out that this is considerably less than last year’s tally of 2, 185. However, we are only half way through the year on July 4th, and we’re still armed to the teeth here in Chicago.
The Second Amendment was added to the Constitution to enable armed citizens to be easily conscripted into the army in case of need. Most citizens carried guns in those days, so this was a quick and easy way to enlarge the size of the army should a major opponent like Great Britain pose a threat. Unfortunately, its wording suggests citizens have a “right” not a “privilege” to carry a gun. Again, this was based on the assumption that many citizens lived on the frontier and needed guns for hunting to feed the family, and sometimes for protection against animals or malicious humans. In modern America, gun ownership should be a privilege, and the guns we privilege should be for self-protection or hunting. This could not, by any stretch of the imagination, put assault rifles into private hands.
Sixty percent of guns used in violent crimes in Chicago are bought in Indiana, Mississippi and Wisconsin. They are resold through shops in various Illinois cities near Chicago. So although Chicago had placed hundreds of extra cops on the street on the Fourth of July in an effort to squelch violence, eighty-two people will never celebrate “Independence Day” again.
There is an interesting overlay here with the border crisis in Texas. The immediate response to kids fleeing across the border from Mexico into the United States was that while children from countries south of Mexico were held in detainment centers for processing to see if they were, in fact, fleeing violence in their native lands, the Mexican kids were put on buses and sent back. Yet the gun battles in Mexico are large-scale gang wars. Last year, two thousand law officers (figures aren’t available for the non-law-officers) were killed by gunfire in Mexico. This is what the Mexican kids we sent back were trying to escape. Millions of dollars worth of assault weapons, although outlawed in Mexico, are brought in from the U.S., accounting for about 95% of the assault weapons now in Mexico. The “cop-killer” has been the recent weapon of choice, but the new favorite weapon in the Mexican gang wars now is the M60 machine gun with more fire power.
There are 12,000 United States gun dealers along the Mexico border. In Texas, there is no wait period and no limit to the number of guns purchased. Dealers say they are protected by the Second Amendment and that what happens after a gun or gun shipment is purchased is not their concern. The newspapers just had a story about a Mexican child who made it to the U.S. to escape violence, was bused back, and was shot within twenty-four hours. This is morally unacceptable. The U.S. must help these children whatever it costs, but it must also stop exporting the weapons these children are forced to flee. This is a political loop upon which President Obama, since this is happening on his watch, should address immediately and decisively. Adding more border guards and asking for more money to process immigrant kids is not enough. Stop U.S. guns from going to Mexico. The idea that if they’re used in Mexico they aren’t harming anyone in the U.S. is nonsense. We have a humanitarian crisis on our hands, but we have contributed to the trauma these children have already faced. Its time to face up to our own culpability and then act upon it.This means Congress and the President would have to agree upon a course of action and ACT. Maybe I’m a cockeyed pessimist, but I don’t foresee their agreement on any course of action in a timely way. Obstructionist tactics seem to be what politicians retreat to times of crisis. Accusations replace cooperation and prevent action. Meanwhile, children continue to die in gun battles they didn’t start and can’t control. And they continue to flee across our borders, hoping that in America they will be safe. Hoping they’ll have a chance to grow up. Is that too much for any child to ask?
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