Tuesday, February 19, 2013

We've got a Gun Violence Epidemic and only Criminal Cops in Chicagoland to stop it

Chicago has become the go to example for Gun Nuts to decry Gun Control measures. Insane Gun Huggers scream out Chicago!!! as the definitive case of failed Gun Control. And why? Because ALEC, the NRA and the Gun Nuts have undercut sensible gun laws and undermined the safety of Chicagoans and the American People.

Of the 50,000 guns recovered between 2001 and March 2012 in Chicago, more than half came from outside the state.

The majority of Guns used in commission of crimes inside Chicago come from outside the city.  So, thanks NRA for allowing the laxity of irresponsible gun nuts to kill children in Chicago. It's almost as if Wayne LaPierre and David Keene enjoy when children die.

Now, Illinois has been court ordered to pass a Conceal Carry law by June 2013.

Here's the situation. You are a responsible gun owner. You now have a brand new conceal carry license/permit.

Bang! Bang! Bang! You're near the park at Roosevelt Rd and California Ave. You hear multiple shots, being incredibly brave (or crazy) you advance towards the sound of gunfire. You rush into the park and see two individuals with guns:

Person 1 is pointing a weapon at Person 2. Person 2 has a gun drawn but it appears to be in the "alert" position. At the feet of Person 2 is Person 3 apparently bleeding profusely.

Now, which one do you shoot? Go!

There is no PC Logo spinning over the head of Person 2 identifying him as the "good guy". Person 1 doesn't have on a black hat.

Identification is nigh impossible and in most cases couch-borne concealed carry commandos aren't going to get clean shots. And unlike in video games, which the NRA are set upon Blaming for Gun Violence, when some Gun Nuts caps an innocent it doesn't just cost the shooter some points.

But, while having to worry about the looming gun fights from buffoonish Gun Nuts and Gang Bangers, Chicagoland Police Officers keep committing crimes and official misconduct. Thanks for making the Job harder for the rest of us Officers!
In January, three Schaumburg Police OfficersJohn Cichy, Matthew Hudak and Terrance O'Brien - were arrested and accused of peddling marijuana and cocaine in DuPage County for at least six months. Prosecutors said they skimmed from police drug seizures. 
"Quite frankly, it makes me sick to my stomach," Jack Riley, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the Midwest said. "From my point of view, I'm battling the Mexican cartels (and) 100,000 street gang members in Chicago — and now I've got to worry about this."
Quite Frankly, that's Quite Right Jack Riley.  
Northbrook Police Officer Enrique Guzman, turned out to be a Northbrook Burglar. In February a 5 month joint FBI/Northbrook Police Department investigation resulted in the arrest of Guzman who had been video recorded stealing jewelry from a residence.
$122,000 USC a year and you're pulling off burglaries on duty? Either Guzman has a gambling/drug addiction or...
In Des Plaines several Police Officers are facing suspensions and posssible termination stemming from a city investigation of alleged misreporting of DUI arrests to obtain overtime pay, Des Plaines officials said. In 2011, Des Plaines was awarded $116,190, the third-largest STEP (Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program) Grant in the Illinois. 
DUI arrests are the easiest arrests to make if your work "midnights". There really is no need to falsify reports or arrests.

So besides dealing with the flow of illegal weapons into the Chicagoland area and their use in the commission of crimes I and my fellow officers have the criminals in our ranks who are undercutting our authority and tarnishing All of Us in the eyes of the law-abiding populace.

9 comments:

J.O.B. said...

"Bang! Bang! Bang! You're near the park at Roosevelt Rd and California Ave. You hear multiple shots, being incredibly brave (or crazy) you advance towards the sound of gunfire. You rush into the park and see two individuals with guns:"

That's the problem Gene. I can't speak for other gun owners, but I wouldn't even try to investigate. Just call 911. I would be more than happy to let the CPD do their job. But when conceal/carry is passed, it will open doors in my life. For instance, when I leave family in Canaryville, I can now take Halsted home without being fearful for my life or the life of my child. Now will I be looking to perform some vigilante justice in beautiful Englewood? Of course not, but C/C will allow me to travel through some neighborhoods instead of avoiding them.

Grung_e_Gene said...

J.O.B.

I'm not to impugn you or most gun owners. However, more guns=more gun deaths. More guns in concealed carry is going to equal more gun shootings. And not everyone of those shootings is going to be legal/justified.

That's the simple facts and the Gun Lobby and Pro-Unrestricted Gun Violence Nuts don't seem to care or are focused on side-issues instead of facing the truth that not every Gun Owner is responsible, the NRA doesn't care how many children die and some gun owners want to go on killing sprees because they've absorbed this bullshit Conservative "Goverment is the Problem" Crap.

It's happened, It's happening. More Guns will mean it will happen more often.

J.O.B. said...

You know Gene, if you are a CPD officer your job will no doubt get a little harder. But the gang bangers are still going to shoot at each other. I feel for you, and the rest of the officers who may be affected by this. But it also means, that I can have a little bit more peace of mind. And for that, I am unapologetic.

Grung_e_Gene said...

J.O.B.

Just to be clear, as you've couched your comment about the job getting "a little harder" is that what you're saying is more people will probably get killed but that doesn't matter because of your "peace of mind".

J.O.B. said...

Wow Gene, You are quite self righteous, aren't you?

What I am saying is that real life results of Illinois carry laws can never be determined by whatever website you visited. Gun crimes may not go down, but they may not go up either. We can never tell until it is applied in real life situations.

But since we're on the subject. You seem rather annoyed by my thoughts
. But why are you and your fellow officers more important than me? Is your life more important than mine because you wear a shield? Will you personally escort me through dangerous situations in our city?

Is your piece of mind (the dangers of your job) more important than mine? You were sworn to serve and protect? Can you promise to?

As a CPD officer, are you allowed to carry your weapon off duty? Am I the vagrant for feeling a little more secure in the new law? Am I the criminal? Maybe you should give up your firearm.

Does that shield give you more freedom than I shall be allowed? When I dial 911, will you be there in 2 seconds?

If the answer is no, then yes. My peace of mind is more important than your difficulty of duty.

Were you at the little Ford City melee? At least 100 kids strolling through traffic. 14 year old kids tossing gang signs and throwing chairs through the rear windows od SUVs?

All these questions, but I have just one that I would like for you to answer. Is your life more important than mine?

BadTux said...

In other words, J.O.B., you think a gun will allow you to go places you currently don't go. Uhm, no. You're just increasing your chances of being killed in those places. The deal being that the criminals don't know you're carrying until they accost you -- which means you need to be prepared to kill someone right then and there (and be arrested for murder if it turns out he's unarmed), or if he happens to be armed he will shoot you first. And he will.

But hey, it makes you "feel" safer. Even though it makes you four times more likely to die of gunshot wounds, according to the statistics. But everybody knows that math is a liberal conspiracy, so (shrug). Who needs facts when they can feel braver, like they got cojones that clang rather than marshmallows, by hauling along some iron?

Note -- when I taught in the inner city I walked up to the doors of a crack house armed with nothing more than a grade book. When I worked census in a rough neighborhood I walked up to doors with nothing more than my identity card identifying me as a Census worker, and the little computer thingy they gave us to punch the answers into. I didn't need a gun, even though I was walking up to the doors of gang bangers and crack dealers. All I needed was politeness and sufficient cojones that I didn't freak out at the sight of brown-skinned people (the fact I was driving a rusty old Chevette probably convinced them I wasn't worth robbing too). A gun would have just caused trouble, because then I would have been perceived as a threat rather than just as part of the street scenery working for a living and the predators would have been required to take notice of me rather than dismissing me. It ain't a gun that lets ya go into those neighborhoods. Just sayin'.

Grung_e_Gene said...

J.O.B.

I fully support everyone's right to protect themselves. And I know that guns have been used by victims to defend themselves.

I also know from empiricial data that guns in homes are most likely to be used to kill family members. That murders, suicides, and accidental shooting deaths (mainly of children) are the primary result.

And I know the law. When the guy you get into a Road Rage incident with cocks a fist you don't just get to shoot him. When the thief snags your wallet and runs you don't get to mow him down.

And when the responsible, moral, CC gun owner (e.g. You J.O.B.) gets into a shoot and some of his rounds are errant and kill nearby bystanders... Well, he's going to be devastated but, most Gun Nuts are socipaths and they will feel no compunction about killing innocents because of their Rights

BadTux said...

I wouldn't say that most "gun nuts" are sociopaths, GeG. What I will say is that they're idiots. They think a gun will get them OUT of trouble, when nine times out of ten in the 'hood, the gun is going to get them INTO trouble 'cause they gonna think it makes them more of a man and thus they will get into s**t they otherwise would have stayed well away from.

Rule number one of trouble is *don't go looking for it*, 'cause if you do, you'll find it. Going someplace just 'cause you got a gun now when ya wouldn't have gone there if you didn't have a gun? That's just lookin' fer trouble and yer gonna get yerself *dead* if you don't watch it.

Personally, I'll leave the looking for trouble bit to folks I pay to do so -- i.e., cops -- and stay well away from places I have no business being. A gun is not a magic talisman, it's a tool for killing, and as such the predators who live in such places view anybody with a gun who isn't *them* as being a threat to be eliminated. I'm still walkin' 'round 'cause I went those places because a) I had business being there, and b) I didn't have a gun. Just sayin'.

- Badtux the Grumpy Non-Sociopath Penguin

ChickenHammer said...

"Bang! Bang! Bang! You're near the park at Roosevelt Rd and California Ave. You hear multiple shots, being incredibly brave (or crazy) you advance towards the sound of gunfire. You rush into the park and see two individuals with guns:"

Only an idiot who should have his permit taken away would advance to the park. Anyone of even average intelligence knows that's the time to call 911 and stay the hell away from the action. Investigating a situation like that is the business of the police.

There are a lot of myths out there regarding concealed carry. Blood in the streets, insane crossfires, police not knowing the good guys from the bad guys, etc... Now go out there on the internet and try to find a verifiable example. Go out and research how many concealed carry permits have been issued and what percent of them have been revoked for cause. For a little more fun look at how much higher the percentage of police who get their guns taken away.

I have had some experience with the road rage. A year and a half or so back my wife and I were on our way home from dinner out. One of God's less intelligent children cut me off and I tapped my horn to get his attention and keep him from running into me. For whatever reason he did not like that; he locked up his brakes and forced me to dodge him and go past. Then he started with the aggressive tailgating, flashing his brights, riding his horn, and generally being extremely unsafe to everyone on the road and especially unsafe towards my wife and I. I asked my wife to get on the phone to 911 and they took our information from her and kept her on the phone to describe what was going on as they dispatched a couple of cars to assist. Ten minutes after calling 911 a couple of police cars converged on us and the guy following us decided to make a run for it.

I could have pulled off the road and handled it man to man with the guy; escalated the level of aggression and violence but I didn't. I was carrying a handgun but it remained holstered and concealed through the entire incident. The gun doesn't make me feel any braver. The gun does give me comfort knowing if some a-hole like that were to somehow corner me I would have a little more leverage getting out of that corner. I don't go out looking for opportunities to use a gun but I do take comfort in knowing I have that tool if I'm ever forced into a position of needing it.

Oh yeah, the happy ending. My wife and I waited on the side of the road after the cops went chasing off after the guy who was harassing us. The 911 operator asked her to just wait and an office would come and get our statement. When the officer did come to get our statement he told us that when they caught the guy they arrested him for DUI, old warrants, and new charges for his actions towards us and the police chase. I smile every time I think about that asshole going to jail.