Re: [GUNS] Re: a comment

Michael S. Lorrey (mike@lorrey.com)
Mon, 07 Jun 1999 17:23:22 -0400

Brian D Williams wrote:

> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> From: "Joe E. Dees" <joedees@bellsouth.net>
>
> >There is an article in the July issue of Playboy about a squad of
> >Chicago cops masquerading as bikers and gang members and
> >asking to buy guns with which to commit crimes. The firearms
> >dealers were most helpful, and in just two months, the police had
> >purchased 171 weapons for $65,000, all for the explicit purpose of
> >aiding in the commission of criminal acts.
>
> Now your source of scientific evidence is Playboy? Sorry, even as
> a subscriber I can't agree. ;)

I was trying to be open minded in not pointing this out...

>
> I don't know where you got 1998 numbers, since the Chicago Police
> Web site doesn't have them yet. But you fail to mention that 33% of
> murders are gang related, 22% are altercations, 14% robbery, and
> 13% narcotics, 66% of the murder victims knew each other.

The "knew each other" term is useless. If you happen to be passingly familiar with a guy who hangs out on a street corner, maybe you know his first name, then according to the Chicago Police you "know" him. If he happens to be a drug dealer and he hold you up one night, and you defend yourself and kill him, then you knew the person you attacked....hows that for accuracy in statistics.

> The gun shops are not strategically located for maximum advantage,
> Chicago is ringed with suburbs because of geography. I live in one
> of them.
>
> So explain how the suburbs, with the gun shops and a much greater
> population don't have a gun problem?
>
> Why did the Mayor and City council exempt themselves from the
> handgun ban?

Politicians always exempt themselves from their own laws.

> Why did they in fact pass special legislation that allows them to
> conceal carry?
>
> 15,000 weapons are seized in Chicago each year, yet almost zero
> prosecutions..... Why?

Cause then the crooks will inform on the guy who sold them the gun, who was a cop.

> Why do 97%+ of all gun crimes in Chicago take place in certain
> neighborhoods?

Sorry, its wrong to make ethnic or economic associations in this matter....

Mike Lorrey