Do Gun Control Bans Really Work?

by Eric Odom

Gun control. The two words are somewhat misleading, but commonly used to project a brand upon the ideas shared by those who wish to limit access to firearms. The words gun control suggest, at the surface, that a society is somehow going to be able to use prohibition on some firearms to control tragedy caused by murderers who obtain them.

Much of the public is currently convinced that gun control has yet to be tried. This is mostly thanks to a media full of alleged journalists who refuse to tell the entire story. The truth is, the theory behind gun control has already been tested. In fact, a thorough, well-documented test has been underway for three decades -- right in Barack Hussein Obama's own backyard, Chicago, Illinois.

But before getting to the test results, let's look at one of the big players in striking down Second Amendment Rights in favor of self-defense prohibition. Meet the Joyce Foundation.

The Joyce Foundation is a rabidly anti-Second-Amendment advocacy organization responsible for crafting anti-self defense legislation in and around the Great Lakes region of the U.S. A primary port of their influence is Chicago. Recently the Joyce Foundation began promoting another entity called WAVE, or Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort. This is nothing more than a fantasy-land approach to curbing violence.

Read their opening statement:
 

The flaws in this statement are numbing. Take a look at Chicago ¦ the ONLY individuals who have guns in Chicago besides law enforcement are those seeking to commit a felony. The use of the phrase 'deadly weapons' in this context asserts the idea that guns are the only tangible products that can be used as deadly weapons. What about hammers? Or knives? What about chairs and books?

A closer look at the second sentence of their statement and we see more absurdity. Let me just say this: I personally have far less fear going to see a movie or sitting down for dinner knowing that I carry a Smith & Wesson 40-caliber handgun. I feel safe because I am armed and able to defend myself. As has been proven time and time again, only criminals carry guns in gun-free zones.

The Joyce Foundation, and other entities they partner with, would have us believe they are initiating policy that will help keep us safe from harm. But the fact is, their policy fosters a much more dangerous environment -- emboldening those who seek to do harm while hamstringing law-abiding citizens and their ability to defend themselves

As a sidebar to the Joyce Foundation madness, Barack Hussein Obama sat on their board from 1994 to 2001. His affiliation to the Joyce Foundation shouldn't come as a surprise. South-side Chicagoan Barack Obama is notorious for his stance against the Second Amendment. Let's look at the facts.

    In 1996, Barack Obama fully supported a ban (barrier to the rights of Americans)
         on rifles with minor cosmetic modifications. The ban did nothing to stop firearm-
         related violence by criminals and those with intent of malice.
    In 1999, Barack Obama proposed a 500% increase in the excise taxes on
         firearms and ammunition.
    In 2004, Barack Obama supported legislation that would have banned privately
         owned hunting shotguns, target rifles and black-powder rifles in Illinois.
    In 2005 ,Barack Obama voted against legislation to protect homeowners from    
         prosecution in cases where they used a firearm to halt a home invasion.

Once he "ascended" to the presidency, Obama went on to nominate rabidly anti-Second Amendment officials such as Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, ATF Explosives Chief Andrew Travers, regulatory czar Cass Sunstein, and U.N. Rep. Greg Nickels.

He also announced support for the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, a measure which the NRA opposes because it fails to include an exception for civilian firearms.

This Windy City community organizer is deeply integrated in a three-decade effort to strip law-abiding citizens of their rights to self-defense in Chicago. He knows how the plan is working, but he won't talk about it -- at least not publicly. However, we have the facts and are not afraid to talk about the Chicago gun-control test.

Back in 1982, Chicago set out to violate the U.S. Constitution by requiring the registration of all firearms. They didn't allow handguns to be registered -- choosing instead to make owning one a crime (unless grandfathered by being registered before April 16, 1982). Several Chicago suburbs also enacted outright prohibitions on handgun possession.

After several decades, Chicago was forced to lift its outright prohibition of handguns. However, city officials still prohibit the transport of a loaded firearm that is not located inside of a secured case. In other words, law-abiding citizens have no way to defend themselves on the streets of Chicago. In fact, browse a recent ordinance file passed in Chicago and you'll discover the government has absolutely no intention of allowing residents to practice their rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment!

Did Chicago's aggressive move for gun control curb the violence and bloodshed?

You be the judge. The most gun-regulated city in the nation has watched crime rates soar -- far surpassing the national averages, and closed 2012 surpassing 500 murders. While proponents of gun control laws seek additional limits on handguns and ammunition, Chicago remains the murder capital of the nation in the only state that doesn't allow concealed-carry permits. Coincidence? We think not.

 

Eric Odom is managing director of LibertyNEWS.com. A tea party activist and self-described libertarian-minded political consultant, he was one of the first activists to respond to Rick Santelli's infamous tea party rant. He built the original website that was used to plan for the February 2009 tea parties and he built the first tea party website which served as the primary organizing hub for the 2009 Tax Day Tea Party.